View article

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of whole‐body cryotherapy (WBC) on proprioceptive function, muscle force recovery following eccentric muscle contractions and tympanic temperature (T_TY). Thirty‐six subjects were randomly assigned to a group receiving two 3‐min treatments of −110 ± 3 °C or 15 ± 3 °C. Knee joint position sense (JPS), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the knee extensors, force proprioception and T_TY were recorded before, immediately after the exposure and again 15 min later. A convenience sample of 18 subjects also underwent an eccentric exercise protocol on their contralateral left leg 24 h before exposure. MVIC (left knee), peak power output (PPO) during a repeated sprint on a cycle ergometer and muscles soreness were measured pre‐, 24, 48 and 72 h post‐treatment. WBC reduced T_TY, by 0.3 °C, when compared with the control group (P<0 …