When it comes to building muscle, maximizing your recovery is a crucial step. And some of the best ways to do that have also been around for centuries: saunas and cold plunges. But is there one temperature extreme that helps muscles more efficiently than the other? The answer is nuanced, according to the experts we consulted.
Before even considering an ice bath or sauna, though, make sure you have the basics sorted in your warm-ups and cool-downs, which are also very importing for preventing injury and improving muscle growth. Once you have those down, here’s how vs. cold exposure shakes out.
Benefits of cold therapy for muscle recovery
There’s a lot to be said for a bag of frozen peas. In the same way it can help a rolled ankle, cold therapy—or cryotherapy to use the fancier term—is a handy way to alleviate extreme pain and microtears caused by working out.
“Cold therapy plays a critical role in reducing inflammation and swelling in muscles and joints,” says Sergii Putsov, Olympic weightlifter and Head of Sports Science at Torokhtiy Weightlifting. “Its numbing effect can provide instant relief from muscle soreness and pain. Since it constricts blood vessels, cold therapy helps flush out waste products such as lactic acid from muscles.”
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Jumping in an ice bath is particularly good after a cardio session. “It’s beneficial immediately after workouts to reduce inflammation and muscle soreness,” says George Thomas from Tennis HQ, “[and] is particularly effective post-cardio to reduce muscle soreness and inflammation.”
While Steven Dick, director at The Fitness Group, adds that “cold therapy is particularly beneficial for preventing further tissue damage,” it’s also been shown to help in various aspects of your health, including an uplift in mood. Getting the most out of cold therapy can be as simple as jumping in the bath or using ice packs: Putsov suggests submerging your body in water at 10-15 degrees Celsius (50-59 Fahrenheit). Be aware that cold water can give you a shock, so take a more gradual approach if you have an underlying heart issue or respiratory condition such as asthma— and don’t sit in the ice for longer than 10 minutes.
All that said, it should be noted that recent research shows that consistently plunging after a lifting session can limit muscle gain—crucial to keep in mind if you’re trying to get swole.
