Cold water immersion accelerates muscle recovery — with caveats

Ice baths and cold water immersion became popular among elite athletes after research showed they reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and accelerate subjective recovery feelings in the 24-72 hours after intense exercise. The mechanism is vasoconstriction reducing inflammation. However, research published in the Journal of Physiology (2015) found that regular cold water immersion after strength training blunts long-term muscle growth by suppressing the very inflammatory signals needed for adaptation. It is a recovery tool, not a performance enhancer — timing matters.

Source: Roberts et al., Journal of Physiology (2015)