Key result
Post-exercise cold water immersion promotes parasympathetic reactivation compared to passive recovery.
Why the study?
Cold water immersion promotes faster recovery by reducing fatigue and stress, but the scientific literature on its effects on post-exercise recovery measured by HRV in athletes needed analysis.
Does cold water immersion improve post-exercise recovery as measured by heart rate variability in athletes?
Systematic Review
Does cold water immersion improve post-exercise recovery as measured by heart rate variability in athletes?
p-value: p=<0.05
Cold water immersion after exercise appears to have a positive acute effect on parasympathetic reactivation and recovery in athletes, as measured by heart rate variability.
May support cold water immersion in athlete recovery protocols; extends mixed evidence on HRV-assessed parasympathetic reactivation.
INTRODUCTION: Physiological and psychological recovery, i.e., the balance between fatigue/stress and recovery and evaluated through heart rate variability (HRV), is essential for the good performance of athletes in all their activities. Cold water immersion (CWI) has been shown to reduce the negative effects of fatigue/stress by inducing physiological and biochemical changes that promote faster recovery. This study aims to analyze the scientific literature on the effects of CWI on post-exercise recovery, as measured by HRV in athletes. METHODS: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and MEDLINE were included it. The risk of bias of each study selected was assessed using Cochrane's guidelines for RCT. RESULTS: Twelve articles were included. All studies reported parasympathetic reactivation with CWI after physical exertion. Six studies demonstrated statistically significant results (p < 0.05) compared to a passive recovery, while eight studies reported moderate to large effect sizes. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that CWI after exercise may have a positive acute effect on parasympathetic reactivation, as measured by HRV.
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Gálvez-Rodríguez et al. (2025) conducted a systematic review in Post-exercise recovery in athletes. Cold water immersion vs. Passive recovery was evaluated on Parasympathetic reactivation measured by heart rate variability (HRV) (p=<0.05). Cold water immersion after physical exertion promoted parasympathetic reactivation compared to passive recovery, with 6 of 12 studies showing statistical significance (p < 0.05).
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