Cold Plunges Are Sabotaging Your Muscle Gains

You’ve probably seen it all over social media:

Athletes and fitness buffs jumping into freezing cold water, claiming it’s the ultimate recovery hack.

Sounds great, right?

A quick, icy dip to cure sore muscles and speed up recovery.

But here’s the surprising truth:

It turns out cold plunges are actually doing more harm than good when it comes to muscle growth.

A new study published in The Journal of Physiology has uncovered something that completely changes how we think about post-workout recovery.

Cold plunging, which many swear by for recovery, actually decreases muscle growth by up to 66%.

Yes, you read that right: 

66% less muscle gain from a method that’s supposed to be helping you recover.

Here's what the study discovered:

They followed active men over 12 weeks of strength training, comparing cold plunges to active recovery. 

The results weren’t just eye-opening…

They were game-changing for anyone serious about building muscle.

They found that cold plunging may reduce soreness, but it also disrupts crucial muscle-building processes. 

Specifically:

#1 - Satellite cells, essential for muscle repair and growth, barely activate after cold immersion.

#2 - The mTOR pathway, a key driver of hypertrophy (muscle growth), was significantly less active after cold plunges.

To put it simply, cold plunges block the biological signals your body needs to grow muscle effectively.

The Impact on Muscle Growth

Despite training identically, the cold plunge group gained 66% less muscle compared to those who used active recovery techniques.

Why?

Cold exposure reduces the activation of mTOR and satellite cells—both critical for muscle growth. 

The negative effects lingered for up to 48 hours, meaning your body couldn’t fully recover in the days following your workout.

So, If you’re serious about building muscle, regular cold plunges actually set you back. 

While they can help reduce soreness in the short term, they interfere with the very process you’re working hard to improve: 

Muscle growth.

The Bottom Line

Cold plunges aren’t inherently bad…

They do have a place in recovery for easing soreness and even improving mood.

But if you're looking to build muscle, the science is clear: 

Cold exposure is interfering with your muscle-building process.

For the best results, stick to active recovery methods like a light 10-15 minute walk post workout, and stretching focused on the muscle group you trained during your workout. 

You can also incorporate foam rolling or yoga to further reduce muscle tightness and improve flexibility.

These are all great recovery methods as they keep blood flowing to your muscles, and support the repair and growth process.

Save the ice baths for when you really want them, but don’t make them your go-to recovery tool.

Your muscles will thank you.

Until next time,

Kashif Khan

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