title: Interleukin-6 responses to water immersion therapy after acute exercise heat stress: a pilot investigation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cold-water immersion is the criterion standard for treatment of exertional heat illness. Cryotherapy and water immersion also have been explored as ergogenic or recovery aids. The kinetics of inflammatory markers, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), during cold-water  immersion have not been characterized.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize serum IL-6 responses to water immersion at 2 temperatures and, therefore, to initiate further research into the multidimensional benefits of immersion and the evidence-based selection of specific, optimal immersion  conditions by athletic trainers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human performance laboratory  Patients or Other Participants: Eight college-aged men (age = 22 ± 3 years, height  = 1.76 ± 0.08 m, mass = 77.14 ± 9.77 kg, body fat = 10% ± 3%, and maximal oxygen consumption = 50.48 ± 4.75 mL·kg(-1) min(-1)).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were assigned randomly  to receive either cold (11.70°C ± 2.02°C, n = 4) or warm (23.50°C ± 1.00°C, n = 4) water-bath conditions after exercise in the heat (temperature = 37°C, relative humidity = 52%) for 90 minutes or until volitional cessation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whole-body  cooling rates were greater in the cold water-bath condition for the first 6 minutes of water immersion, but during the 90-minute, postexercise recovery, participants in the warm and cold water-bath conditions experienced similar overall whole-body cooling. Heart rate responses were similar  for both groups. Participants in the cold water-bath condition experienced an overall slight increase (30.54% ± 77.37%) in IL-6 concentration, and participants in the warm water-bath condition experienced an overall decrease (-69.76% ± 15.23%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have provided seed evidence that cold-water immersion is related to subtle IL-6 increases from postexercise values and that warmer water-bath temperatures might dampen this increase. Further research will elucidate any anti-inflammatory benefit associated with water-immersion treatment  and possible multidimensional uses of cooling therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, 2095 Hillside Road, U-1110, Storrs, CT 06269-1110, USA. elaine.c.lee@aya.yale.edu
authors.forename: Elaine C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Greig
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Casa
authors.forename: Lawrence E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: Jakob L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vingren
authors.forename: Barry A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Spiering
authors.forename: Carl M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Maresh
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D017679:Cryotherapy; D015444:Exercise; D006339:Heart Rate; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006875:Hydrotherapy; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D007101:Immersion; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D014867:Water; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D014867:Water