Cold-water immersion for reducing IL-6 and CK in female footballers

Introduction: Soccer requires athletes to possess strength and endurance, involving intense physical activities that may lead to fatigue and injury. Such conditions stimulate the release of inflammatory markers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and creatine kinase (CK), which can impair recovery and athletic performance. Cold-water immersion (CWI) is a commonly used recovery strategy to mitigate these effects. Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of CWI on IL-6 and CK levels, as well as vertical jump performance in female soccer players following a match. Methodology: A quasi-experimental two-group pretest-posttest design was employed, involving 20 purposively sampled participants. Blood samples were collected at four time points: pre-match, post-match, 24 hours post-match, and 48 hours post-match. Vertical jump performance was used to assess physical recovery. Results: Results showed no significant difference in vertical jump performance between the groups at 24 hours post-match (p > 0.05), but a significant difference was found at 48 hours post-match (p < 0.05), favoring the CWI group. Significant differences in IL-6 and CK levels were observed between the groups at both 24 and 48 hours post-match (p < 0.05). Discussion: CWI effectively reduced inflammation and muscle damage, as reflected in IL-6 and CK values, and promoted faster neuromuscular recovery. This finding suggests that CWI supports biological repair and functional recovery within 48 hours post-match. Conclusions: Cold-water immersion significantly improved physiological recovery in female soccer players, as indicated by lower IL-6 and CK levels and improved vertical jump performance over time compared to the control group.