Research summary · Recovery and rehabilitation
Cold-water immersion after strength training: a potential trade-off
A review examines repeated post-exercise cooling and muscle growth during resistance training.
- Publication year
- 2024
- Publication type
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Journal
- European Journal of Sport Science
- Population / context
- Strength training · Multiple sports
What the publication reports
The synthesis suggests that cold-water immersion immediately after resistance-training sessions may modestly reduce gains in muscle size. This addresses adaptation over a training period, a different question from short-term feelings of recovery.
Limits and interpretation
The result does not establish that every use of cold water is harmful. Timing, training goals and differences between protocols matter.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Original publication / indexed recordDOI: 10.1002/ejsc.12074Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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