Ice baths and cold water

Cold water reduces soreness and the feeling of fatigue for a day or two, but used after every session it can blunt some training gains.

• The usual protocol: 10 to 15 minutes in water at 10 to 15 °C, up to the waist or chest, within an hour of the effort.
• Useful to bounce back fast: two hard sessions or races within 48 hours, or very hot weather.
• Avoid it routinely after strength sessions, where it dampens muscle gains; after an easy run it adds little.
• A cold shower of 2 to 5 minutes gives a milder version of the same effect.

Get in gradually, never alone; with a heart condition, high blood pressure or Raynaud’s, ask your doctor first.