Effects of Different Ischemic Preconditioning Protocols on Sprint Swimming Speed: A Crossover Study

Effects of Different Ischemic Preconditioning Protocols on Sprint Swimming Speed: A Crossover Study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Effects of Different Ischemic Preconditioning Protocols on Sprint Swimming Speed: A Crossover Study Wanessa Kelly Vieira de Vasconcelos, Gabriel Rodrigues Neto, Hidayane Gonçalves da Silva, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7901208/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study aimed to analyze the acute effect of different ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protocols on the swimming speed of athletes in a 100-meter freestyle event. This is a crossover clinical trial in which 12 male athletes (16.2 ± 1.5 years), swimmers, were randomly submitted to 4 protocols: 1) ischemic preconditioning in the upper limbs / IPC-UL; 2) ischemic preconditioning in the lower limbs / IPC-LL; 3) ischemic preconditioning in the upper and lower limbs / IPC-UL/LL; and 4) control / IPC-CONT. There was no significant difference between the different IPC protocols on the swimming speed of athletes in a 100-meter event (P > 0.05). However, in analyzing the absolute values ​​of each swimmer, it was noted that the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols were more effective in reducing the race time in 66% and 83% of the sample, respectively, when compared to the control protocol. It was concluded that there was no improvement in physical performance from a statistical point of view; however, from an individual point of view, the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols showed a reduction in the 100-meter race time in relation to the IPC-CONT, constituting a promising result in supporting the ergogenic effect of IPC in freestyle swimmers. Athletic Performance Therapeutic Occlusion Aquatic Sports Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 INTRODUCTION Some time ago, it was seen that brief and repeated periods of ischemia could delay myocardial cell death, thus allowing greater recovery of the involved muscle 1 . Given this relevance, the ischemic preconditioning (IPC) method has evolved over the years from being an entirely clinical intervention to a strategy for improving physical performance in various sports such as running 2 , cycling 3 and swimming 4 . In turn, the following possible mechanisms responsible for this ergogenic effect are described in the literature: 1) an increase in potassium channels sensitive to ATP and adenosine levels, which stimulate vasodilation and increased blood flow, thereby facilitating oxygen supply to the muscle 5 ; 2) an improvement in the excitation-coupling efficiency of muscle contraction, suggesting that IPC is capable of increasing mitochondrial capacity, resulting in a greater balance between the accumulation and removal of metabolites 6 ; 3) greater tolerance of skeletal muscle to tissue hypoxia, improving maximum and submaximal levels of performance 4 ; 4) in addition, attenuating the accumulation of blood lactate, reducing fatigue and directly contributing to greater performance during exercise 2 . Despite the satisfactory results related to improved performance after IPC, studies are still not consistent regarding the methodological procedures used in this technique. One of the points that has not yet been elucidated concerns the location of IPC application. There are studies in the literature which use the IPC technique in the upper limbs 4 , 7 , 8 , in the lower limbs 2 , 9 , 10 – 12 and even simultaneous combination in the upper and lower limbs 13 , and to date there is no study which has sought to analyze in which limb IPC application would be more effective in the speed of athletes given these different applications. Furthermore, it is observed that there are few studies which have analyzed the effects of IPC on the speed of swimmers 4 , 8 , 11 – 13 , and there is also no consensus on its true effectiveness. From this perspective and given the gaps presented in the literature, the objective of the present study was to analyze the acute effect of different ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protocols on the swimming speed of athletes in a 100-meter freestyle event. METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES Sample A total of 12 male athletes who had been swimming for at least 3 years participated in this study (age: 16.2 ± 1.5 years; body mass: 62.3 ± 9.4 kg; height: 1.73 ± 0.07 m, body mass index (BMI): = 20.6 ± 2.0 kg/m 2 , with a weekly frequency of 5.8 ± 0.4 times and a technical index of 444.0 ± 83.6 points). The subjects included were aged between 14 and 19 years, with no history of cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases, who did not use stimulant substances, who were outside the risk zone in the clinical examination of the ankle brachial index (ABI) and were without osteomyoarticular injuries. The athletes signed an informed consent form (ICF), and in the case of minors, their guardians signed a clarified informed assent form (IAF). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee for Research Involving Human Beings of the Center of Health Sciences of the Federal University of Paraíba (CEP/CCS/UFPB) under opinion number: 3,938,108 and CAAE: 18820019.9.0000.5188, in addition to being linked to the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC: RBR-3yv3bn). Study design The participants answered the anamnesis questionnaire in the first week and were then randomly assigned to the proposed protocols by a draw. Next, anthropometric measurements, a clinical examination of the ankle-brachial index (ABI), and blood flow restriction pressure (BFRP) measurement were performed. The participants returned to their usual training location on 4 separate occasions in the following weeks, separated by at least 7 days 4 between each session to randomly perform the ICP protocols. After the last cuff inflation, the athletes waited 5 minutes and began a standardized warm-up lasting 5 