The effect of different water immersion temperatures on post-exercise parasympathetic reactivation

• Published in: PloS one 2014-12, Vol.9 (12), p.e113730-e113730
• Main Authors: de Oliveira Ottone, Vinícius, de Castro Magalhães, Flávio, de Paula, Fabrício, Avelar, Núbia Carelli Pereira, Aguiar, Paula Fernandes, da Matta Sampaio, Pâmela Fiche, Duarte, Tamiris Campos, Costa, Karine Beatriz, Araújo, Tatiane Líliam, Coimbra, Cândido Celso, Nakamura, Fábio Yuzo, Amorim, Fabiano Trigueiro, Rocha-Vieira, Etel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activation; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular system; Endurance; Exercise; Exercise physiology; Exercise Test - methods; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; Homeostasis; Humans; Immersion; Immersion - adverse effects; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Nutrition; Parasympathetic nervous system; Parasympathetic Nervous System - physiology; Physical fitness; Recovery; Recovery of Function; Rest; Sports medicine; Strength training; Submerging; Temperature; Temperature effects; Water; Water immersion; Water temperature; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113730

We evaluated the effect of different water immersion (WI) temperatures on post-exercise cardiac parasympathetic reactivation. Eight young, physically active men participated in four experimental conditions composed of resting (REST), exercise session (resistance and endurance exercises), post-exercise recovery strategies, including 15 min of WI at 15°C (CWI), 28°C (TWI), 38°C (HWI) or control (CTRL, seated at room temperature), followed by passive resting. The following indices were assessed before and during WI, 30 min post-WI and 4 hours post-exercise: mean R-R (mR-R), the natural logarithm (ln) of the square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent normal R-R (ln rMSSD) and the ln of instantaneous beat-to-beat variability (ln SD1). The results showed that during WI mRR was reduced for CTRL, TWI and HWI versus REST, and ln rMSSD and ln SD1 were reduced for TWI and HWI versus REST. During post-WI, mRR, ln rMSSD and ln SD1 were reduced for HWI versus REST, and mRR values for CWI were higher versus CTRL. Four hours post exercise, mRR was reduced for HWI versus REST, although no difference was observed among conditions. We conclude that CWI accelerates, while HWI blunts post-exercise parasympathetic reactivation, but these recovery strategies are short-lasting and not evident 4 hours after the exercise session.