Effect of Trigger Point Cryostimulation on Exercise-Induced Tremor in Adolescent Swimmers

March 19, 2026 updated by: Szymon Kuliś, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education

Targeted Cryostimulation of Myofascial Trigger Points Attenuates Exercise-Induced Tremor in Adolescent Swimmers

This study examines whether local cryostimulation of myofascial trigger points can reduce physiological tremor that occurs after intense physical exercise. Thirty-four adolescent competitive swimmers participate in a randomized crossover study comparing two conditions: local ice stimulation of trigger points and a control condition without intervention. Physiological tremor of the lower limbs is measured using accelerometry before and after a 30-second maximal tethered swimming effort. The study aims to determine whether targeted cryostimulation can attenuate exercise-induced neuromuscular tremor and improve post-exercise motor stability in young athletes.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study investigates whether targeted cryostimulation of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) can attenuate exercise-induced physiological tremor in adolescent swimmers. The study uses a randomized reversed crossover design in which each participant completes two experimental conditions: local cryostimulation of identified trigger points and a control condition without intervention.

Thirty-four competitive adolescent swimmers participate in the study. Physiological tremor of both lower limbs is measured using triaxial accelerometry under standardized conditions before and after a maximal 30-second tethered swimming effort.

In the cryostimulation condition, cold packs are applied for 60 seconds to identified myofascial trigger points in the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups. In the control condition, no cryostimulation is applied prior to exercise.

The primary outcome is the change in tremor power in the 2-5 Hz frequency band following exercise. Secondary outcomes include tremor power in the 9-14 Hz frequency band and tremor frequency parameters. Tremor signals are analyzed using frequency-domain analysis based on power spectral density calculations derived from accelerometer data.

The aim of the study is to determine whether localized cryostimulation of myofascial trigger points can modulate neuromuscular responses to fatigue and reduce the magnitude of exercise-induced tremor in adolescent athletes.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

34

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Poland
    • Mazovian
      • Warsaw, Mazovian, Poland
        • Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • - Competitive adolescent swimmers
  • Age between 10 and 16 years
  • Regular participation in swimming training (at least 3 training sessions per week)
  • No current musculoskeletal injury affecting the lower limbs
  • Ability to perform maximal swimming effort
  • Written informed consent from participants and their legal guardians

Exclusion Criteria:

  • - Current lower limb injury or pain
  • Neurological disorders affecting motor control
  • Contraindications to cold exposure or cryotherapy
  • Participation in other interventions that could affect neuromuscular performance

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cryostimulation of Myofascial Trigger Points
Participants receive local cryostimulation of identified myofascial trigger points in the quadriceps and hamstring muscles. Cold packs are applied for 60 seconds to the trigger points before performing a 30-second maximal tethered swimming effort. Physiological tremor of the lower limbs is measured before and after exercise using accelerometry.
Procedure: Cryostimulation of Myofascial Trigger Points
Local cryostimulation is applied to identified myofascial trigger points in the quadriceps and hamstring muscles using cold packs for 60 seconds before a 30-second maximal tethered swimming effort.
No Intervention: Control Condition (No Cryostimulation)
Participants complete the same experimental protocol without cryostimulation. After baseline tremor assessment, participants perform a 30-second maximal tethered swimming effort. No cooling intervention is applied before exercise. Physiological tremor of the lower limbs is measured before and after exercise using accelerometry under the same conditions as in the experimental arm.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Exercise-Induced Physiological Tremor of the Lower Limbs
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 30-second maximal tethered swimming effort during the experimental session.
Physiological tremor of the lower limbs measured using accelerometry before and after a 30-second maximal tethered swimming effort. Tremor amplitude is quantified from accelerometer signals to assess the effect of local cryostimulation of myofascial trigger points.
Immediately before and immediately after the 30-second maximal tethered swimming effort during the experimental session.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 13, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 18, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 19, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CRYO-TREMOR-2024

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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