Whole-Body Cryotherapy and Isokinetic Performance After Exercise-Induced Fatigue (WBC-ISO)

May 24, 2026 updated by: Zeynep Koluman, Biruni University

Effect of Whole-Body Cryotherapy on Isokinetic Performance After Exercise-Induced Fatigue

This randomized crossover study investigated the effects of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) on isokinetic knee performance following running-induced fatigue in physically active healthy male university students. Participants completed two recovery conditions, WBC and passive rest, on separate days following a standardized treadmill fatigue protocol. Knee extension and flexion strength were assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer at angular velocities of 60°/s and 240°/s. In addition, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and perceived fatigue responses were monitored throughout the recovery period. The study aimed to determine whether WBC improves post-exercise recovery and lower-extremity muscle performance compared with passive rest.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study was designed to investigate the effects of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) on recovery and isokinetic muscle performance following exercise-induced fatigue in physically active healthy male university students. Exercise-induced fatigue is associated with reduced muscle force production, impaired performance, and increased injury risk. Various recovery strategies have been used to minimize these negative effects, and WBC has gained increasing attention in sports medicine because of its potential physiological and neuromuscular recovery benefits.

The study used a randomized within-subject crossover design in which participants completed two recovery conditions, WBC and passive rest, on separate days following a standardized treadmill-based fatigue protocol. During the WBC condition, participants were exposed to a two-stage cryogenic chamber consisting of an adaptation chamber at -30°C followed by a main chamber at -85°C. Passive rest sessions were performed under the same laboratory conditions without cryotherapy exposure.

Primary outcome measures included isokinetic knee extension and flexion performance assessed at angular velocities of 60°/s and 240°/s using an isokinetic dynamometer. Peak torque and body mass-normalized peak torque values were analyzed for both dominant and non-dominant lower extremities. Secondary outcome measures included systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and perceived fatigue responses measured throughout the recovery period.

The aim of the study was to determine whether WBC provides superior recovery effects compared with passive rest following running-induced acute fatigue.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

30

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

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34000
        • Istanbul University

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy male participants aged between 18 and 30 years with no exercise limitation No history of knee or lower-extremity injury requiring physiotherapy or surgical intervention No current lower-extremity pain No limitation in lower-extremity range of motion No chronic disease No mental or psychological disorder

Exclusion Criteria:

Presence of cardiovascular or respiratory disease History of cold allergy Presence of a tumor-related disease Presence of a viral or bacterial infection Diagnosis of Raynaud's disease Presence of claustrophobia

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Whole-Body Cryotherapy
Participants underwent whole-body cryotherapy following the running-induced fatigue protocol.
Procedure: Whole-Body Cryotherapy
Participants underwent whole-body cryotherapy following a standardized running-induced fatigue protocol. The intervention was performed in a two-stage cryogenic chamber consisting of a 30-second adaptation phase at -30°C followed by a 3-minute exposure at -85°C.
No Intervention: Passive Rest
Participants completed passive seated rest following the running-induced fatigue protocol.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Peak Torque During Knee Extension and Flexion
Time Frame: Immediately after the 30-minute recovery period
Assessment of isokinetic knee extension and flexion peak torque at 60°/s and 240°/s following whole-body cryotherapy and passive rest recovery conditions.
Immediately after the 30-minute recovery period
Peak Torque Normalized to Body Mass
Time Frame: Immediately after the 30-minute recovery period
Assessment of body mass-normalized peak torque values during isokinetic knee extension and flexion testing at 60°/s and 240°/s.
Immediately after the 30-minute recovery period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Heart Rate
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after exercise, and every 5 minutes during the 30-minute recovery period
Assessment of heart rate responses throughout the recovery period following exercise-induced fatigue.
Baseline, immediately after exercise, and every 5 minutes during the 30-minute recovery period
Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after exercise, and every 5 minutes during the 30-minute recovery period
Assessment of systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses throughout the recovery period.
Baseline, immediately after exercise, and every 5 minutes during the 30-minute recovery period
Oxygen Saturation
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after exercise, and every 5 minutes during the 30-minute recovery period
Assessment of peripheral oxygen saturation during the recovery period.
Baseline, immediately after exercise, and every 5 minutes during the 30-minute recovery period
Perceived Fatigue
Time Frame: Immediately after exercise, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes after exercise
Assessment of subjective fatigue using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale.
Immediately after exercise, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes after exercise

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Biruni University

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.

General Publications

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)

September 2, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 24, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 24, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 24, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2024/1567

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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