Quick answer
- A 2013 review of 13 studies found alternating hot and cold water after hard exercise eased muscle soreness more than resting.
- Cool down for 5 to 10 minutes first, then go heat, cold, rest, for 2 or 3 rounds.
- Keep the cold short. If building muscle is your main goal, save the plunge for days you don't lift.
- Sip water between rounds and finish slowly: sit, rinse off and take your time getting dressed.
In this article · 9 sections
Training hard is the easy part. Recovering well between sessions is where a sauna and cold plunge earn their place in your week. Both of our studios sit inside Self Made Training Facility gyms, so we see a lot of post-workout contrast therapy. Here are five ways to use it, and what the research says about each.
What the research says
Contrast therapy means alternating heat and cold. The best-known review pooled 13 studies and found that alternating hot and cold water after strenuous exercise led to less muscle soreness, and a smaller drop in strength, at every check-in over the next four days compared with simply resting (Bieuzen et al., PLoS One, 2013). A larger review of 99 studies also found contrast water therapy among the recovery methods that reduced muscle soreness (Dupuy et al., Frontiers in Physiology, 2018).
Two honest caveats. Most of those studies used hot and cold water baths rather than an infrared sauna and a plunge. And contrast therapy wasn't clearly better than other good recovery habits; in the bigger review, massage came out on top. Think of it as one strong tool in your recovery kit.
1. Right after your workout
This is the classic slot. Finish your last set or your last mile, then give yourself 5 to 10 minutes to cool down before the heat. Walk, stretch, drink some water and let your breathing settle.
Then start with the sauna. Infrared heat after training has its own small but encouraging research: basketball players who sat in an infrared sauna for 20 minutes after a hard strength and jumping session reported less muscle soreness, felt more recovered and lost less jump height than when they rested normally (Ahokas et al., Biology of Sport, 2023).
A first round of 10 to 15 minutes is plenty after a hard session. Short on time? A 25-minute booking fits one long round of heat, a plunge, a short second round and a quick shower.
2. On rest days
Rest days are where a longer session shines. With no workout behind you and nothing to rush back to, 55 or 85 minutes can be the calmest hour of your week: two or three easy rounds, plenty of sitting in between, a long shower at the end. You'd be in good company. In a global survey of regular sauna users, relaxation and stress relief were among the main reasons people went (Hussain et al., Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2019).
It's also the easiest day to make it social. Add a guest when you book and bring your training partner. The sauna goes faster with someone to talk to, and the plunge is easier with someone counting you down.
3. Heat first, cold second, and when to skip the cold
Most people go sauna first, then cold plunge, then back to the heat. Walking into cold water when you're already warm makes the plunge feel more manageable. We cover every option in cold plunge or sauna first.
The cold has the strongest research after high-intensity work. A 2022 review of 52 studies found that cold-water immersion after high-intensity exercise improved muscle soreness, muscle power and how recovered people felt 24 hours later (Moore et al., Sports Medicine, 2022).
One important exception: lifting for size and strength. In a 12-week study, men who sat in cold water for 10 minutes after every strength session gained less strength and muscle than men who did an easy active cool-down instead (Roberts et al., The Journal of Physiology, 2015). If building muscle is your priority, use the sauna after lifting and save the plunge for conditioning days or rest days.
4. Count rounds, not minutes
A simple template works for most sessions: 10 to 15 minutes of heat, 30 seconds to 2 minutes of cold, then 2 or 3 minutes of rest. Repeat.
| Session | Rounds that fit | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 25 minutes | 1 or 2 | A quick reset after a lift |
| 55 minutes | 2 or 3 | A full session after training |
| 85 minutes | 3, plus time to sit | Rest days, or with a training partner |
Keep the cold short. Longer isn't better: in that 2022 review, shorter and colder immersions were linked with the biggest effects on some recovery measures (Moore et al., Sports Medicine, 2022). Most first-timers start with about 30 seconds and build from there. For more on timing, read how long to stay in the sauna and cold plunge.
5. Water, then a slow finish
You sweat in training, then you sweat again in the sauna. Bring a water bottle, sip between rounds and keep drinking after. When regular sauna users report side effects, the common ones are minor, like dizziness and dehydration (Hussain et al., Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2019), which is exactly why water and a slow finish matter.
Don't rush the end. Sit for a few minutes after your last round, rinse off in your own shower and take your time getting dressed. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded at any point, get out of the heat or the cold, sit down and sip water until it passes.
A sample training week
Here's how it might look for someone who trains four days a week. Treat it as a starting point, not a plan.
- Monday, after lifting: 25 minutes of heat-first rounds, finishing warm. Save the plunge for another day.
- Wednesday, after a run or a class: 55 minutes. Two or three rounds of heat and cold.
- Saturday, rest day: 85 minutes with a friend. Slow rounds and a long sit at the end.
If a session ever starts to feel like one more workout, shorten the rounds or skip the cold. It should feel like the easy part of your week.
How often?
As often as you enjoy it and can fit it in. Some people come once a week after their longest session. Others make it part of most training days. If it turns into a weekly habit, a session pack or a membership brings the cost of each visit down.
Before you start
Heat and cold are real stress on the body. If you're pregnant, have a heart condition or any health concern, check with your doctor first. New to all of this? Start with how to prepare for your first infrared sauna session, then pick a studio: San Diego or Temecula.
Questions people ask.
Is contrast therapy good after a workout?
Research suggests it can help. A review of 13 studies found alternating hot and cold water after hard exercise eased muscle soreness more than resting (Bieuzen et al., PLoS One, 2013). Most studies used water baths rather than a sauna and plunge, and results vary from person to person.
Should I use the cold plunge after lifting weights?
It depends on your goal. A 12-week study found that cold water after every strength session led to smaller gains in strength and muscle (Roberts et al., The Journal of Physiology, 2015). If muscle growth is your priority, use the sauna after lifting and save the plunge for other days.
How soon after a workout can I start?
Give yourself 5 to 10 minutes to cool down and drink some water first. Start once your breathing has settled.
How long should a post-workout session be?
25 minutes fits one or two quick rounds when you're short on time. 55 minutes gives you two or three rounds without rushing. Save 85 minutes for rest days or a session with a friend.
Can I do contrast therapy every day?
Lots of people make it part of their week, and how often is up to you. Keep the cold short, drink plenty of water and take a day off if you feel run down. If you have a health condition, ask your doctor first.
Sources
- Bieuzen F, Bleakley CM, Costello JT. Contrast water therapy and exercise induced muscle damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One, 2013.
- Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugué B. An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 2018.
- Ahokas EK, Ihalainen JK, Hanstock HG, Savolainen E, Kyröläinen H. A post-exercise infrared sauna session improves recovery of neuromuscular performance and muscle soreness after resistance exercise training. Biology of Sport, 2023.
- Hussain JN, Greaves RF, Cohen MM. A hot topic for health: results of the Global Sauna Survey. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2019.
- Moore E, Fuller JT, Buckley JD, et al. Impact of cold-water immersion compared with passive recovery following a single bout of strenuous exercise on athletic performance in physically active participants: a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression. Sports Medicine, 2022.
- Roberts LA, Raastad T, Markworth JF, 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.
