Take a cold plunge after a workout to ease soreness and kick-start recovery.
Soaking in a frigid bath seems to be anything but relaxing. But a few moments of discomfort can stimulate impressive recovery benefits. Research suggests taking a cold plunge after a workout may decrease exercise-induced muscle damage, reduce muscle stiffness, and fight fatigue.
Here, a deep dive into the cold plunge benefits and why the practice is worth adding to your routine.
What Is a Cold Plunge?
A cold plunge is a wellness practice that involves immersing yourself into a bath filled with extremely cold water. Depending on the intensity, temperatures range from 32 to 59°F. Ideally, you’ll sit in this bath for several minutes to allow your body temperature to experience cold exposure benefits.
How Cold Exposure Affects the Body
Cold exposure creates an acute stress response. Your blood vessels constrict, your heart and breathing rate initially increase, and your nervous system becomes “highly activated,” says James Gu, Equinox's senior director of Spa. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The constriction of blood vessels can reduce swelling and pain, as well as facilitate the removal of lactic acid. There are mental benefits, too.
“One of the more interesting aspects of cold exposure is the significant increase in norepinephrine and dopamine that occurs during and after the plunge,” adds Gu. “Norepinephrine helps drive alertness, focus, vigilance, and energy, while dopamine is associated with motivation, drive, and mood. Unlike many activities that create a rapid dopamine spike followed by a crash, cold exposure appears to produce a more gradual increase that can remain elevated for hours afterward."
What’s more, your body temperature immediately begins to drop when you take a cold plunge. This, in turn, reduces nerve conduction rate (how quickly an electrical impulse moves through your nerves), which can further minimize inflammation and sensations of pain.
At the same time, your brain decreases its production of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter that triggers muscle contractions), leading to muscle relaxation.
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Why Athletes and High Performers Should Embrace Cold Exposure
Athletes in particular can enjoy the benefits of cold plunge as a way to improve both performance and recovery. "From a training standpoint, the benefits I find most relevant are reduced soreness, temporary pain relief, improved recovery between hard training sessions, and increased mental readiness," says Gu.
Just know that cold plunges are not a cure-all, and more research is needed to validate all the potential benefits. Here’s what researchers do know:
Supports Recovery
Because cold exposure can ease inflammation, reduce swelling and muscle soreness, and improve metabolite elimination, a cold plunge can be an excellent way to recover after a long workout. Try pairing cold plunge therapy with breathwork to further help the body relax.
Offers Temporary Pain Relief
Using cold therapy (especially cold water immersion) one hour after exercise could reduce pain levels associated with delayed-onset muscle soreness up to 24 hours after exercise, research suggests. That’s why cold plunges can be great to use after you’ve pushed yourself hard in training or at a competition.
"Athletes in tournaments, people training multiple times per day, or someone trying to reduce soreness quickly between sessions may benefit because the priority shifts from adaptation to rapid recovery and performance readiness," says Gu.
Enhances Mood and Mental Resilience
Cold exposure has been shown to increase the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and pleasure. This could be why you feel invigorated after a cold plunge.
"Many people report improvements in mood, alertness, and mental clarity after cold exposure," says Gu. "Some of that may be related to changes in neurotransmitters and activation of the nervous system, but part of it is simply psychological. Starting your day by doing something difficult creates momentum and confidence that tends to carry into the rest of the day."
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Cold Plunge vs. Contrast Therapy
A cold plunge is just one part of contrast therapy, which also harnesses the power of heat. With contrast therapy, you’ll start with a steam room or sauna session to raise your body temperature and dilate your blood vessels. Then, you’ll take a cold plunge to constrict your blood vessels. To get the full effect, you’ll likely repeat this process several times.
"A cold plunge by itself is a targeted recovery and resilience tool," says Gu. "The goal of contrast therapy isn’t to amplify the cold exposure itself, but to take advantage of the body's response to changing temperatures. Heat promotes vasodilation, cold promotes vasoconstriction, and alternating between the two creates a unique physiological experience that increases circulation and that many people find energizing and restorative."
How Long Should You Stay in a Cold Plunge?
Gu suggests cold plunges last three to eight minutes, and much of the research investigating cold plunge benefits has used submersion times of 10 to 15 minutes. In other words, there’s no “best” amount of time to spend in the tub; just focus on building up your tolerance to the cold over time.
How often you plunge is up to personal preference. "I will generally use the cold plunge only three days a week, before a strength workout, and then contrast therapy one day a week on my cardio-only day or a rest day," recommends Gu.
Cold exposure is one tool within a broader recovery strategy. Explore how recovery amenities, coaching, and wellness experiences at Equinox can help support performance and resilience.