The effects of cryotherapy on athletes' muscle strength, flexibility, and neuromuscular control: A systematic review of the literature.

PURPOSE

This review aimed to investigate the effects of cryotherapy on the functional capacity parameters of athletes, such as muscular strength, flexibility, neuromuscular control, and balance.

METHODS

A computerized search of EBSCO Host databases, Proquest, Medline, SportDiscus, CinahlPlus, Health Source Nursing/Academic Edition, Academic Search Complete, and GoogleScholar databases was performed to identify clinical trials with a focus on cryotherapy applications in sport. Thekeywords used were "cryotherapy," "sports,""strength,""flexibility," and "proprioception."

STUDY SELECTION

Randomized control trials and randomized crossover studies of healthy athletes were included in this review. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed by the validation criteria given by Furlan et al (2009).

RESULTS

A total of 50 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and randomized crossover studies met the above criteria and were included in the final analysis. The studies available indicate that there is no strong research evidence to suggest that cryotherapy can definitely influence joint strength and neuromuscular control. The only positive effect of cryotherapy appears to be an improvement in joint flexibility.

CONCLUSIONS

Limited and equivocal evidence is available to address the effect of cryotherapy on muscular function. The only evidence-based positive impact after the applications of cryotherapy is improved joint flexibility. Despite the extensive use of cryotherapy in sports, further research is needed to document the actual effects of cryotherapy applications on athletes' functional performance and rehabilitation parameters.