Immersing the body in cold water shortly after exercise to speed recovery.
CWI involves immersing part or all of the body in cold water (typically ~10–15°C) for several minutes after a training session or competition, with the intent of reducing perceived soreness, inflammation, and recovery time. Evidence is mixed and contested: it may blunt acute soreness and perceived fatigue, but there is concern it can also blunt the muscle adaptations driven by resistance training if used chronically after strength work. Clinicians should treat it as a situational recovery tool rather than a universally beneficial practice, and weigh its use against the athlete's training goals (e.g., hypertrophy/strength adaptation vs. rapid return-to-play).
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.