minutes, prepared by their own coach (200m loose crawl; 200m fartlek; and 200m freestyle). All protocols were performed at the same time (between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.) in the swimmers’ usual training and competition pool (25 meters) and in the same lane (number 0), next to the right side of the pool edge. The test began with the participants inside the pool to minimize possible technical differences between the athletes, such as reaction time between the sound signal and the start of the test, jump propulsion and power. Three independent timekeepers who were blind to the intervention performed by each participant recorded their times. The IPC session was performed bilaterally, with the swimmers in dorsal decubitus on a stretcher and the cuffs were applied according to the following protocols: 1) on the upper limbs for the IPC-UL; 2) on the lower limbs for the IPC-LL; 3) on the upper and lower limbs, simultaneously, for the IPC-UL/LL; and 4) control IPC. Except for the control group, 80% of the pressure required for total blood flow restriction was used in each participant for all protocols for the athletes’ safety and prescription individuality. Then, 4 restriction cycles of 5 minutes each were performed, alternating with 5 minutes of reperfusion (0 mmHg), resulting in a total intervention of 40 minutes 2 , 4 . The cuff in the control protocol was positioned on the upper and lower limbs using 10% of the total blood flow restriction pressure for 2 minutes, followed by 1 minute at 80% and another 2 minutes at 10%, totaling 5 minutes, alternating with 5 minutes of reperfusion (0 mmHg) for 4 cycles, also resulting in 40 minutes of intervention. The minute which used the pressure of 80% of the total restriction served to induce the swimmers to perceive similar discomfort to the IPC without any physiological modification 11 . Next, the participants were instructed to stand barefoot in an upright position with their heels together, and their backs and heads aligned with a portable stadiometer (Sanny® - Brazil) with an accuracy of 0.01 mm was used to measure their height. Body mass, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, fat percentage and body mass index (BMI) were assessed using portable bioimpedance (InBody 120 – Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil). The participants were instructed to fast for at least two hours, avoid physical exercise in the last 12 hours and remove metal objects from their bodies for this analysis. Bioimpedance was then performed, and the equipment automatically generated body composition measurements based on the electrical resistance of body tissues. An aneroid sphygmomanometer (Premium - GLICOMED®, São Paulo, SP, Brazil) and a portable vascular DF-7001 Doppler device (MedPej, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil) were used in the clinical ABI examination to verify the predisposition of the participants to peripheral arterial obstructive disease (PAOD), with the normal value of the index being 0.90 to 1.30 14,15 . The tourniquet to measure the flow restriction pressure was inflated to the point that the auscultatory pulse of the brachial artery (upper limbs) or posterior tibial or pedal artery (lower limbs) was interrupted, which was established as 100% of blood flow restriction. The cuff pressure used during the IPC was determined at 80% of the pressure necessary for total blood flow restriction, thus ensuring safety for the individuals evaluated 16 . Data analysis The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS − 21.0). An exploratory analysis was initially performed to verify the data normality (Shapiro-Wilk test) and homoscedasticity of variances (Levene test). Data sphericity was verified using the Mauchly test, and in cases where the assumption was violated, the Greenhouse-Geisser correction of degrees of freedom was adopted. Friedman’s ANOVA (χ 2 ) was used with multiple comparisons in pairs (1 moment x 4 groups) for dependent samples to compare the 100m swimming test time between the protocols, and the absolute variation was calculated to observe the minimum difference between experimental protocols versus the IPC-CONT protocol in the 100m swimming test time. Partial Eta-Squared (ɳ 2 p) was used for the overall effect size (ES) of the repeated measures ANOVA test 17 . Cohen's d was used 18 , 19 to compare the magnitude of change between the experimental protocols in relation to the control protocol in the test time. Cohen's d ES was estimated using the “Effect size estimates in repeated measures designs” Psychometric calculator 20 and interpreted as: insignificant (≤ 0.19), small (0.20–0.49), medium (0.50–0.79), large (0.80–1.29), and very large (≥ 1.30), adopting a significance level of α ≤ 0.05 in all comparisons 21 . Finally, the Intraclass Correlation (ICC) test was used to verify the similarity between participants in the pre-experiment conditions and the intra-rater agreement, constituting a mixed model of 2 factors with the absolute agreement type: 0 (absent); 0.01–0.19 (poor); 0.20–0.39 (weak); 0.40–0.59 (moderate); 0.60–0.79 (substantial); 0.80–0.99 (almost complete); and 1.00 (complete) 22 . RESULTS There was no difference between the protocols when comparing the time of the 100-meter race (Fig. 2 ) (IPC-UL: 64.0 ± 4.3; IPC-LL: 63.8 ± 4.0; IPC-UL/LL: 64.3 ± 4.1; IPC-CONT: 64.3 ± 4.3; P > 0.05). Furthermore, when analyzing the ES, it was found that the IPC-UL protocol had a small effect on reducing the test time in relation to the IPC-CONT protocol (d = 0.38; 95%CI = − 1.2 to 0.4), while the IPC-LL protocol had an insignificant effect in relation to the IPC-CONT protocol (d = 0.05; 95%CI = − 0.9 to 0.8), and the IPC-UL/LL protocol had an insignificant effect on increasing the test time in relation to the IPC-CONT condition (d = 0.01; 95%CI = − 0.8 to 0.8). However, when observing the absolute difference between the experimental protocols and the IPC-CONT protocol (Fig. 3 ) in the individual time of the athletes, it was found that a greater number of swimmers in