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Cold · 08

0.3

points less soreness on a 0–10 scale after an ice bath

Cold water after hard exercise eases soreness a little.

Across the trials, ice baths after exercise cut soreness by about 0.3 points on a 0–10 scale. Water at 10–15°C for 10–15 minutes did best.Source 1 · Meta-analysisCan Water Temperature and Immersion Time Influence the Effect of Cold Water Immersion on Muscle Soreness? A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisMachado AF, Ferreira PH, Micheletti JK, et al.. Sports Medicine, 2016.Read the paperPubMed ↗

Try this

Save the ice bath for days when soreness is what's holding you back, like the day before a race or a match.

We cited these sources

  1. 01Machado AF, Ferreira PH, Micheletti JK, de Almeida AC, Lemes ÍR, Vanderlei FM, et al.. Can Water Temperature and Immersion Time Influence the Effect of Cold Water Immersion on Muscle Soreness? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine. 2016;46(4):503-514. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0431-7 PMID 26581833