The effect of cold water immersion and repeated sprint activities on antioxidant factors in trained men

The purpose of this study was to measure the changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), after repeated-sprint activity (RSA) and subsequent cold water immersion (CWI). Twenty trained athletes with maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) 52.9±2.9 ml.kg-1.min-1, age 21.9±2.2 yrs, height 174.2±5.4 cm, and weight 68±4.4 kg were assigned to take part in this study. After performing repeated-sprint activity, 10 participants immersed in cold water (14°c) and 10 participants passively sat on a chair at room temperature. Blood sampling was performed before and after RSA, after CWI or passive rest and after 24 h. The results showed that antioxidant levels returned to baseline levels after 24 h, nevertheless; there was no significant difference between CWI and Control groups. In conclusion, although the levels of enzymatic antioxidants were significantly higher after RSA, CWI did not have any effect on returning to baseline levels after 24h.