Cold-water immersion reduced peak power before maximal strength
In a small lower-leg experiment, peak power fell earlier during cooling than the maximum force produced without movement.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
In this abstract-based study, peak power decreased after 10 min of lower-leg immersion at 10°C, while maximal isometric torque decreased after ≥30 min. This timing pattern appeared with immersion alone, prior exercise, and prior warming. The result concerns immediate muscle performance during cooling, without establishing whether cold immersion improves subsequent recovery.
Only a small healthy sample and lower-leg muscles were studied. The abstract does not identify the reference used for its percentage results or report later recovery outcomes.
What the tests captured
Researchers repeatedly measured temperature and muscle performance in the lower leg during cooling. Tracking peak power and maximum static strength separately revealed different timings for declines in these performance measures.
What the exercise condition tested
The exercise performed before immersion was explicitly nonfatiguing and intended to mimic postexercise cooling. This setup does not directly answer how cooling affects recovery after an exhausting workout or repeated training.
The original publication
Cold-Water Immersion Impairs Power Earlier than Strength Through Time-Dependent Reductions in Intramuscular Temperature in Human Dorsiflexor Muscles.
Malekzadeh R, Richards AJ, Vaziri A et al.
Med Sci Sports Exerc · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41843413
- Record checked
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