Ice baths cooled athletes but slowed some performance measures between simulated matches
Cold-water recovery lowered temperature and perceived strain in a small trial, while sprint and jump performance worsened in the next bout.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Cold-water immersion between simulated rugby sevens bouts reduced heat-related strain, but that cooling did not translate into better performance across the board. Athletes showed slower sprinting and lower jumps in the subsequent bout, while jogging efforts were maintained and bounding distance increased. The results suggest a trade-off between cooling and some immediate performance measures.
The study involved a small group of recreational male athletes performing a simulated protocol. The abstract does not establish whether these short-term findings apply to competitive matches, other athletes or longer recovery periods.
What researchers found
Sprint performance
Cold-water immersion versus seated recovery during the second simulated match bout; sprint effect size was not reported.
Cooling and exertion moved together
Core temperature, perceived exertion and thermal sensation were lower during the later exercise bout after cold-water immersion. Skin temperature fell during recovery. These findings describe the athletes' temperature and experience of effort, separately from their sprinting and jumping.
The timing matters
The intervention took place between closely spaced exercise bouts in a hot environment. This study therefore addresses immediate performance after cooling; it does not show how ice baths affect recovery over subsequent days or training adaptations.
The original publication
Cold-water recovery between bouts of simulated rugby sevens matches in the heat.
Skein M, Hunter J, Carney A
J Therm Biol · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41252773
- Record checked
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