EFFET DE LA CRYOTHERAPIE SUR LA RECUPERATION CARDIAQUE ET LA PERFORMANCE DE VITESSE CHEZ LES JEUNES FOOTBALLEURS SENEGALAIS

Cryotherapy is widely used today as a recovery method in sports settings, yet its actual effectiveness within the Senegalese context remains insufficiently documented. This study aims to analyze the effects of cold exposure on cardiac recovery and sprint performance in 40 young football players from a local academy. The athletes were divided into two groups: a control group that underwent passive rest and an experimental group that received a cryotherapy session (cold bath at 2,10 C) after an intense physical effort. The physiological variables measured included heart rate before, during, and after exercise, as well as a 30-meter sprint test. The results indicate that cryotherapy leads to a significant decrease in heart rate across all measurement points and a moderate yet meaningful improvement in sprint performance. Conversely, passive rest produced no notable variation. These findings suggest that cryotherapy is an effective method for enhancing cardiovascular and neuromuscular recovery in young Senegalese football players. Recommendations are provided for its integration into training programs.