Cold Water Immersion for Runners: A Science-Backed Recovery Tool

How can you ever expect to progress if you never take the time to recover? For runners, athletes, or anyone striving to improve their health, recovery is often the most overlooked part of the process. We pour our energy into hard training sessions, lacing up our shoes day after day, and pushing through discomfort to chase our goals. The practice itself requires willpower, discipline, and resilience. Once we’ve built the habit, running or training can feel effortless—so much so that we often ignore the subtle whispers of our bodies begging for rest.

The drive to push through, to keep going no matter what, stems from a fear that slowing down might erase all our hard work. But here’s the truth: rest isn’t a roadblock; it’s a launchpad. Constantly ignoring your body’s need for recovery doesn’t make you stronger—it opens the door to over-training, injuries, and burnout. Without proper recovery, the body never fully adapts to the stress of training, leaving you spinning your wheels, frustrated, and far from your personal best.

Recovery is more than just taking the occasional day off. It’s about actively supporting your body’s ability to heal, grow, and come back stronger. Passive rest, like a full day of no physical activity, is essential. But active recovery—intentional, low-intensity activities designed to rejuvenate the body—can be just as important. A light yoga session, a gentle walk, or even a few minutes of low-effort cycling can help reduce muscle soreness, improve circulation, and promote healing.

Among these active recovery tools, cold water immersion for runners may be an effective method. The practice involves immersing yourself in water between 10-15°C or 50–60°F for short periods, spread throughout the week. At first glance, this may not seem restful, but the benefits are undeniable. Cold water immersion can reduce inflammation, speed up muscle recovery, enhance circulation, and even strengthen mental resilience.

For runners and athletes in general, the science-backed benefits of cold water immersion make it a recovery powerhouse. For those looking to improve overall health and mental well-being, it can be a game-changer. In this post, we’ll explore the ins and outs of cold water immersion, how it works, and how to incorporate it into your routine. Whether you’re training for your next big race or simply looking for ways to feel better and recover faster, cold water immersion could be the missing piece in your recovery puzzle.

What is Cold Water Immersion?

Cold Water Immersion (CWI) involves submerging the body in cold water 50–60°F (10–15°C) for a short duration, typically after exercise. It’s often used to reduce soreness, inflammation, and fatigue, making it a popular recovery tool among endurance athletes. To maximize benefits without overdoing it, follow the “Søberg Principle”: aim for around 11 minutes of cold exposure per week, split across 2–3 sessions. Start with shorter immersions (1–3 minutes) and gradually increase as your body adapts. While most research points to 50–60°F degrees as the magic temperature, colder water around 35°F for shorter duration can produce similar results

Benefits for Athletes

1. Accelerates Recovery: CWI reduces delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and inflammation after intense runs. The cooling effect limits enzymatic activity that causes muscle damage, helping runners bounce back quicker.

2. Optimizes Acute Recovery: Research from Frontiers in Physiology suggests CWI is particularly useful when recovery time between sessions is limited, such as during back-to-back training days or races. It’s an excellent tool for marathoners and those training for events like ultramarathons which require more frequent higher mileage and effort.

3. Boosts Mental Resilience: Dr. Susanna Søberg highlights the psychological benefits of cold exposure, such as improved mood and reduced anxiety. Runners tackling long training blocks or mental fatigue could benefit from these stress-relieving effects.

4. Enhances Metabolism and Overall Health: Søberg’s research also shows that cold exposure activates brown fat, increasing metabolism and improving cardiovascular health. For runners, this means better energy regulation and enhanced endurance over time.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

I began my running journey as a way to improve my mental and physical health. Over time, as many recreational runners can attest, this initial goal evolved into a passion for performance improvement. In my pursuit of growth, I realized the importance of understanding proper training, form, and, most importantly, recovery. This led me to explore the benefits of cold plunging, which not only aids in recovery but also significantly enhances my mental well-being.

Cold plunging, like many practices, offers benefits primarily when performed in moderation. While cold water immersion (CWI) can aid in short-term recovery, its impact on long-term performance and training adaptations remains mixed. Excessive use may disrupt the body's natural adaptations to endurance training, leading to potential negative consequences such as impaired recovery and immune system suppression. Therefore, it's advisable to use cold plunging strategically, rather than after every training session. With this understanding, I adopt a balanced routine and set clear guidelines to optimize the benefits of cold plunging while minimizing associated risks.

Here’s what works for me:

1. Avoid consecutive days:

I avoid cold plunging on multiple consecutive days to prevent immune suppression. The goal is to support recovery and strengthen immunity, and getting sick would hinder progress.

2. Limit total time:

I stick to 1–3 minute sessions, 3–4 times per week, for a total of 9–11 minutes weekly. This ensures I reap the benefits without overexposing my body to stress.

3. Timing after workouts:

I avoid cold plunging within six hours after a workout to prevent blunting muscle protein synthesis and training adaptations. That said, I occasionally cold plunge immediately after a run if it feels particularly refreshing.

4. Avoid pre-workout plunges:

I don’t cold plunge right before a workout, as it can stiffen joints and increase the risk of injury. If I choose to cold plunge beforehand, I ensure there’s at least a two-hour gap to allow my muscles and joints to naturally rewarm.

5. Rewarming with movement:

After emerging from the cold plunge, I do a set of push ups and body weight squats to get my blood circulating and my muscles warmed up. I avoid fast, explosive movements to reduce the risk of injuring cold joints.

6. Rewarming process:

I dry off quickly and let my body rewarm at room temperature to maximize metabolic heat production through shivering and brown fat activation. For comfort, I sometimes take a warm shower after allowing my body to rewarm naturally.

This routine has helped me strike a balance between the benefits and potential risks of cold plunging. Remember, recovery strategies should always complement your training and overall health, not hinder them.

Machado, A.F., Ferreira, P.H., Micheletti, J.K. et al. Can Water Temperature and Immersion Time Influence the Effect of Cold Water Immersion on Muscle Soreness? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med 46, 503–514 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0431-7

Søberg S, Löfgren J, Philipsen FE, Jensen M, Hansen AE, Ahrens E, Nystrup KB, Nielsen RD, Sølling C, Wedell-Neergaard AS, Berntsen M, Loft A, Kjær A, Gerhart-Hines Z, Johannesen HH, Pedersen BK, Karstoft K, Scheele C. Altered brown fat thermoregulation and enhanced cold-induced thermogenesis in young, healthy, winter-swimming men. Cell Rep Med. 2021 Oct 11;2(10):100408. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100408. PMID: 34755128; PMCID: PMC8561167.

Xiao F, Kabachkova AV, Jiao L, Zhao H and Kapilevich LV (2023) Effects of cold water immersion after exercise on fatigue recovery and exercise performance--meta analysis. Front. Physiol. 14:1006512. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1006512

Medical Disclaimer: The information provided does not constitute medical advice. It is recommended to consult your primary care provider to determine if you are healthy enough to begin a cold water immersion routine.