the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols had a reduction in their race time in contrast to the IPC-UL/LL protocol. Regarding the reliability between timekeepers, the ICC test showed that the 3 timekeepers presented almost complete reliability (0.80–0.99) and highly significant (P < 0.001) in all experimental protocols (IPC-UL: ICC = 0.99; P < 0.001; IPC-LL: ICC = 0.99; P < 0.001; IPC-UL/LL: ICC = 0.99; P < 0.001; IPC-CONT: ICC = 0.99; P < 0.001). DISCUSSION It was not possible to observe a significant difference between the different IPC application protocols on the swimming speed in a 100-meter freestyle swimming event in the present study. However, in analyzing the absolute values ​​of each swimmer, it was observed that the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols were more effective in reducing the race time (66% and 83%, respectively) when compared to the IPC-CONT protocol. This result can be considered promising due to the competitiveness and importance of the individual results of the athletes in this modality. One of the factors which may explain the lack of statistically significant results regarding the ergogenic effect of IPC in the present study is that the effects of this intervention generally appear to be more effective in healthy individuals or those who perform recreational activities than in trained athletes 23 , 24 . An example of this is in comparing the athletic level of the individuals in this study with the findings in the literature which indicated a decrease in speed after IPC. Amateur and recreational swimmers were included in a study by Marocolo et al . 8 , while the present study only conducted the tests on trained swimmers. In addition, the swimmers in the present study had a lower average test time than in the study by Marocolo et al . 8 , demonstrating the difference in the physical preparation of the athletes evaluated. Although the response capacity of untrained individuals is great, competitive athletes have a small adaptation window 25 . That said, it is possible to hypothesize that well-trained individuals respond differently to IPC in relation to less-trained individuals, suggesting some specific metabolic adaptation due to training 26 . Another important factor to be observed is that any reduction in time in the analysis of speed in trained athletes, even if minimal, is important to provide a good result in a competition. Thus, although no significant increases in swimmers’ speed were observed between the different applications of the IPC in the present study, it was found that 66% and 83% of the athletes presented a reduction in their 100m race time after applying the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols when verifying the absolute difference of the experimental protocols in relation to the IPC-CONT protocol, respectively. This is a similar result to that found by Marocolo et al . 8 , who observed a reduction in race time in 80% of their analyzed sample. This is in contrast to the IPC-UL/LL protocol, which indicated a reduction in time in only 50% of the participants analyzed. The findings of the present study imply a reduction of up to 1.4 seconds in absolute numbers for the IPC-UL, and up to 2.2 seconds for the IPC-LL. Moreover, Jean-St-Michel et al . 4 inferred in their study that a reduction of 0.7 seconds in the swimming test time, in addition to the statistical significance, was of great physiological and competitive importance for the athletes. Therefore, taking into account that swimming is a highly competitive and individual sport, the responses presented by each individual must be considered 8 . In turn, when analyzing the absolute individual results of the athletes, the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols showed promise in reducing time when compared to the IPC-CONT protocol. One of the differences between this study and others that analyzed the effects of IPC is the pressure applied to the cuffs. A pressure of 80% of the total blood flow occlusion was used in order to respect the biological individuality of the individuals and to control the method safety. This is an unprecedented strategy, since the other studies 11 , 13 used standard pressures (220 mmHg for lower limbs and 180 mmHg for upper limbs), regardless of the subjects. Thus, it was possible to verify that the pressure used in this study was sufficient to improve the individual performance of the athletes and maintain their safety, as well as contribute to the acceptance and tolerance of the individuals analyzed 27 . The fact that this study analyzed the effect of IPC only 15 minutes after the last reperfusion of the cuffs, and also used a restricted sample (trained men), means that the results cannot be extrapolated to other populations. It is therefore suggested that future studies seek to continue clarifying different IPC applications with variations in sex, age group, and training modes, etc. The results of the present study showed that although the IPC did not present a statistically significant improvement in physical performance, it can be individually observed that the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols reduced the 100-meter freestyle swimming test time compared to the control. This result can be considered promising and may support the ergogenic effect of the IPC in swimming athletes considering its different application forms 28 . Declarations CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT The authors declare that there are no commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest regarding the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Author Contribution WKVV, HGS and JCGS participated in protocol design, data extraction and analyses. GRN and HHS participated in the preparation and review of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgement The authors would like to thank the participating athletes and their coaches for their commitment and collaboration throughout the study. We also extend our gratitude to the institutions and professionals who supported the research logistics and data collection procedures. References Murry CE, Jennings RB, Reimer KA. Preconditioning with ischemia: a delay of lethal cell injury in ischemic myocardium. Circulation. 