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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You don’t need to dunk your whole body in cold water after a workout—just cooling the sore muscles works just as well for recovery.