Effects of Combined Interventions to Optimize Recovery During High-intensity Exercises in Healthy Adults

The objective of the study is to evaluate the effects a complex recovery intervention during the breaks of a repeated sprint test on exercise performance compared to placebo and control conditions. The enhanced recovery package (ERP) includes neck cooling with an iced gel pad, drinking a 6% CHO solution, mouth-rinsing with a 10% CHO, 6 mg･kg -1 caffeine solution, performing submaximal squats and hyperventilating a hyperoxic mixture; all applied in each 3-min break in-between the six 30-s sprints. This intervention will be compared to a placebo and a control condition.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: ERP; Other: Placebo

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • ZH
    • Zürich, ZH, Switzerland, 8057
      • ETH Zürich, Exercise Physiology Lab

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 40 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Informed Consent as documented by signature (Appendix Informed Consent Form)
• Healthy
• Male
• Age: 18-40 years
• Body-Mass-Index (BMI): 18.5-24.9 kg･m-2
• Trained individuals: max. Power output ≥ 4.0 Watts･kg-1
• Non-smoking
• Willingness to adhere to the study rules

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known or suspected non-compliance, drug or alcohol abuse
• Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participants
• Previous enrolment into the current study
• Intake of medications affecting performance or the respiratory, cardiovascular or neuromuscular system
• Acute or chronic illness affecting performance or the respiratory, cardiovascular or neuromuscular system

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: ERP Intervention; Combination of different methods to improve recovery.	Other: ERP; The ERP intervention is applied in a randomized and counter-balanced order across visits 2-4 in each 3-min break in-between the six 30-s sprints, with one intervention per visit. The order and timing of the constituents of the interventions will be strictly constant within and between participants. ERP: 1) neck cooling with an iced gel pad, 2) drinking a ∼ 6% CHO solution, 3) mouth-rinsing with a ∼10% CHO, ∼6 mg ･ kg -1 caffeine solution, 4) performing submaximal squats and 5) hyperventilating a hyperoxic mixture
No Intervention: Control; Passive recovery by sitting on a chair
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; A combination of methods similar to the ERP intervention but at an intensity / mixture supposed to be ineffective at improving recovery.	Other: Placebo; The control intervention is applied in a randomized and counter-balanced order across visits 2-4 in each 3-min break in-between the six 30-s sprints, with one intervention per visit. The order and timing of the constituents of the interventions will be strictly constant within and between participants. 1) neck "cooling" with room temperature gel pack, 2) drinking an artificially sweetened solution, 3) mouth-rinsing with artificially sweetened solution (containing no caffeine), 4) performing unloaded squat manoeuvres, 5) deep breaths with room air

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in mean power output	Measured over the six 30s high-intensity cycling sprints in each of the three conditions. Mean power mirrors the body's ability to generate muscle power and physical energy. Any meaningful effects of the recovery interventions will eventually translate into a higher power output.	through study completion, an expected average of 3 weeks per participant
Change in fatigue index	Fatigue index = drop in power output from the beginning to the end a 30s sprint test. The change in this index will be calculated from the 1st to the 6th sprint test in each condition.	through study completion, an expected average of 3 weeks per participant

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Christina M. Spengler, Prof., Christina M. Spengler, Prof. Study Principal Investigator Exercise Physiology Lab, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 10, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 4, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 7, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): August 11, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 2, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 30, 2021
• Last Verified: October 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: ERP_2020

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No