Cold, Heat, and Training: How to Choose Between a Sauna and a Cold Plunge
Your body responds to training through a combination of effort, recovery, and adaptation. Sauna and cold-water immersion also create physical responses, but each works differently. Understanding what happens before and after exercise can help you use them intentionally and choose the timing that best supports your goals.
Two stimuli, different responses
Strength training creates tension and signals that, with enough rest and proper nutrition, help muscles adapt. Cold-water immersion lowers the temperature of the skin and muscles and temporarily changes blood flow. A sauna exposes the body to heat, raises body temperature, and requires a cardiovascular response to dissipate it.
You don’t need to use both tools after every session. A simple question can guide your choice: Do I want to prioritize adaptation today, or feel ready to take on another activity soon?
What happens to your hormones?
Exercise, heat, and cold can temporarily change certain hormone levels, including cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin. The response depends on factors such as intensity, duration, time of day, and individual experience. For example, studies have observed acute increases in some hormones after sauna use. These changes are usually temporary and don’t, by themselves, indicate how much muscle you will gain.
Hormone measurements from a single session aren’t a scorecard for your training. Progression, training volume, nutrition, sleep, and consistency matter more when building strength or muscle. There is no one sauna-and-cold-plunge sequence that guarantees better results for everyone.
If your goal is to build strength or muscle
When muscle growth is the priority, the timing of cold-water immersion is worth considering. A systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies found that repeatedly using a cold plunge immediately after strength training may modestly reduce muscle growth. The average estimate was small and remains uncertain: its credibility interval ranged from a difference close to zero to a somewhat larger effect.
In one of the trials included in the review, 21 physically active men trained for 12 weeks. The group that immersed themselves in water close to 10°C for 10 minutes after each session had a smaller increase in quadriceps muscle mass than the group that used active recovery. This finding helps explain why researchers study the timing of cold exposure, but it describes one specific protocol and cannot predict everyone’s results.
One practical way to apply this evidence is to let your body begin recovering after a strength session. If you enjoy cold plunges, you could save them for a day without strength training or for occasions when another goal takes priority. One session doesn’t determine your training outcome; the pattern you follow over time matters more.
If you need to recover before training again soon
Some weeks include competitions, double sessions, or demanding activities close together. In those cases, people sometimes use cold-water immersion because it may help them feel less sore and more ready for their next activity. That benefit can be valuable when short-term readiness is the priority.
Feeling better and building muscle are two different aspects of recovery. During a competition period, you might choose a strategy that helps you get moving again. During a phase focused on building muscle, you might prefer not to cool your muscles intensely right after every strength session. The context of your training week can help you decide.
How to include a sauna
A sauna can be an enjoyable practice for relaxation and heat exposure. It also adds physical stress: your body works to regulate its temperature, and some people may feel more fatigued after combining sauna use with a demanding workout. Acute hormonal changes shouldn’t be viewed as a shortcut to building muscle.
If sauna use feels good for you, choose a duration and intensity you can comfortably tolerate, pay attention to how you feel, and replace fluids according to your needs. You don’t need to add a sauna before training or always combine it with cold exposure to get value from your routine. If you feel dizzy, dehydrated, or unwell, postpone the session.
A simple guide for choosing
Strength training focused on muscle growth: Prioritize your usual recovery after training and avoid making immediate cold-water immersion a daily routine.
A competition or another session coming up soon: Consider using a cold plunge occasionally if it helps you feel better and return to activity.
Well-being and relaxation: Enjoy the sauna according to your personal tolerance, without expecting a brief hormonal response to directly translate into more muscle.
No specific need for cold or heat: Rest, nutrition, hydration, and sleep provide a solid foundation for recovery.
Recovery is part of training
Cold and heat can complement a wellness routine when used with a clear goal. For muscle growth, the evidence suggests being thoughtful about cold-water immersion immediately after strength training. When there is little time between efforts, the relief it provides may be useful. Sauna use can be part of your routine for enjoyment and personal comfort, with the understanding that its hormonal effects are temporary.
Pay attention to how your body responds and choose the tool that fits your goal for the day. The best recovery routine is one that helps you train consistently, make progress, and feel good.
At TEVA, our team of professionals can guide you in incorporating sauna or cold plunge into your routine based on your goals and needs.
References
- Piñero A, et al. “Throwing cold water on muscle growth: A systematic review with meta-analysis of the effects of postexercise cold water immersion on resistance training-induced hypertrophy.” European Journal of Sport Science, 2024.
- Roberts LA, et al. “Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training.” The Journal of Physiology, 2015.
- Fuchs CJ, et al. “Postexercise cooling impairs muscle protein synthesis rates in recreational athletes.” The Journal of Physiology, 2020.
- Huhtaniemi I, et al. “Endocrine effects of sauna bath.” Endocrine Connections, 2019.
