Ice Baths and Muscle Growth: 2024 Research Updates

New 2024 Literature Review on Ice Baths and Muscle Growth Summary

• The study found that the ice baths immediately following bouts of resistance training may reduce muscle growth compared to resistance training alone.
• Based on data from acute studies showing reduced muscle protein synthesis rates, the study also reported that ice baths blunt the anabolic response to resistance exercise.
• The study suggests that ice baths likely reduce training adaptations compared with resistance training alone.

Introduction

Ice baths have been a topic of interest in sports science and exercise physiology, particularly regarding their potential effects on muscle growth and recovery. First, do ice baths help with muscle recovery after a tough workout? This is a question many athletes and fitness enthusiasts have. Moreover, while ice baths have been used for decades to aid recovery, the research on their effectiveness for muscle growth and performance is mixed, with some studies finding beneficial effects and others no effect. (Roberts et al., 2014; Llion A. Roberts et al., 2015; Wilson et al., 2021)

In this article, we’ll review several key studies on how ice baths may impact resistance training, muscle hypertrophy, and muscle growth. Furthermore, we will discuss the latest review, “Throwing cold water on muscle growth: A systematic review with meta‐analysis of the effects of postexercise cold water immersion on resistance training‐induced hypertrophy,” which examined the impact of cold water immersion on muscle hypertrophy following resistance training.

Ice baths may reduce Inflammation and Soreness

Ice baths’ touted benefits are their potential to lessen inflammation and muscle soreness following intense exercise (Machado et al., 2016; Peake et al., 2017) For instance, some research has found that 10-15 minutes in an ice bath 1-2 hours after exercise can reduce muscle soreness in the days following.(Bailey et al., 2007; Hill et al., 2014) As a result, by reducing the inflammatory response, ice baths could improve recovery after intense exercise.

When we lift heavy weights, there is acute muscle damage. This leads to an inflammatory response as the body repairs and rebuilds the muscle stronger. However, excessive inflammation can slow recovery. Inflammation is part of the normal growth and recovery process, and blocking it can lead to reduced muscle gains. In the past,  I have written about how things like high dose anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients can reduce muscle growth by blocking the inflammation response which is a normal part of the repair and recovery response to exercise. It seems like ice baths act in the same way. For instance, Fyfe et al. (2019) found that ice bath post-resistance training could reduce anabolic signaling pathways vital for muscle growth.

Ice Baths Reduce Blow Flow to Muscle

Ice baths work by inducing vasoconstriction – a tightening of the blood vessels in the skin.(Jakeman et al., 2009) This reduction in blood flow can impede muscle growth through several mechanisms. Firstly, decreased blood flow means reduced delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the muscles, which are essential for muscle repair and growth.(Jones et al., 2023; Mawhinney et al., 2020) This can lead to an extended period of muscle protein breakdown or catabolism immediately after ice bath use, which can hinder the process of muscle hypertrophy. Therefore, the reduced blood flow associated with ice baths can impede muscle growth by limiting nutrient delivery, prolonging muscle protein breakdown, and diminishing the capacity for muscle protein synthesis.

Effects of Ice Bath on Muscle Growth

The impact of ice baths on muscle growth remains uncertain despite their potential to alleviate soreness and inflammation. Some studies have found no differences in muscle hypertrophy between those who took ice baths versus a control group.(Horgan et al., 2023) Interestingly, others have reported ice baths may blunt some of the anabolic hormone response needed to drive muscle protein synthesis. (Fyfe et al., 2019; L. A. Roberts et al., 2015) Thus, overuse of ice baths might impede muscle-building efforts. The difference in results between those who find no effect and those that find ice baths reduce muscle growth likely result from how long people stay in a ice bath after a workout, how cold the ice bath is, and how frequently they use ice baths.

New Review of the Literature on Ice baths and Muscle Growth

The new study aimed to systematically review the existing literature and perform a meta-analysis to investigate the effects of post-exercise ice baths when coupled with resistance training on gains in measures of muscle growth. Eight interventions met the inclusion criteria, all employing ice baths as the means of cold application. Subsequently, the duration of the included studies ranged from 4 to 12 weeks, with all studies including young adults aged 20–26 years.

Results of the Ice Bath Review of Literature

The review revealed that ice baths likely diminish skeletal muscle hypertrophy compared to resistance training alone, offering evidence that ice baths may lead to a minor reduction in hypertrophy. The results provide evidence that the application of ice baths may result in at least a small decrease in hypertrophy. The meta-analysis did not find evidence that training status altered the likely attenuation of muscle hypertrophy with ice baths. Based on data from acute studies showing reduced muscle protein synthesis rates, the study also reported that ice baths blunt the anabolic response to resistance exercise. This suggests that ice baths may have a negative effect on anabolic signaling and long-term adaptations in muscle-to-strength training. However, the study did not find conclusive evidence of the effects of ice baths on strength gains induced by resistance training.