1986; 74(5): 1124–36. Bailey TG, Jones H, Gregson W, Atkinson G, Cable NT, Thijssen DH. Effect of ischemic preconditioning on lactate accumulation and running performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012; 44(11): 2084–89. Griffin PJ, Ferguson RA, Gissane C, Bailey SJ, Patterson SD. Ischemic preconditioning enhances critical power during a 3 minutes all-out cycling test. J Sports Sci . 2017; 36(9): 1038–43. 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Characterization of acute ischemia-related physiological responses associated with remote ischemic preconditioning: a randomized controlled, crossover human study. Physiol Rep . 2014; 2(11): 1–11. Vasconcelos WKV. Efeito agudo dos diferentes protocolos de pré-condicionamento isquêmico sobre a velocidade de atletas de natação em uma prova de 100 metros: estudo crossover [dissertação]. João Pessoa: Universidade Federal da Paraíba; 2020. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 30 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 28 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 04 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 03 Nov, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 20 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 20 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 19 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7901208","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":541022480,"identity":"f145f8b0-d2cd-46c2-aa28-4bc43b51ae79","order_by":0,"name":"Wanessa Kelly Vieira de Vasconcelos","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Paraíba","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wanessa","middleName":"Kelly Vieira","lastName":"de Vasconcelos","suffix":""},{"id":541022481,"identity":"02283c66-fd54-431c-8eec-8fce8ced2bde","order_by":1,"name":"Gabriel Rodrigues Neto","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal 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08:50:23","extension":"html","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":72613,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7901208/v1/5f0d3993727cda2bf3dff5c3.html"},{"id":95809304,"identity":"12f62b87-dce2-4baf-b10b-8ff3c648aa25","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 08:50:18","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":97332,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSample flowchart\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7901208/v1/ee70c3bfa2b907f00a95295f.png"},{"id":95809329,"identity":"cb95e2d2-9082-4451-a507-6a25dcdbca9a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 08:50:19","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":82514,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eComparison of 100 m freestyle test time after different IPC experimental protocols.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLegend:\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c/strong\u003eIPC-UL – ischemic preconditioning in the upper limbs; IPC-LL – ischemic preconditioning in the lower limbs; IPC-UL/LL – ischemic preconditioning in the upper and lower limbs; IPC-CONT – ischemic preconditioning control.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7901208/v1/7388a7d56580def7bfddbcb1.png"},{"id":95809359,"identity":"b6911ca9-1b1f-4234-a0a5-df21a81eae96","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 08:50:20","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":157238,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eAbsolute difference in 100m freestyle test time between experimental protocols vs. control protocol (n = 12).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLegend:\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c/strong\u003eIPC-UL – ischemic preconditioning in the upper limbs; IPC-LL – ischemic preconditioning in the lower limbs; IPC-UL/LL – ischemic preconditioning in the upper and lower limbs; IPC-CONT – ischemic preconditioning control.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7901208/v1/a0a5b926ae6ef2cb3d62fcb5.png"},{"id":95819786,"identity":"d87d76ae-1adc-48f1-b55a-c66794e070fe","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 10:42:29","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":651446,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7901208/v1/80890c15-5225-4b12-978a-efac79c90309.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Effects of Different Ischemic Preconditioning Protocols on Sprint Swimming Speed: A Crossover Study","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eSome time ago, it was seen that brief and repeated periods of ischemia could delay myocardial cell death, thus allowing greater recovery of the involved muscle\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Given this relevance, the ischemic preconditioning (IPC) method has evolved over the years from being an entirely clinical intervention to a strategy for improving physical performance in various sports such as running\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, cycling\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e and swimming\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn turn, the following possible mechanisms responsible for this ergogenic effect are described in the literature: 1) an increase in potassium channels sensitive to ATP and adenosine levels, which stimulate vasodilation and increased blood flow, thereby facilitating oxygen supply to the muscle\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e; 2) an improvement in the excitation-coupling efficiency of muscle contraction, suggesting that IPC is capable of increasing mitochondrial capacity, resulting in a greater balance between the accumulation and removal of metabolites\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e; 3) greater tolerance of skeletal muscle to tissue hypoxia, improving