Cold Plunging Right After Strength Training: Smart Recovery or Missed Gains?
Cold plunging right after lifting is a hot topic in the fitness world. Some studies warn it could blunt muscle gains. Others show clear benefits for power, recovery, and even fat loss.
So what’s the deal? And more importantly—should you do it?
Let’s break down what the science actually says and how it applies to your goals.
The Case Against Immediate Cold Plunges
A few recent studies suggest that jumping into a cold plunge right after lifting might slightly interfere with muscle-building pathways.
A 2019 study in the Journal of Physiology found that cold plunging immediately after training reduced strength and hypertrophy gains over a 12-week period. Researchers linked this to delayed satellite cell activity and suppressed mTOR signaling—two key factors in building muscle.
And in newer research out of Europe, cold exposure immediately post-training was shown to reduce protein uptake by around 30%—meaning your muscles may not absorb recovery nutrients as efficiently.
So, if your main focus is maximizing muscle size, you might benefit from waiting a few hours before getting in the plunge.
The Case For Immediate Cold Plunges
But that’s not the whole story.
A 2024 study involving elite Super Rugby players found that athletes who plunged immediately after lifting sessions saw no loss of lean muscle mass—and even experienced slight performance gains in squat jump tests.
Several meta-analyses also show that cold plunging can reduce soreness, preserve explosive power, and speed up recovery—especially helpful for athletes and active individuals training multiple days per week.
Who’s Most Affected?
So, who should plunge right away—and who should hold off?
If your top priority is maximal hypertrophy—as in bodybuilding, where every ounce of new muscle counts—you may want to delay cold plunges by a few hours to avoid even a small potential hit to growth signaling.
But if your goals focus on strength, functional performance, fat loss, or recovery, cold plunging right after training is likely the better choice.
It also comes down to what you value more:
Do you want peak size gains, or are you aiming to feel and perform better between sessions?
Do you want a potential 2% edge in hypertrophy, or do you want to recover faster and train consistently?
When Should You Cold Plunge? Right After or Later?
Plunging right after your workout delivers a clear reduction in soreness and fatigue—almost immediately. That’s one of the most well-documented benefits of cold exposure. It helps blunt inflammation and accelerates the recovery process.
In terms of muscle power, studies suggest that cold plunging may actually be beneficial. Athletes who plunge right after training retain more explosive strength than those who don’t.
Where cold plunging may fall short is in muscle hypertrophy. As mentioned earlier, some research shows a modest decrease in the signaling pathways tied to muscle growth and a dip in protein delivery to the muscle—though this mostly matters if size is your sole objective.
On the flip side, waiting several hours to plunge may help preserve more of that muscle-building response. Some clients at our facility follow this approach, and that’s a smart strategy for their goals.
Bottom line? Both approaches have value—it just depends on what you’re working toward and what fits your schedule.
Cold plunging after training isn’t “bad”—it just depends on your goal.
If your top priority is building as much muscle as possible, delaying the plunge by a few hours may be helpful.
If your focus is on recovering faster, staying consistent, reducing soreness, and still building lean muscle along the way, then cold plunging right after training is a smart move.
At the end of the day, the best routine is the one that supports your goals, your lifestyle, and your recovery.
Train hard. Recover smart. Know what works for you.