Physiological and Biochemical Evaluation of Different Types of Recovery in National Level Paralympic Powerlifting

Abstract

Background: Recovery from training is vital as it ensures training and performance to continue at high intensities and longer durations to stimulate the body and cause further adaptations. Objective: To evaluate different methods of post-workout recovery in Paralympic powerlifting athletes. Methods: Twelve male athletes participated (25.4 ± 3.3 years; 70.3 ± 12.1 kg). The presence of muscle edema, pain threshold, plasma cytokines, and performance measurement were evaluated five times. The recovery methods used in this study were passive recovery (PR), dry needling (DN), and cold-water immersion (CWI). Results: The data analysis showed that the maximal force decreased compared to the pretest value at 15 min and 2 h. The results also revealed that CWI and DN increased Interleukin 2 (IL-2) levels from 24 to 48 h more than that from 2 h to 24 h. After DN, muscle thickness did not increase significantly in any of the muscles, and after 2 h, muscle thickness decreased significantly again in the major pectoralis muscle. After CWI, pain pressure stabilized after 15 min and increased significantly again after 2 h for acromial pectoralis. Conclusion: The strength training sessions generate several changes in metabolism and different recovery methods contribute differently to maintain homeostasis in Paralympic powerlifting athletes.