maximum and submaximal levels of performance\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e; 4) in addition, attenuating the accumulation of blood lactate, reducing fatigue and directly contributing to greater performance during exercise\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite the satisfactory results related to improved performance after IPC, studies are still not consistent regarding the methodological procedures used in this technique. One of the points that has not yet been elucidated concerns the location of IPC application. There are studies in the literature which use the IPC technique in the upper limbs\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, in the lower limbs\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR11\" citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e and even simultaneous combination in the upper and lower limbs\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, and to date there is no study which has sought to analyze in which limb IPC application would be more effective in the speed of athletes given these different applications. Furthermore, it is observed that there are few studies which have analyzed the effects of IPC on the speed of swimmers\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR12\" citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, and there is also no consensus on its true effectiveness.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom this perspective and given the gaps presented in the literature, the objective of the present study was to analyze the acute effect of different ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protocols on the swimming speed of athletes in a 100-meter freestyle event.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSample\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA total of 12 male athletes who had been swimming for at least 3 years participated in this study (age: 16.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.5 years; body mass: 62.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.4 kg; height: 1.73\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.07 m, body mass index (BMI): = 20.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.0 kg/m\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e, with a weekly frequency of 5.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.4 times and a technical index of 444.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;83.6 points).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe subjects included were aged between 14 and 19 years, with no history of cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases, who did not use stimulant substances, who were outside the risk zone in the clinical examination of the ankle brachial index (ABI) and were without osteomyoarticular injuries. The athletes signed an informed consent form (ICF), and in the case of minors, their guardians signed a clarified informed assent form (IAF). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee for Research Involving Human Beings of the Center of Health Sciences of the Federal University of Para\u0026iacute;ba (CEP/CCS/UFPB) under opinion number: 3,938,108 and CAAE: 18820019.9.0000.5188, in addition to being linked to the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC: RBR-3yv3bn).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStudy design\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe participants answered the anamnesis questionnaire in the first week and were then randomly assigned to the proposed protocols by a draw. Next, anthropometric measurements, a clinical examination of the ankle-brachial index (ABI), and blood flow restriction pressure (BFRP) measurement were performed. The participants returned to their usual training location on 4 separate occasions in the following weeks, separated by at least 7 days\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e between each session to randomly perform the ICP protocols.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter the last cuff inflation, the athletes waited 5 minutes and began a standardized warm-up lasting 5 minutes, prepared by their own coach (200m loose crawl; 200m fartlek; and 200m freestyle). All protocols were performed at the same time (between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.) in the swimmers\u0026rsquo; usual training and competition pool (25 meters) and in the same lane (number 0), next to the right side of the pool edge. The test began with the participants inside the pool to minimize possible technical differences between the athletes, such as reaction time between the sound signal and the start of the test, jump propulsion and power. Three independent timekeepers who were blind to the intervention performed by each participant recorded their times.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe IPC session was performed bilaterally, with the swimmers in dorsal decubitus on a stretcher and the cuffs were applied according to the following protocols: 1) on the upper limbs for the IPC-UL; 2) on the lower limbs for the IPC-LL; 3) on the upper and lower limbs, simultaneously, for the IPC-UL/LL; and 4) control IPC. Except for the control group, 80% of the pressure required for total blood flow restriction was used in each participant for all protocols for the athletes\u0026rsquo; safety and prescription individuality. Then, 4 restriction cycles of 5 minutes each were performed, alternating with 5 minutes of reperfusion (0 mmHg), resulting in a total intervention of 40 minutes\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cuff in the control protocol was positioned on the upper and lower limbs using 10% of the total blood flow restriction pressure for 2 minutes, followed by 1 minute at 80% and another 2 minutes at 10%, totaling 5 minutes, alternating with 5 minutes of reperfusion (0 mmHg) for 4 cycles, also resulting in 40 minutes of intervention. The minute which used the pressure of 80% of the total restriction served to induce the swimmers to