The effect of different temperature in land and water after a bout of high intensity training (HIT) on hs-CRP, coagulation factors, and muscle damage indices in professional martial artists

Introduction: Enhancing health and physical fitness is a key component of combat readiness in professional athletes. Over the centuries, many groups such as firefighters, military forces, rescue workers, etc. have implemented various strategies to prevent injuries and improve the physical preparedness of their personnel. This study aimed to compare the effect of different temperature in land and water immersion (15°C, and 30°C) after a bout of high intensity training (HIT) on high sensitive CRP (hs- CRP), coagulation factors, and muscle damage markers in professional martial artists (PMA). Material & Methods: Twelve healthy male PMA (mean age: 21.53 ± 1.73 years; height: 174.33 ± 8.43 cm; weight: 69.53 ± 7.73 kg) participated in this study. During three weeks, participants engaged in one session of HIT per week, each lasting one hour and includes wearing clothes and carrying a 6kg backpack. Post-exercise recovery was conducted using one of the three following active recovery protocols: dry-land, immersion in water (15°C, and 30°C) respectively. Blood samples were collected before, immediately, and 10 minutes after training recovery to measure hs-CRP, coagulation markers, and muscle damage markers. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 24, with statistical significance set at p<0.05. Results: No significant differences were found among the three recovery methods in any of the measured variables, including hs-CRP, fibrinogen, prothrombin, partial thromboplastin time, creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and troponin (p>0.05). However, significant time-dependent changes were observed in creatine phosphokinase levels, which increased immediately post-exercise and post-recovery compared to baseline in all three sessions (p<0.05). Notably, in the third session, CPK levels significantly decreased after recovery compared to Immediately post-exercise (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that there is no significant difference between land active recovery and water immersion at 15°C or 30°C in hs-CRP levels, coagulation factors, or muscle cell damage markers in PMA. All three recovery methods appear to elicit similar physiological responses in the context of a bout of intense training in professional athletes. The data from this study showed that increasing physical fitness to the highest possible level is likely to increase the body's resistance to sudden changes in temperature (such as immersion in cold and hot water) including inflammatory, coagulation, and cellular damage factors following intense exercise.