Meta-analysis finds cold-water immersion eases soreness but does not restore muscle strength

Researchers pooled data from 22 randomized controlled trials to examine how a single session of cold-water immersion affects muscle strength, explosive power, muscle-damage markers, and perceived soreness at multiple time points after exercise in healthy individuals. The analysis found no meaningful benefit for maximal strength or overall explosive power, a transient impairment of explosive performance immediately after immersion, and a modest reduction in soreness ratings whose certainty was graded very low due to heterogeneity and probable publication bias.

What the study found

For maximal voluntary isometric strength, pooled results across all time points showed no statistically significant effect and a negligible effect size, with the authors rating the certainty of that null finding as moderate — meaning the absence of benefit is reasonably well established.

For explosive power measured by countermovement jump, the overall pooled effect was also non-significant. However, a subgroup analysis by time point revealed that performance was meaningfully lower in the cold-immersion group immediately after the session, and this difference was no longer detectable by the 24-to-48-hour window, suggesting a short-lived impairment rather than a recovery benefit.

Perceived muscle soreness scores were lower in the cold-immersion groups overall, with a moderate effect size. The authors flag this finding with caution: heterogeneity across studies was substantial, certainty of evidence was rated very low, and the result was sensitive to adjustments for publication bias.

Blood levels of creatine kinase, a biochemical indicator of muscle damage, initially appeared lower after cold-water immersion, but this apparent advantage did not survive publication-bias correction and dependency-adjusted sensitivity analyses. The authors treat the creatine-kinase finding as insufficiently robust to support a firm conclusion.

Limits worth knowing

The review included only studies comparing cold-water immersion to passive rest, so comparisons with other recovery strategies are outside its scope. All participants were described as healthy, leaving open questions about applicability to other groups. The 22 included trials varied considerably in exercise protocols, immersion parameters, and outcome measurement timing, contributing to the high heterogeneity observed in several analyses. Certainty ratings for the soreness and creatine-kinase outcomes were downgraded to very low, meaning future research could substantially change the estimates. Funding sources for the individual included trials were not uniformly reported, and the review itself does not disclose a funding source in the abstract.

About this entry. The Heartwood Review summarizes published, peer-reviewed research in its own words and links to the original source. It is not medical advice; consult a physician before beginning or changing any thermal or recovery practice. Findings summarized here describe the study cited, not any product sold by Teak & Marble Atelier. Corrections.