perceive similar discomfort to the IPC without any physiological modification\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNext, the participants were instructed to stand barefoot in an upright position with their heels together, and their backs and heads aligned with a portable stadiometer (Sanny\u0026reg; - Brazil) with an accuracy of 0.01 mm was used to measure their height. Body mass, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, fat percentage and body mass index (BMI) were assessed using portable bioimpedance (InBody 120 \u0026ndash; Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil). The participants were instructed to fast for at least two hours, avoid physical exercise in the last 12 hours and remove metal objects from their bodies for this analysis. Bioimpedance was then performed, and the equipment automatically generated body composition measurements based on the electrical resistance of body tissues.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn aneroid sphygmomanometer (Premium - GLICOMED\u0026reg;, S\u0026atilde;o Paulo, SP, Brazil) and a portable vascular DF-7001 Doppler device (MedPej, Ribeir\u0026atilde;o Preto, SP, Brazil) were used in the clinical ABI examination to verify the predisposition of the participants to peripheral arterial obstructive disease (PAOD), with the normal value of the index being 0.90 to 1.30\u003csup\u003e14,15\u003c/sup\u003e. The tourniquet to measure the flow restriction pressure was inflated to the point that the auscultatory pulse of the brachial artery (upper limbs) or posterior tibial or pedal artery (lower limbs) was interrupted, which was established as 100% of blood flow restriction. The cuff pressure used during the IPC was determined at 80% of the pressure necessary for total blood flow restriction, thus ensuring safety for the individuals evaluated\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;21.0). An exploratory analysis was initially performed to verify the data normality (Shapiro-Wilk test) and homoscedasticity of variances (Levene test). Data sphericity was verified using the Mauchly test, and in cases where the assumption was violated, the Greenhouse-Geisser correction of degrees of freedom was adopted.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFriedman\u0026rsquo;s ANOVA (χ\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e) was used with multiple comparisons in pairs (1 moment x 4 groups) for dependent samples to compare the 100m swimming test time between the protocols, and the absolute variation was calculated to observe the minimum difference between experimental protocols versus the IPC-CONT protocol in the 100m swimming test time.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePartial Eta-Squared (ɳ\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003ep) was used for the overall effect size (ES) of the repeated measures ANOVA test\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Cohen's d was used\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e to compare the magnitude of change between the experimental protocols in relation to the control protocol in the test time. Cohen's d ES was estimated using the \u0026ldquo;Effect size estimates in repeated measures designs\u0026rdquo; Psychometric calculator\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e and interpreted as: insignificant (\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.19), small (0.20\u0026ndash;0.49), medium (0.50\u0026ndash;0.79), large (0.80\u0026ndash;1.29), and very large (\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;1.30), adopting a significance level of α\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05 in all comparisons\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinally, the Intraclass Correlation (ICC) test was used to verify the similarity between participants in the pre-experiment conditions and the intra-rater agreement, constituting a mixed model of 2 factors with the absolute agreement type: 0 (absent); 0.01\u0026ndash;0.19 (poor); 0.20\u0026ndash;0.39 (weak); 0.40\u0026ndash;0.59 (moderate); 0.60\u0026ndash;0.79 (substantial); 0.80\u0026ndash;0.99 (almost complete); and 1.00 (complete)\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS","content":"\u003cp\u003eThere was no difference between the protocols when comparing the time of the 100-meter race (Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e) (IPC-UL: 64.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.3; IPC-LL: 63.8\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.0; IPC-UL/LL: 64.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.1; IPC-CONT: 64.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.3; P\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Furthermore, when analyzing the ES, it was found that the IPC-UL protocol had a small effect on reducing the test time in relation to the IPC-CONT protocol (d\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.38; 95%CI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1.2 to 0.4), while the IPC-LL protocol had an insignificant effect in relation to the IPC-CONT protocol (d\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.05; 95%CI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.9 to 0.8), and the IPC-UL/LL protocol had an insignificant effect on increasing the test time in relation to the IPC-CONT condition (d\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01; 95%CI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.8 to 0.8).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, when observing the absolute difference between the experimental protocols and the IPC-CONT protocol (Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e) in the individual time of the athletes, it was found that a greater number of swimmers in the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols had a reduction in their race time in contrast to the IPC-UL/LL protocol.