A clinical trial shows neither cold nor hot water plunges improve muscle recovery after strenuous exercise
A recent study published in PLOS ONE suggests that cold water plunges — often touted as a quick recovery tool after workouts — may not be as effective for women as commonly believed. Researchers from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland found that neither cold nor hot water immersion accelerated muscle recovery in women following a challenging new exercise routine.
The Study: Putting Recovery Methods to the Test
Muscle soreness and fatigue often follow unfamiliar workouts, thanks to microscopic muscle damage and inflammation that can slow performance in subsequent sessions. While cold and hot water immersions are popular, affordable strategies believed to ease this recovery, scientific evidence has been mixed — especially for women.
To investigate, lead researcher Vanessa Wellauer and her team conducted a randomized controlled trial with 30 healthy women. Each participant performed a demanding workout consisting of five sets of 20 drop-jumps from a 0.6-meter-high box. Following exercise, the women were randomly assigned to one of three groups:
-
Cold water plunge (immersion up to the sternum for 10 minutes)
-
Hot water plunge (same immersion protocol)
-
No water immersion (control)
Participants repeated the immersion (or non-immersion) two hours after the initial session.
What the Results Showed
Although the different groups showed some immediate physiological changes — such as cooler muscles in cold plungers and elevated core temperatures in hot plungers — these effects did not translate into faster or improved recovery. Researchers assessed several key recovery markers, including:
-
Muscle swelling
-
Self-reported muscle soreness
-
Blood levels of creatine kinase (a marker of muscle damage)
-
Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (a measure of muscle strength)
These measures were taken before the workout and again at 24, 48, and 72 hours afterward. No significant differences in recovery were found between the cold plunge, hot plunge, and control groups.
What This Means for Active Women
These findings highlight the complexity of muscle recovery and suggest that, for women, water immersion — whether cold or hot — might not deliver the recovery benefits often assumed.
The researchers recommend further studies to explore how different recovery strategies affect women, especially with exercise routines that mirror real-life workouts and competitions.
Access the full study here: PLOS ONE Article
Citation: Wellauer V, Clijsen R, Bianchi G, Riggi E, Hohenauer E (2025). No acceleration of recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage after cold or hot water immersion in women: A randomised controlled trial. PLOS ONE 20(5): e0322416. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0322416
