Effects of Winter Swimming on Blood Indicators and Oxidative Stress in Males

Cold Exposure Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effects of Winter Swimming on Blood Morphological, Rheological, and Biochemical Indicators and Oxidative Stress in Males

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Active, not recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06223087
• Other study ID #: 296/BS/INP/2021
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Start date: January 1, 2021
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2024

Study information

• Verified date: January 2024
• Source: University School of Physical Education, Krakow, Poland
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

Exposure of the human body to cold water triggers numerous beneficial physiological changes. The study aimed to assess the impact of regular winter swimming on blood morphological, rheological, and biochemical indicators and activity of antioxidant enzymes in males. The study includes winter swimmers and a control group. Blood samples were taken twice - before the start (November) of the winter swimming season and after its end (March). The average duration of ice water baths was 3-5 minutes, with a minimum frequency of once a week. The water temperature during the swimming did not exceed 10°C, approaching 0°C during the winter period.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Enrollment: 30
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2024
• Est. primary completion date: December 31, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 25 Years to 60 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Good health, practitioners of winter swimming
• control group: never did winter swimming and had a sedentary lifestyle.

Exclusion Criteria:

• medical contraindications to winter bathing

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cold Exposure

Intervention

Other:
• winter swimming
Intervention involves bathing/swimming in cold water during the winter months in open waters

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Poland	University of Physical Education	Kraków

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University School of Physical Education, Krakow, Poland

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Poland, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	blood sampling: platelets and leukocytes	Measurements of: Platelets [thousands/µl], Leukocytes [thousands/µl], Neutrophils [thousands/µl], Eosinophils [thousands/µl], Basophils [thousands/µl], Lymphocytes [thousands/µl], Monocytes [thousands/µl].	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: erythrocytes	Measurement of: Erythrocytes [mln/µl],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: haemoglobin	Determination of: Haemoglobin [g/dl], mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) [g/dl],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: haematocrit	Determination of: haematocrit [%], red blood cell distribution width coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) [%],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: haemoglobin mass	Determination of: mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) [pg],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: Erythrocytes	Determination of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) [fl], red blood cell distribution width standard deviation (RDW-SD) [fl],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: rheology part 1	Determination of red cell elongation index (EI) [arbitrary unit: AU], erythrocyte aggregation amplitude (AMP) [AU],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: rheology part 2	Determination of: aggregation index (AI) [%],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling:rheology part 3	Determination of: half-time of total aggregation (t1/2) [s].	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: oxidative stress	Measurement of catalase (CAT) [nmol/min/ml], and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) [nmol/min/ml].	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: oxidative stress - superoxide dismutase	Measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD) [U/ml],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood biochemistry: Urea	Measurement of: Urea [mmol/l].	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: Testosterone	Determination of Testosterone concentration [ng/dl],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood sampling: Cortisol	Determination of Cortisol concentration [µg/dl],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming
Primary	blood biochemistry: Creatine	Determination of Creatinine concentration [µmol/l],	twice: before the start of cold swimming in November and 5 months later (March), after the end of winter swimming