Cold plunges and ice baths: what the research says

Evidence-basedBy the Tozemoon Science Team·Updated October 16, 2026·3 min read·17 peer-reviewed studies

Cold plunges and ice baths for strength training

Does a cold plunge after lifting hurt muscle growth?

Yes, if done right after training. Controlled trials and a 2024 meta-analysis found that regular cold water immersion after lifting reduces muscle growth, with smaller effects on strength. If gains are your goal, keep cold plunges several hours away from lifting or on rest days; use them freely on meet days.

Cold water immersion after training is popular for recovery. Controlled trials show it reduces soreness but can blunt long-term muscle growth when used right after lifting.

Cold plunges and ice baths: the key facts in 30 seconds

1Cold water immersion right after lifting reduced long-term muscle growth in several controlled trials.
2Strength gains were less affected than hypertrophy, but the trend still points to slightly smaller gains.
3Cold plunges do reduce soreness and help you feel recovered — useful in competition or two-a-day situations.
4If muscle growth is the goal, keep cold exposure away from lifting (several hours or on separate days).

Cold plunge timing simulator

Pick your goal and how long after lifting you plan to get in the cold.

Main goal this block

Hours after lifting

Verdict

Avoid — likely blunts growth

Cold right after lifting reduced anabolic signalling and long-term muscle growth in controlled trials.

Educational estimate only, not medical advice. Validate with your doctor before applying it.

Cold water vs. other recovery methods

How the most common methods compare for lifters, based on the available reviews.

Method	Soreness	Muscle growth	Evidence
Cold water immersion (10–15 °C, 10–15 min)	Reduced	Reduced if right after lifting	Moderate
Sauna / heat	Neutral	No harm shown	Limited
Active recovery (light cardio)	Slightly reduced	No harm	Moderate
Sleep 7–9 h	Reduced	Supports growth	Strong
Massage	Reduced	No harm	Moderate

When to take a cold plunge

0–1 h after
Worst timing
Blunts anabolic signalling and the growth response when done regularly.
4–6 h after
Compromise
Untested but plausible; the acute signalling window has mostly passed.
Different day
Best for gains
No evidence of harm on rest days.
Between events
Best for performance
On meet day or tournaments, faster perceived recovery matters most.

What does cold plunges and ice baths actually improve for lifters?

Outcome	Effect	Evidence	Notes
Muscle growth	Reduced when right after training	Moderate	Piñero et al. (2024) meta-analysis found smaller hypertrophy with post-exercise CWI.
Max strength	Possibly slightly reduced	Limited	Fewer studies; effects small and inconsistent.
Soreness (DOMS)	Reduced	Moderate	One of the more reliable recovery effects.
Perceived recovery	Improved	Moderate	Feeling fresher, partly subjective.

Cold plunges and ice baths myths: what the evidence actually says

“Ice baths speed up muscle growth.”

False

Regular cold water right after lifting reduced growth in controlled trials.

“Colder and longer is better.”

Mostly false

10–15 °C for 10–15 minutes covers the studied benefits; colder adds risk.

Ready-to-use cold plunges and ice baths protocols

Growth-phase cold use

For: Lifters building muscle

1Keep cold plunges on rest days or mornings before evening training.
210–15 °C, up to 10 minutes.
3Never directly after lifting.

Meet-day recovery

For: Competitors

1Use cold only between flights if soreness limits you.
2Keep sessions short (5–10 min).
3Warm up well before the next attempt.

What do the key studies on cold plunges and ice baths show?

Randomized trial

Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training ↗

Roberts et al. · Journal of Physiology · 2015

What they did: Men trained twice weekly for 12 weeks, followed by 10 min of cold water or active recovery.
What they found: The cold-water group gained less muscle mass and strength.

For your training: Don't plunge straight after lifting in a growth phase.

Randomized trial

Cold water immersion attenuates anabolic signaling and skeletal muscle fiber hypertrophy, but not strength gain, following whole-body resistance training ↗

Fyfe et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2019

What they did: 7 weeks of whole-body training with or without post-exercise cold water.
What they found: Fibre hypertrophy was blunted; strength gains were similar.

For your training: Size is more sensitive to cold than strength.

Meta-analysis

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 ↗

Piñero et al. · European Journal of Sport Science · 2024

What they did: Pooled training studies comparing post-exercise cold water with passive recovery.
What they found: Cold water immersion reduced muscle growth; strength effects were not significant.

For your training: Separate cold exposure from your lifting sessions.

Side effects and who should be careful

People with heart disease, high blood pressure or Raynaud's should get medical advice first.
Never plunge alone in very cold water; cold shock can impair breathing.
Limit sessions to about 10–15 minutes at 10–15 °C (50–59 °F) — colder isn't better.

Cold plunges and ice baths: frequently asked questions

Does an ice bath kill muscle growth?+

It doesn't kill it, but regular cold plunges right after lifting reduced growth in controlled studies.

How long after lifting can I take a cold plunge?+

If growth is the priority, wait several hours or do it on rest days. Directly after training is the worst timing.

