Cold-water immersion (CWI) is commonly used to assist with recovery during training.
However, there are indications that regular CWI may attenuate resistance and/or endurance training adaptations.
In other words, CWI may negatively impact the anabolic responses, protein synthesis, and satellite cell activation following training that stimulates the gains.
Rather than speculate, lets review a recent review.
Does cold-water immersion help or hurt strength gains?
What did the researchers do?
Researchers performed a systematic review on existing CWI literature was performed.
Inclusion Criteria
- 1) controlled study - cold water immersion group and control group
- 2) human subjects
- 3) CWI performed at ≤ 15 °C/59 °F
- 4) Concurrent with a regular training program
- 5) Baseline and post-training assessments
Strength Measures
- 1 repetition maximum
- Maximal isometric strength
- Strength endurance (# of reps)
- Ballistic efforts (force and RFD on force plates)
Aerobic Measures
- Time trial duration
- Mean power in a time-trial
- Maximal aerobic power (MAP) in a graded exercise test
In total, 8 articles were selected with a total of 470 men classified as trained, physically active, recreationally active, or sedentary.
What did they report?
- Strength → Cold water immersion decreases resistance training performance for 1 RM, isometric strength, strength endurance, and ballistic efforts.
- Aerobic → Cold water immersion has no changes in aerobic training performance for time trial duration, mean power in a time-trial, and maximal aerobic power (MAP).
What does this mean?
- Regular use of post-exercise CWI appears to negatively influence resistance training performance adaptations and does not appear to influence aerobic training performance adaptations.
- Mechanistically, CWI attenuates the training-induced increases in type II muscle fiber cross-sectional area and the number of myonuclei per fiber, delays/inhibits satellite cell activity, suppresses phosphorylation of proteins associated with hypertrophy, and reduces blood flow.
- The authors speculate that there is no effect of CWI on aerobic performance because aerobic performance is more related to maximal oxygen uptake, running economy, and lactate threshold which is less affected by the signaling that CWI attenuates.
Coach's Takeaway
- It is likely best practice to avoid CWI during training blocks focused on improving strength, hypertrophy, and power such as in the offseason when gains are prioritized over recovery or "feeling good" for games.
- CWI may be most beneficial during competition or training phases when heavy resistance training is not typically performed and slower recovery may affect acute performance such as in-season when recovery and performance for games is prioritized.
- CWI should be periodized with the rest of your training plan as a tool to help augment training and recovery.