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegarding the reliability between timekeepers, the ICC test showed that the 3 timekeepers presented almost complete reliability (0.80\u0026ndash;0.99) and highly significant (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) in all experimental protocols (IPC-UL: ICC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.99; P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001; IPC-LL: ICC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.99; P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001; IPC-UL/LL: ICC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.99; P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001; IPC-CONT: ICC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.99; P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eIt was not possible to observe a significant difference between the different IPC application protocols on the swimming speed in a 100-meter freestyle swimming event in the present study. However, in analyzing the absolute values ​​of each swimmer, it was observed that the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols were more effective in reducing the race time (66% and 83%, respectively) when compared to the IPC-CONT protocol. This result can be considered promising due to the competitiveness and importance of the individual results of the athletes in this modality.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the factors which may explain the lack of statistically significant results regarding the ergogenic effect of IPC in the present study is that the effects of this intervention generally appear to be more effective in healthy individuals or those who perform recreational activities than in trained athletes\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. An example of this is in comparing the athletic level of the individuals in this study with the findings in the literature which indicated a decrease in speed after IPC. Amateur and recreational swimmers were included in a study by Marocolo \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e.\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e, while the present study only conducted the tests on trained swimmers. In addition, the swimmers in the present study had a lower average test time than in the study by Marocolo \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e.\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e, demonstrating the difference in the physical preparation of the athletes evaluated. Although the response capacity of untrained individuals is great, competitive athletes have a small adaptation window\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. That said, it is possible to hypothesize that well-trained individuals respond differently to IPC in relation to less-trained individuals, suggesting some specific metabolic adaptation due to training\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnother important factor to be observed is that any reduction in time in the analysis of speed in trained athletes, even if minimal, is important to provide a good result in a competition. Thus, although no significant increases in swimmers\u0026rsquo; speed were observed between the different applications of the IPC in the present study, it was found that 66% and 83% of the athletes presented a reduction in their 100m race time after applying the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols when verifying the absolute difference of the experimental protocols in relation to the IPC-CONT protocol, respectively. This is a similar result to that found by Marocolo \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e.\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e, who observed a reduction in race time in 80% of their analyzed sample. This is in contrast to the IPC-UL/LL protocol, which indicated a reduction in time in only 50% of the participants analyzed.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe findings of the present study imply a reduction of up to 1.4 seconds in absolute numbers for the IPC-UL, and up to 2.2 seconds for the IPC-LL. Moreover, Jean-St-Michel \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e.\u003csup\u003e4\u003c/sup\u003e inferred in their study that a reduction of 0.7 seconds in the swimming test time, in addition to the statistical significance, was of great physiological and competitive importance for the athletes. Therefore, taking into account that swimming is a highly competitive and individual sport, the responses presented by each individual must be considered\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. In turn, when analyzing the absolute individual results of the athletes, the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols showed promise in reducing time when compared to the IPC-CONT protocol.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the differences between this study and others that analyzed the effects of IPC is the pressure applied to the cuffs. A pressure of 80% of the total blood flow occlusion was used in order to respect the biological individuality of the individuals and to control the method safety. This is an unprecedented strategy, since the other studies\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e used standard pressures (220 mmHg for lower limbs and 180 mmHg for upper limbs), regardless of the subjects. Thus, it was possible to verify that the pressure used in this study was sufficient to improve the individual performance of the athletes and maintain their safety, as well as contribute to the acceptance and tolerance of the individuals analyzed\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fact that this study analyzed the effect of IPC only 15 minutes after the last reperfusion of the cuffs, and also used a restricted sample (trained men), means that the results cannot be extrapolated to other populations. It is therefore suggested that future studies seek to continue clarifying different IPC applications with variations in sex, age group, and training modes, etc.