Postexercise Impact of Ice-Cold Water Bath on the Oxidant-Antioxidant Balance in Healthy Men

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of a 5 min head-out ice-cold water bath on the oxidant-antioxidant balance in response to exercise. The crossover study included the subjects (P = 24; aged 28.7 +/- 7.3 years) who performed two identical stationary cycling bouts for 30 min and recovered for 10 min at room temperature (RT = 20 degrees C; session 1) or in a pool with ice-cold water (ICW = 3 degrees C, 5 min immersion; session 2). The concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in blood plasma (TBARSpl) and erythrocytes (TBARSer) and the erythrocytic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured three times during each of the two study sessions: before the exercise (baseline) and 20 and 40 min after the appropriate recovery session. Lower concentration of TBARSpl 40 min after postexercise recovery in ICW was revealed as compared with that after recovery at RT (P < 0.05). Moreover, a statistically significant postexercise increase in the TBARSpl and TBARSer concentrations was found (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, resp.). A short-term ice-cold water bath decreases postexercise lipid peroxidation.