Is a cold shower the same as an ice bath?+

A brief cold shower is a much smaller stimulus and has not been shown to hurt gains.

When is cold water useful for lifters?+

On meet days, between events, or in deloads when feeling recovered matters more than adaptation.

All sources (17 most cited studies)

Ranked by citations. Metadata from OpenAlex (CC0).

Cardiac Autonomic Responses during Exercise and Post-exercise Recovery Using Heart Rate Variability and Systolic Time Intervals—A Review ↗
Scott Michael, Kenneth S. Graham, Glen Macartney Davis · Frontiers in Physiology · 2017 · 607 citations · Review · Open access
Low back pain in older adults: risk factors, management options and future directions ↗
Arnold Yu Lok Wong, Jaro Ilari Karppinen, Dino Samartzis · Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders · 2017 · 459 citations · Study · Open access
The Training and Development of Elite Sprint Performance: an Integration of Scientific and Best Practice Literature ↗
Thomas A. Haugen, Stephen Seiler, Øyvind B. Sandbakk et al. · Sports Medicine - Open · 2019 · 423 citations · Study · Open access
Anesthesia and Euthanasia in Zebrafish ↗
M. Matthews, Zoltán M. Varga · ILAR Journal · 2012 · 329 citations · Study · Open access
Chronic Inflammation as an Immunological Abnormality and Effectiveness of Exercise ↗
Katsuhiko Suzuki · Biomolecules · 2019 · 300 citations · Study · Open access
Beta‐hydroxy‐beta‐methylbutyrate supplementation and skeletal muscle in healthy and muscle‐wasting conditions ↗
Milan Holeček · Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle · 2017 · 286 citations · Study · Open access
Standards for quantification of EMG and neurography ↗
Erik Stålberg, Hans van Dijk, Björn Falck et al. · Clinical Neurophysiology · 2019 · 255 citations · Study · Open access
The Measurement of Maximal (Anaerobic) Power Output on a Cycle Ergometer: A Critical Review ↗
Tarak Driss, Henry Vandewalle · BioMed Research International · 2013 · 243 citations · Review · Open access
Postexercise muscle glycogen resynthesis in humans ↗
Louise M. Burke, Luc J. C. van Loon, John Alan Hawley · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2016 · 242 citations · Study · Open access
Fundamentals of glycogen metabolism for coaches and athletes ↗
Bob Murray, Christine Rosenbloom · Nutrition Reviews · 2018 · 224 citations · Study · Open access
Browning of the white adipose tissue regulation: new insights into nutritional and metabolic relevance in health and diseases ↗
Sabrina Azevedo Machado, Gabriel Pasquarelli-do-Nascimento, Debora Santos da Silva et al. · Nutrition & Metabolism · 2022 · 220 citations · Study · Open access
Exercise-induced muscle damage is reduced in resistance-trained males by branched chain amino acids: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study ↗
Glyn Howatson, Michael Hoad, Stuart Goodall et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2012 · 219 citations · Study · Open access
Post‐exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long‐term adaptations in muscle to strength training ↗
Llion Arwyn Roberts, Truls Raastad, James F. Markworth et al. · The Journal of Physiology · 2015 · 217 citations · Study · Open access
Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) on muscle tissue: performance, fatigue and repair benefited by the power of light ↗
Cleber Ferraresi, Michael Richard Hamblin, Nivaldo Antônio Parizotto · Photonics and Lasers in Medicine · 2012 · 209 citations · Study · Open access
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 ↗
Piñero et al. · European Journal of Sport Science · 2024 · 0 citations · Meta-analysis
Cold water immersion attenuates anabolic signaling and skeletal muscle fiber hypertrophy, but not strength gain, following whole-body resistance training ↗
Fyfe et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2019 · 0 citations · Study
Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training ↗
Roberts et al. · Journal of Physiology · 2015 · 0 citations · Study

Keep reading

Sleep and recovery →

How many hours of sleep do lifters need for muscle growth?

Deloads and periodization →

When and how should you deload?

Training volume →

How many sets per week should you do per muscle?

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Medical disclaimer

Tozemoon is not a medical provider, and its authors are not physicians, dietitians or licensed healthcare professionals. All content, calculators, tables and protocols on this site are provided for general information and education only. They are not medical, nutritional or health advice, diagnosis or treatment, and do not create any professional relationship.

Results from calculators are rough estimates based on published averages and may not apply to you. Individual responses to supplements, caffeine, diet, cold exposure and training vary widely, and some can be dangerous for people with heart, kidney, liver or blood pressure conditions, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for minors, or when combined with medication.

Always consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before acting on anything you read here. Never ignore professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of this content. If you experience chest pain, palpitations, dizziness or any worrying symptom, stop exercising and seek medical help immediately. You use this information at your own risk; Tozemoon accepts no liability for any consequence of its use.

How we write these guides: we rank studies by citations using OpenAlex, prioritise meta-analyses and position stands, and summarise them in our own words with links to every source. Educational summary, not medical advice. Consult a professional before changing your diet or supplementation.