Trial reportBritish journal of sports medicine2007
Ice-water immersion and delayed-onset muscle soreness: a randomised controlled trial.
Trial report in British journal of sports medicine, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05554874 (Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Stimulation on DOMS), which is not on this map. Cited by 64 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Stimulation on DOMS: A Randomized Sham-controlled Trial.
Who cites it
64 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 214 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of different doses of cold water immersion (duration and temperature variations) on recovery from acute exercise-induced muscle damage: a network meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of cold water immersion after exercise on fatigue recovery and exercise performance--meta analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2023Pooled it
- Intramuscular Temperature Changes in the Quadriceps Femoris Muscle After Post-Exercise Cold-Water Immersion (10°C for 10 min): A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2021Pooled it
- Can Water Temperature and Immersion Time Influence the Effect of Cold Water Immersion on Muscle Soreness? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2016Pooled it
- The Effect of Post-Exercise Cryotherapy on Recovery Characteristics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.PloS one · 2015Pooled it
- Contrast water therapy and exercise induced muscle damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2013Pooled it
- Preventive effect of the neurodynamic mobilization technique on delayed onset of muscle soreness: a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Trial
- Whole-body vibration decreases delayed onset muscle soreness following eccentric exercise in elite hockey players: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2021Trial
- Effect of Resonant Frequency Vibration on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and Resulting Stiffness as Measured by Shear-Wave Elastography.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Trial
- Experience of cold-water immersion on recovery efficiency after soccer match.La Tunisie medicale · 2021Trial
- Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and/or cryotherapy in skeletal muscle restitution, what is better? A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Lasers in medical science · 2016Trial
- Curcumin supplementation likely attenuates delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).European journal of applied physiology · 2015Trial
- Postexercise impact of ice-cold water bath on the oxidant-antioxidant balance in healthy men.BioMed research international · 2015Trial
- Effect of cryotherapy on muscle recovery and inflammation following a bout of damaging exercise.European journal of applied physiology · 2013Trial
- Cold application for neuromuscular recovery following intense lower-body exercise.European journal of applied physiology · 2011Trial
- Short term effects of various water immersions on recovery from exhaustive intermittent exercise.European journal of applied physiology · 2011Trial
- Comparison between cold water immersion therapy (CWIT) and light emitting diode therapy (LEDT) in short-term skeletal muscle recovery after high-intensity exercise in athletes--preliminary results.Lasers in medical science · 2011Trial
- Trial
- Effect of 830 nm low-level laser therapy applied before high-intensity exercises on skeletal muscle recovery in athletes.Lasers in medical science · 2009Trial
- Effect of hydrotherapy on the signs and symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness.European journal of applied physiology · 2008Trial
4 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo determine if ice-water immersion after eccentric quadriceps exercise minimises the symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
designA prospective randomised double-blind controlled trial was undertaken. 40 untrained volunteers performed an eccentric loading protocol with their non-dominant leg.
interventionsParticipants were randomised to three 1-min immersions in either ice water (5+/-1 degrees C) or tepid water (24 degrees C).
main outcome measuresPain and tenderness (visual analogue scale), swelling (thigh circumference), function (one-legged hop for distance), maximal isometric strength and serum creatine kinase (CK) recorded at baseline, 24, 48 and 72 h after exercise. Changes in outcome measures over time were compared to determine the effect of group allocation using independent t tests or Mann-Whitney U tests.
resultsNo significant differences were observed between groups with regard to changes in most pain parameters, tenderness, isometric strength, swelling, hop-for-distance or serum CK over time. There was a significant difference in pain on sit-to-stand at 24 h, with the intervention group demonstrating a greater increase in pain than the control group (median change 8.0 vs 2.0 mm, respectively, p = 0.009).
conclusionsThe protocol of ice-water immersion used in this study was ineffectual in minimising markers of DOMS in untrained individuals. This study challenges the wide use of this intervention as a recovery strategy by athletes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.