Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42646866›Full record

ArticleSports (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Cold Water Immersion or Foam Rolling? A Randomized Crossover Trial Comparing Recovery Effects on High-Intensity Performance and Markers of Muscle Damage and Inflammation in Soccer Players.

Balsam Messai, Slaheddine Delleli, Khaled Trabelsi, Achraf Ammar, Medina Srem Sai, John Elvis Hagan, Vlad Adrian Geantă, Hamdi Chtourou

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Balsam MessaiHigher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.ORCID 0000-0001-9617-9583
Slaheddine DelleliHigher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.ORCID 0000-0003-0013-8774
Khaled TrabelsiHigher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.ORCID 0000-0003-2623-9557
Achraf AmmarDepartment of Training and Movement Science, Institute of Sport Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55122 Mainz, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0347-8053
Medina Srem SaiDepartment of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Sports, University of Education, Winneba P.O. Box 25, Ghana.
John Elvis HaganDepartment of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast PMB TF0494, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0003-3530-6133
Vlad Adrian GeantăDepartment of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-8488-1698
Hamdi ChtourouHigher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.ORCID 0000-0002-5482-9151

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecovery between repeated high-intensity efforts is essential to limit fatigue and performance decline in soccer. This study examined the effects of cold water immersion (CWI), foam rolling (FR), and passive recovery during a 15 min interval between two 5 m shuttle run tests (5mSRTs) on physical performance, perceptual responses, and biochemical markers of muscle damage and inflammation.

methodsFifteen soccer players (age: 22.6 ± 2.03 years) completed passive recovery, FR, and lower-body CWI at 15 °C in a randomized crossover design. Creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate transaminase (AST), delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and belief questionnaire scores were assessed before the first 5mSRT and immediately after, and then 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after the second 5mSRT.

resultsBetween the first and the second 5mSRT, TD remained unchanged following CWI (

conclusionsCWI may help preserve repeated-running performance and attenuate selected markers of muscle damage following repeated high-intensity intermittent exercise in soccer players, whereas FR demonstrated only limited physiological effects.

Indexed as

cryotherapyfatigue managementhigh-intensity intermittent exercisemuscle damagemyofascial releaseperceptual responses

Identifiers

PMID42646866
PMCPMC13517307

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.