Cold plunges build mental toughness and boost mood, but research shows heat therapy beats cold for muscle recovery. Using cold water right after strength training can actually hinder muscle growth, making cold plunges overrated for most athletes.
Are cold plunges overrated or underrated for athletes? Cold plunges have a lot of cool mental benefits. Number one, it makes you mentally tough. Number two, it, it gives you those feel-good happy hormones in your body that kind of gets you hyped for the day. The studies show that it's not incredibly amazing for recovery. Heat is actually better than cold for muscle recovery in athletes. And number two is it, if you do it after a workout, specifically a lifting workout, it can actually impede your muscle growth, which obviously wouldn't be good for the athlete as well. So is it overrated or underrated? I'd say overrated for athletes. It's not gonna hold you back if you're not doing it.
