THE INFLUENCE OF COLD-WATER IMMERSION AND RED-LIGHT THERAPY ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MARKERS OF RECOVERY IN FEMALE COLLEGIATE ENDURANCE ATHLETES

Abstract

Background: Collegiate athletes face unique challenges to balancing recovery through time in sport, stress and pressure surrounding one’s sport, socializing with peers, and managing classwork. Endurance running specifically accumulates large amounts of fatigue. It is important to understand how to alleviate physical and mental fatigue these collegiate athletes face to create an athlete-centered approach to recovery. Understanding the connection between subjective and objective feelings towards recovery gives coaches, trainers, staff, and most importantly the athlete, practical solutions.Methods: Nine healthy female collegiate endurance athletes participated in the study. Each subject underwent one bout of CWI, RLT, and CON recovery modality with a one-week washout period. Subjective measures of fatigue and recovery were assessed through VAS, POMS, ARSS, RESTQ-76, and PSQI questionnaires. Subjects were asked to answer subjective questionnaires (VAS, ARSS, POMS) at pre workout, post workout, and post recovery (VAS, ARSS). RESTQ-76 and PSQI were given post intervention during the week of the recovery modality. The objective measure was assessed through resting HRV taken at post workout and post recovery intervals. 3x3, 3x2, and one-way repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to examine the effects of the three recovery modalities over time as a within-subject design (pre workout vs post workout vs post recovery). Results: Athlete’s VAS scores post workout showed a main effect of time to be significantly higher than pre workout. The subjective questionnaires produced no significant results in part due to the small sample size. Partial eta square effect sizes revealed meaningful changes in subjective measures. HRV revealed a main effect of time with post recovery HRV being significantly higher than post workout. A modality x time interaction showed significant changes among all modalities post recovery. RLT was shown to improve HRV the most post recovery. Conclusion: These findings suggest collegiate endurance athletes undergo exercise induced reductions in mood, HRV, and increased pain sensation following a training session. The type of recovery modality was shown to not significantly differ amongst each other but rather, specific modalities improved objective and subjective measures more effectively. These results imply the importance of an individualized approach to recovery rather than subjective athlete’s to one modality.