If you’ve ever dipped your toes into cold-water immersion (CWI), you know it feels a bit like torture. Picture this: willingly sitting in icy water—below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit)—for 10 to 20 minutes. All of this in the name of faster recovery and reduced soreness post-workout. Sounds extreme, right?

Yet, many athletes and fitness enthusiasts swear by it. But does CWI really offer the recovery benefits it’s famous for? And if so, could those benefits come at the cost of muscle growth? A recent research review set out to explore just that.

What We Know About Cold-Water Immersion

First things first, CWI isn’t new to the fitness world. Research shows that it can reduce the severity of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), alleviate perceived fatigue, and speed up recovery. Other methods like saunas, cryotherapy, and alternating between hot and cold immersion have shown similar benefits.

However, there’s a flip side. While CWI seems to enhance recovery, it may hinder strength and power gains. Notably, it doesn’t seem to affect endurance training, making its impact more relevant to those focusing on building strength or power.

What Did the New Study Discover?

The research review included eight studies, all involving participants who trained for at least four weeks. Here’s how it was set up:

• Design: Six studies used a parallel-group design, where one group did CWI right after training, while a matched group did not. The other two studies used a crossover design, where the same participants tried both CWI and non-CWI regimens at different times.
• Participants: All participants were aged 20 to 26, with only two women involved in one study. The rest were male participants.
• Training Focus: The studies varied in scope—some focused on total-body training with total-body CWI, while others limited both training and CWI to specific muscle groups, such as the lower body or just the hand and forearm muscles.

Key Findings

CWI doesn’t prevent muscle growth outright, but it does seem to slightly dampen the muscle-building process (hypertrophy). This could be due to several reasons:

1. Reduced Inflammation: Cold exposure might reduce inflammation, which could in turn downregulate muscle protein synthesis—a key player in muscle growth.
2. Hormonal Impact: Extreme cold may also impact the release of muscle-building hormones like testosterone, potentially blunting their effect.
3. Satellite Cells: These cells play a crucial role in muscle repair and growth. Cold exposure might lower their activity levels, leading to slower muscle growth.

What Does This Mean for Your Training?

So, if you’re aiming for hypertrophy (muscle growth), should you steer clear of CWI? Let’s break it down.

1. The Study’s Limitations: This study focused solely on CWI immediately following workouts, lasting 10 to 20 minutes. It didn’t explore other cold-exposure practices, like quick cold showers at different times of day. Nor did it cover other training goals, such as enhancing sports performance or fat loss, where CWI might still offer value, especially when workouts are intense and high in volume.
2. Benefits Beyond Muscle Growth: Cold exposure, as well as heat exposure (like spending time in a sauna), activates temperature shock proteins that can protect against cellular damage and may even bolster immune function. This principle, known as hormesis, suggests that moderate exposure to stressors—like cold—can strengthen the body. So while CWI might slightly slow muscle growth, it may still have other health benefits worth considering.
3. For Muscle Growth, Simplicity Is Key: If muscle growth is your primary goal, focus on the basics: consistent training, proper nutrition, and adequate rest. As a beginner, almost any training can yield results. As you advance, refining your approach becomes more crucial, but the core principles remain the same. This study suggests that if hypertrophy is your target, it might be wise to save the cold plunges for another time, ensuring they don’t interfere with your muscle-building progress.

Conclusion: Avoiding Self-Sabotage

While the findings are preliminary and not universally applicable, they offer food for thought. If you’re dedicated to maximising muscle growth, it might be best to avoid cold-water immersion immediately after workouts. Instead, stick to time-tested recovery methods—rest, good nutrition, and balanced training—to keep moving towards your fitness goals without stepping on any metaphorical rakes along the way. 

For more information on cold-water immersion, explore our article covering the Wim Hof Method. And if you’d like personalised advice on the best recovery methods for your body, book a free consultation with a health coach today!

References:

Does cold water freeze muscle growth?. Precision Nutrition. 

Piñero, Alec, Ryan Burke, Francesca Augustin, Adam E. Mohan, Kareen DeJesus, Max Sapuppo, Max Weisenthal, et al. 2024. Throwing Cold Water on Muscle Growth: A Systematic Review with Meta‐analysis of the Effects of Postexercise Cold Water Immersion on Resistance Training‐induced Hypertrophy. European Journal of Sport Science: EJSS: Official Journal of the European College of Sport Science 24 (2): 177–89.

Bazgir, Behzad, Rouhollah Fathi, Mojtaba Rezazadeh Valojerdi, Paul Mozdziak, and Alireza Asgari. 2017. Satellite Cells Contribution to Exercise Mediated Muscle Hypertrophy and Repair. Cell Journal 18 (4): 473–84.

Buijze GA, Sierevelt IN, van der Heijden BCJM, Dijkgraaf MG, Frings-Dresen MHW. The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLoS One. 2016 Sep 15;11(9):e0161749.

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