When is the Best Time for an Ice Bath? A Deep Dive into Timing and Hypertrophy Concerns
Morning, Afternoon, or Evening? Pre Training? Post Training
Choosing the best time of day to immerse oneself in an ice bath is a topic often discussed in wellness circles, with some arguing for morning sessions to jumpstart their day and others opting for evening soaks to aid sleep. However, from a scientific perspective, the timing may hinge more on your specific fitness goals, especially if hypertrophy—increasing muscle size—is among them.
Starting with the basics, ice baths, or cold water immersion (CWI), have been utilized by athletes to enhance recovery post-workout. A study from the Journal of Physiology found that CWI reduces inflammation and muscle soreness following strenuous exercise (1). However, if muscle growth (hypertrophy) is your primary aim, timing your ice bath relative to your training session becomes more crucial. This is a topic that many in the cold water immersion world seem to dismiss, but there is merit to the concern. Does this mean if your goal is hypertrophy that ice baths should be avoided? Not quite.
“Those wanting to prioritise muscle growth and hypertrophy, should have their ice bath several hours after or before their training”
“The Interference effect”
A hot topic in fitness research is the "interference effect" of ice baths on hypertrophy when taken immediately after resistance training. A 2019 study from the Journal of Physiology found that muscle protein synthesis—essential for muscle growth—was hindered in participants who used CWI immediately after strength training (2). This suggests that athletes aiming for hypertrophy might want to delay their ice bath until several hours after their workout to avoid impeding muscle growth. It does not however mean they should avoid it entirely. The positive impact on joint and blood circulatory health is a factor that should be considered. Better delivery of nutrients and joints with less pain can often allow an individual to train with more volume, thus allowing more growth in the long term.
As for the time of day, a study from the International Journal of Sports Medicine showed that the body's cold-water tolerance is highest in the late afternoon or early evening (3), making this a potentially ideal time for an ice bath, especially if hypertrophy is not a concern. Conversely, for individuals using ice baths to boost alertness or kickstart their metabolism, a morning routine might be most beneficial.
However, it's important to note that personal preferences, daily schedules, and specific wellness goals can all affect the optimal timing for ice baths. As with many health practices, individual responses can vary, and what works best for one person might not be ideal for another.
Finally, always remember to follow safe ice bath practices and avoid overly long or overly cold immersions, more is not better, ice baths are ultimately a tool, and as with every tool, they can be used well or poorly. At Fire and Ice we always recommend that you start an Ice bath Protocol at a higher temperature than you perhaps feel like you should and work your way down over a number of weeks.
References
Roberts, L. A., Raastad, T., Markworth, J. F., Figueiredo, V. C., Egner, I. M., Shield, A., ... & Peake, J. M. (2015). Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. Journal of Physiology, 593(18), 4285–4301.
Fyfe, J. J., Broatch, J. R., Trewin, A. J., Hanson, E. D., Argus, C. K., Garnham, A. P., ... & Bishop, D. J. (2019). Cold water immersion attenuates anabolic signaling and skeletal muscle fiber hypertrophy, but not strength gain, following whole-body resistance training. Journal of Applied Physiology, 127(5), 1403–1418. ↩
Brazaitis, M., Eimantas, N., Daniuseviciute, L., Mickeviciene, D., Steponaviciute, R., & Skurvydas, A. (2014). Two strategies for response to 14 °C cold-water immersion: is there a difference in the response of motor, cognitive, immune and stress markers?. PLoS ONE, 9(9), e109020. ↩