Two recent studies conducted by Alec Piñero et al. (2023) and Jozo Grgic (2022) have shed new light on this topic, specifically examining the effects of post-exercise cold-water immersion (CWI) coupled with resistance training on muscle growth and strength gains.
Literature Review and Methodology
Both research teams embarked on comprehensive reviews of the literature, searching through databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science to locate relevant studies. The inclusion criteria were met by a total of eight studies in Piñero et al.'s research and ten studies in Grgic's meta-analysis, all of which employed CWI as the method of post-exercise cooling.
Effects on Muscle Growth
Piñero et al.'s (2023) preliminary analysis of the data revealed strong evidence of hypertrophic adaptations - changes in muscle size due to growth - with resistance training. In contrast, the combination of CWI and resistance training showed some evidence of hypertrophic adaptations, but these were likely to be between small and zero in magnitude, suggesting that CWI not only fails to enhance muscle growth, but it can even attenuate it.
Effects on Muscle Strength
Grgic's (2022) meta-analysis revealed that CWI attenuated muscular strength gains, suggesting that the use of CWI after resistance training sessions may hinder the increase in muscular strength. However, the impact of CWI on muscular strength gains varied depending on the method of application. When CWI was applied only to the trained limbs, it significantly attenuated muscular strength gains. However, when whole-body CWI was used, there was no significant difference in muscular strength gains between the CWI and control groups.
Detailed Analysis of Findings
The studies by Piñero et al. (2023) and Grgic (2022) both found that CWI, a common recovery technique, may have an attenuating effect on muscle growth and strength gains when combined with resistance training (!) However, the degree of this effect appears to depend on the specifics of the CWI application.
In Piñero et al.'s study, the preliminary analysis revealed that resistance training alone showed strong evidence of hypertrophic adaptations, or muscle growth. However, when CWI was added to the resistance training, the evidence of hypertrophic adaptations was less pronounced. This suggests that while CWI may offer recovery benefits, it does not contribute to muscle growth when combined with resistance training.
Grgic's study focused on the effects of CWI on muscular strength gains. The meta-analysis found that CWI attenuated muscular strength gains, suggesting that CWI may hinder the increase in muscular strength following resistance training. However, this effect was not uniform across all methods of CWI application. When CWI was applied only to the trained limbs, it significantly attenuated muscular strength gains. In contrast, when whole-body CWI was used, there was no significant difference in muscular strength gains between the CWI and control groups.
Implications for Training and Recovery Strategies
These findings have important implications for training and recovery strategies in the field of physical fitness and bodybuilding. While CWI is a popular recovery method due to its potential benefits in reducing muscle soreness and inflammation, its use in conjunction with resistance training may need to be reconsidered.
Specifically, the timing and method of CWI application may need to be individualized based on the specific goals of the training program. For example, if the primary goal is to maximize muscle growth or strength gains, it may be beneficial to limit the use of CWI, particularly when applied to the trained limbs. On the other hand, if the primary goal is recovery and the reduction of muscle soreness, CWI may still be a beneficial technique.
Conclusion
The findings of these meta-analyses suggest that the use and timing of CWI in resistance training should be carefully considered and individualized. While CWI is a common recovery technique, its potential to attenuate gains in muscular strength and growth may necessitate a reevaluation of its use in certain training contexts.
References
Grgic, J. (2022). Effects of post-exercise cold-water immersion on resistance training-induced gains in muscular strength: a meta-analysis. European Journal of Sport Science, 22(3), 372-380.
Piñero, A., Burke, R., Augustin, F., Mohan, A., Dejesus, K., Sapuppo, M., Weisenthal, M., Coleman, M., Androulakis-Korakakis, P., Grgic, J., Swinton, P., & Schoenfeld, B. (2023). Effects of post-exercise cooling coupled with resistance training on gains in measures of muscle growth. Preprint. doi:10.51224/SRXIV.301