Practical recommendations for Using Ice Baths

According to current literature, ice baths seem most beneficial for reducing muscle soreness post-intense exercise. For general fitness enthusiasts and recreational athletes, 10-15 minutes in 50-59°F water 1-2 hours post-workout may aid recovery. However, their impact on muscle growth and performance is less certain. Athletes and bodybuilders would be wise not to overuse cold therapy, which could potentially interfere with long-term adaptations.

Some potential approaches include:

Timing: Avoiding immediate post-exercise ice baths may be beneficial to prevent interference with the anabolic signaling pathways crucial for muscle growth.

Alternatives: Exploring alternative recovery methods such as contrast water therapy or other recovery modalities that may not have the same impact on muscle growth could be beneficial.

Conclusions 

In summary, while ice baths seem to reduce muscle soreness after exercise, their effects on muscle growth and performance are ambiguous based on current research. More studies are still needed, but moderate ice bath use may aid recovery without negatively impacting long-term adaptations.

References

Bailey, D. M., Erith, S. J., Griffin, P. J., Dowson, A., Brewer, D. S., Gant, N., & Willias, C. (2007). Influence of cold-water immersion on indices of muscle damage following prolonged intermittent shuttle running. J Sports Sci, 25(11), 1163-1170. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410600982659

Fyfe, J. J., Broatch, J. R., Trewin, A. J., Hanson, E. D., Argus, C. K., Garnham, A., Halson, S. L., Polman, R., Bishop, D. J., & Petersen, A. C. (2019). Cold Water Immersion Attenuates Anabolic Signaling and Skeletal Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy, but Not Strength Gain, Following Whole-Body Resistance Training. Journal of Applied Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00127.2019

Hill, J., Howatson, G., van Someren, K., Leeder, J., & Pedlar, C. (2014). Compression garments and recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage: a meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med, 48(18), 1340-1346. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-092456

Horgan, B. G., Halson, S. L., Drinkwater, E. J., West, N. P., Tee, N., Alcock, R. D., Chapman, D. W., & Haff, G. G. (2023). No effect of repeated post-resistance exercise cold or hot water immersion on in-season body composition and performance responses in academy rugby players: a randomised controlled cross-over design. Eur J Appl Physiol, 123(2), 351-359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-05075-2

Jakeman, J. R., Macrae, R., & Eston, R. (2009). A single 10-min bout of cold-water immersion therapy after strenuous plyometric exercise has no beneficial effect on recovery from the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage. Ergonomics, 52(4), 456-460. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130802707733

Jones, B., Waterworth, S. P., Tallent, J., Rogerson, M., Morton, C., Moran, J., Southall-Edwards, R., Cooper, C. E., & McManus, C. J. (2023). Influence of cold-water immersion on lower limb muscle oxygen consumption, as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy. Journal of athletic training.

References

Machado, A. F., Ferreira, P. H., Micheletti, J. K., de Almeida, A. C., Lemes, Í. R., Vanderlei, F. M., Netto Junior, J., & Pastre, C. M. (2016). Can Water Temperature and Immersion Time Influence the Effect of Cold Water Immersion on Muscle Soreness? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 46(4), 503-514. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0431-7

Mawhinney, C., Heinonen, I. H. A., Low, D. A., Han, C., Jones, H., Kalliokoski, K. K., Kirjavainen, A. K., Kemppainen, J., Salvo, V. D., Weston, M., Cable, T., & Gregson, W. (2020). Changes in Quadriceps Femoris Muscle Perfusion Following Different Degrees of Cold-Water Immersion: Muscle perfusion and cold-water immersion. Journal of Applied Physiology.

Peake, J. M., Roberts, L. A., Figueiredo, V. C., Egner, I., Krog, S., Aas, S. N., Suzuki, K., Markworth, J. F., Coombes, J. S., Cameron-Smith, D., & Raastad, T. (2017). The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise. J Physiol, 595(3), 695-711. https://doi.org/10.1113/jp272881

Roberts, L. A., Nosaka, K., Coombes, J. S., & Peake, J. M. (2014). Cold water immersion enhances recovery of submaximal muscle function after resistance exercise. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 307(8), R998-R1008. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00180.2014

References

Roberts, L. A., Raastad, T., Markworth, J. F., Figueiredo, V. C., Egner, I. M., Shield, A., Cameron-Smith, D., Coombes, J. S., & Peake, J. M. (2015). Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. The Journal of Physiology, 593(18), 4285-4301. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1113/JP270570

Roberts, L. A., Raastad, T., Markworth, J. F., Figueiredo, V. C., Egner, I. M., Shield, A., Cameron-Smith, D., Coombes, J. S., & Peake, J. M. (2015). Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. J Physiol, 593(18), 4285-4301. https://doi.org/10.1113/jp270570

Wilson, L. J., Dimitriou, L., Hills, F. A., Gondek, M. B., van Wyk, A., Turek, V., Rivkin, T., Villiere, A., Jarvis, P., Miller, S., Turner, A., & Cockburn, E. (2021). Cold Water Immersion Offers No Functional or Perceptual Benefit Compared to a Sham Intervention During a Resistance Training Program. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 35(10). https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2021/10000/cold_water_immersion_offers_no_functional_or.9.aspx