15 February 2012
A recent review of research has shown that cold water immersion may help to reduce muscle soreness after exercise compared to rest.
Although there may be some benefits from immersing yourself in water less than 15˚C to reduce muscle soreness, more research is needed to identify the best method and its safety.
Simon Fairthorne, Physiotherapist, from the Bupa Musculoskeletal Centre London, said: “This review looked at several small trials that had many differences in the way they were carried out, such as the number of people, the temperature of the water and the amount of time people spent in the water. This makes comparing these studies really difficult, so it's hard for us to draw any firm conclusions.
“You have probably seen sports people immersing themselves in a bath full of iced water on TV or in magazines. This isn’t the only method used to try and prevent muscle soreness after a hard training session – cold water baths, ice massage or crushed ice are also popular. Despite the lack of convincing evidence for these techniques, they still remain well-liked among both elite and amateur athletes.
“If you’re training for events such as the London or New York marathon, muscle soreness is common after a hard exercise session. Remember it’s essential to rest between sessions to give time for your muscles to recover and prevent injury. Listen to your body and know when to stop. At Bupa we have training programmes available online to help plan your exercise sessions and a running app to add variety to your routine. Speak to your physiotherapist or sports medicine doctor for advice about your exercise training.”
Produced by Rebecca Canvin, Bupa Health Information Team, February 2012.
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Bleakley C, McDonough S, Gardner E, et al. Cold-water immersion (cryotherapy) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 2. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008262.pub2.
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