Cold Plunges & Muscle Growth

When to Use Cold Therapy for Best Results

Cold plunges feel great, but if you’re chasing muscle growth, timing is everything. Learn when cold therapy enhances recovery without sabotaging your gains.

Should You Cold Plunge Before or After Your Workout?

Cold plunges are having a moment. From pro athletes to weekend warriors, more people are embracing cold water immersion (CWI) as a recovery tool. But if your main goal is to build muscle, the question isn’t just whether cold plunges are good — it’s when to do them. Should you jump in before your workout? Right after? Or save it for a rest day?

This guide breaks down when to cold plunge for recovery vs. growth, and how timing affects your training outcomes. Spoiler: Cold plunging immediately after a lifting session might feel great, but it’s not always great for hypertrophy.

Quick Answer:

If your goal is muscle growth, avoid cold plunging immediately after strength training. Wait 4–6 hours or use cold exposure on rest days to support recovery without limiting gains.

The Rise of Cold Water Recovery

Cold water immersion typically involves sitting in 50–60°F (10–15°C) water for 5–15 minutes. It’s known to reduce soreness, lower inflammation, and improve short-term recovery, which is why athletes often use it after intense training or competition. But while that post-lift plunge might blunt soreness, it may also dampen the muscle-building adaptations that make lifting effective in the first place.

That’s because muscle growth relies on a cascade of microtears, inflammation, anabolic signaling, and protein synthesis in the hours after training. Cold plunges, by rapidly cooling muscle tissue and constricting blood vessels, may interfere with this natural recovery signal.

Cold plunges are just one part of the recovery puzzle — explore additional support in Supplements for Active Individuals.

What the Research Shows: Post-Lift Cold Plunge Can Blunt Hypertrophy

What About Plunging Before a Workout?

Right now, research on cold exposure before strength training is limited, but the signs point to caution.

• Cold exposure reduces nerve conduction velocity and muscle temperature, both of which can impair power output and neuromuscular function.
  
  

• One study found that strength performance decreased when athletes lifted after cold water immersion, likely due to reduced muscle elasticity and central drive.
  
  

So, if you're chasing peak performance, skip the plunge before strength training. Save it for a time when your muscles don’t need to fire at full force.

Several Hours After a Workout
Waiting 4–6 hours after lifting gives your body time to begin the muscle-building process uninterrupted. By delaying the plunge, you preserve much of the anabolic signaling while still tapping into cold therapy’s recovery benefits. It’s not quite as potent for reducing soreness as an immediate plunge, but it strikes a strong balance between recovery and adaptation, and is often considered the best compromise for physique-focused athletes.

Like cold plunges, rest intervals can help or hinder your progress — depending on your goals. See how in Rest Between Sets: Does More Rest Build More Muscle?

On Rest Days or at a Different Time of Day
Cold plunging on your off days, or at a separate time from your strength training (e.g., plunge in the morning, train in the evening), offers a safe and effective way to enjoy the mood-boosting, inflammation-reducing effects of cold exposure without interfering with post-lift muscle growth. While it won’t directly target soreness from that day’s workout, it can still help you feel recovered and ready for your next session.

Optimizing sleep and recovery can be just as impactful as cold therapy. See more in Nutrition for Better Sleep.

Bottom Line:
For those chasing muscle growth, the best strategy is to avoid cold plunging immediately after training. Instead, save it for later in the day or use it on non-training days to get the benefits without compromising gains.

Recovery vs. Adaptation: Match It to Your Goal

If you're deep in a hypertrophy phase or training to gain size, prioritize the body’s natural post-exercise inflammation and growth signals. Cold plunging immediately after lifting may interfere with this process.

But if your current goal is to feel better, reduce soreness, or maintain performance across multiple sessions (e.g., during a deload, competitive season, or high-frequency training), post-workout cold plunges can serve a purpose. Cold therapy for muscle recovery can be powerful — but only if it’s used strategically in the context of your long-term hypertrophy or performance goals.

In short:

• Use cold plunges to support performance and recovery.
  
  

• Avoid using them immediately after lifting if size gains are your top priority.
  
  

• Don’t cold plunge “just in case” — do it strategically.

Want to support recovery on non-training days? Learn what to eat post-workout in Nutrition for Recovery.

Final Word

Cold plunges can be part of a smart recovery plan, but they’re not muscle-building magic. Used at the wrong time, they may interfere with the very gains you’re chasing. If you train to grow, hold off on the plunge right after your last set, and give your body time to do what it does best.

Your recovery strategy is only as strong as your nutrition — read more in The Role of Macronutrients in Sustaining Energy Levels.