Cold Water Immersion

Cold water immersion — ice baths, cold plunges, cold showers — means immersing part or all of the body in water typically between 10 and 15°C after exercise or as a standalone practice.

What published research reports

A Cochrane systematic review (2012) of 17 trials reported that cold water immersion after exercise reduces delayed-onset muscle soreness compared with passive rest, while noting the trials were small and mostly low quality. A separate randomised trial published in the Journal of Physiology (2015) reported that regular cold water immersion after strength training attenuated long-term gains in muscle mass and strength compared with active recovery — a reason the practice is often reported as better suited to competition periods than to muscle-building phases. Published trials use short exposures; longer or colder immersion raises the documented risks of cold-water shock.

References

• Bleakley C, et al. Cold-water immersion (cryotherapy) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012. PubMed
• Roberts LA, et al. Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. J Physiol. 2015. PubMed