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results of the present study showed that although the IPC did not present a statistically significant improvement in physical performance, it can be individually observed that the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols reduced the 100-meter freestyle swimming test time compared to the control. This result can be considered promising and may support the ergogenic effect of the IPC in swimming athletes considering its different application forms\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eCONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that there are no commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest regarding the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWKVV, HGS and JCGS participated in protocol design, data extraction and analyses. GRN and HHS participated in the preparation and review of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe authors would like to thank the participating athletes and their coaches for their commitment and collaboration throughout the study. We also extend our gratitude to the institutions and professionals who supported the research logistics and data collection procedures.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMurry CE, Jennings RB, Reimer KA. Preconditioning with ischemia: a delay of lethal cell injury in ischemic myocardium. \u003cem\u003eCirculation.\u003c/em\u003e 1986; 74(5): 1124\u0026ndash;36.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBailey TG, Jones H, Gregson W, Atkinson G, Cable NT, Thijssen DH. 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Characterization of acute ischemia-related physiological responses associated with remote ischemic preconditioning: a randomized controlled, crossover human study. \u003cem\u003ePhysiol Rep\u003c/em\u003e. 2014; 2(11): 1\u0026ndash;11.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVasconcelos WKV. Efeito agudo dos diferentes protocolos de pr\u0026eacute;-condicionamento isqu\u0026ecirc;mico sobre a velocidade de atletas de nata\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o em uma prova de 100 metros: estudo crossover [disserta\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o]. Jo\u0026atilde;o Pessoa: Universidade Federal da Para\u0026iacute;ba; 2020.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"sport-sciences-for-health","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ssfh","sideBox":"Learn more about [Sport Sciences for Health](http://link.springer.com/journal/11332)","snPcode":"11332","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11332/3","title":"Sport Sciences for Health","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Athletic Performance, Therapeutic Occlusion, Aquatic Sports","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7901208/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7901208/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to analyze the acute effect of different ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protocols on the swimming speed of athletes in a 100-meter freestyle event. This is a crossover clinical trial in which 12 male athletes (16.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.5 years), swimmers, were randomly submitted to 4 protocols: 1) ischemic preconditioning in the upper limbs / IPC-UL; 2) ischemic preconditioning in the lower limbs / IPC-LL; 3) ischemic preconditioning in the upper and lower limbs / IPC-UL/LL; and 4) control / IPC-CONT. There was no significant difference between the different IPC protocols on the swimming speed of athletes in a 100-meter event (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). However, in analyzing the absolute values ​​of each swimmer, it was noted that the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols were more effective in reducing the race time in 66% and 83% of the sample, respectively, when compared to the control protocol. It was concluded that there was no improvement in physical performance from a statistical point of view; however, from an individual point of view, the IPC-UL and IPC-LL protocols showed a reduction in the 100-meter race time in relation to the IPC-CONT, constituting a promising result in supporting the ergogenic effect of IPC in freestyle swimmers.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Effects of Different Ischemic Preconditioning Protocols on Sprint Swimming Speed: A Crossover Study","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-13 08:30:07","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7901208/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-12-30T10:40:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-28T11:04:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-04T12:18:15+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"50516456809693968296486557750315603433","date":"2025-11-28T10:56:01+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"210458614816093530307021802660816891759","date":"2025-11-06T13:34:06+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-03T13:54:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-10-21T02:44:18+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-10-21T02:44:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Sport Sciences for Health","date":"2025-10-20T01:15:22+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"sport-sciences-for-health","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ssfh","sideBox":"Learn more about [Sport Sciences for Health](http://link.springer.com/journal/11332)","snPcode":"11332","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11332/3","title":"Sport Sciences for Health","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"77617df0-b580-4e81-bdcc-b8662ca89565","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 13th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-19T12:40:06+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-13 08:30:07","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7901208","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7901208","identity":"rs-7901208","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}