If young, active guys take a 10-minute cold bath at 10°C after a hard strength workout, they can lift way more weight in their next workout just six hours later—about 38% more—compared to just cooling down with light activity.

54

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

54

Community contributions welcome

54

Cold water immersion enhances recovery of submaximal muscle function after resistance exercise.

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2014 Oct 15

The study found that soaking in 10°C water for 10 minutes after a hard workout helped men lift 38% more weight during the final sets of a follow-up workout 6 hours later compared to those who did light cycling.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Cold water immersion enhances recovery of submaximal muscle function after resistance exercise.

Score: 54

DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00180.2014

Similar Assertions

Taking a 10-minute cold bath at 10°C after a hard strength workout doesn’t help young, active guys bounce back faster in terms of muscle power or strength within a few hours.

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If young, active guys take a 10-minute cold bath at 10°C after lifting weights, their muscle temperature drops by about 7°C and stays low for over half an hour.

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Taking cold baths or cold plunges after exercise might make you *feel* better, but it doesn’t actually help your muscles get stronger faster in the first 72 hours.

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Taking cold water baths after working out might make your muscles feel less sore, but it won’t help you recover faster and could actually slow muscle growth by blocking the body’s natural healing response.

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Taking a cold-water bath after exercise probably helps reduce muscle soreness, especially in the first day, and the effect seems real even when accounting for biased studies.

57

0

79%