Belonging is part of the dose
New UK research suggests the shared ritual of sauna matters as much as the heat. Why the people you bathe with are part of the benefit.
Keep the muscle: when not to plunge
Muscle is a longevity asset after 50. Cold straight after lifting may take a little of the gain. How to time it.
Today is the International Day of Older Persons. So let's talk about muscle.
Strength and muscle mass matter more with every decade. They protect balance, independence and metabolic health. And the way you use an ice bath can affect how much muscle you build.
The evidence
A 2024 meta-analysis in the European Journal of Sport Science pooled eight studies. Cold water immersion taken immediately after resistance training modestly reduced gains in muscle size compared with training alone.
A separate meta-analysis of ten studies and 170 people found cold immersion after training also reduced strength gains, with a small effect.
The likely reasons include blunted blood flow and a dampened version of the signals muscle uses to adapt.
What it does not mean
It does not mean cold stops you building muscle. The effect was small. It also comes mostly from studies of young men, so the picture for older adults and women is less clear.
How to time it
- On strength days, skip the plunge straight after, or leave several hours between.
- Use heat after lifting instead. A 15-minute sauna after training has its own trial evidence for blood pressure and fitness.
- Put cold on other days, or after endurance sessions, where the research shows little negative effect.
- If recovery for a hard block matters more than growth, cold after training can still make sense.
The N-02 and Stillhet Kube work best together for this reason. Heat after the weights, cold on the days in between.
Free: The Norge Longevity Guide. Heat, cold and light after 50, with the evidence and the safety rules in one place. Get the guide.
Sources
- Piñero et al., Throwing cold water on muscle growth, European Journal of Sport Science, 2024
- Grgic, Effects of post-exercise cold-water immersion on resistance training-induced gains in muscular strength, 2023
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, low blood pressure or are pregnant, speak with your GP before using heat or cold.
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