SynthesisPeerJ2026
Temporal dynamics of muscle strength recovery following acute cold-water immersion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PeerJ, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the time-dependent effects of a single bout of acute cold-water immersion (CWI) on the recovery of post-exercise maximal muscle strength, explosive power, biochemical markers of muscle damage, and subjective pain, with the specific goal of determining the optimal temporal window for its practical application. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases for studies published from inception to September 1, 2025. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing a single bout of acute CWI with passive recovery regarding their effects on post-exercise strength recovery in healthy individuals were included. Methodological quality, risk of bias, and certainty of evidence were assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata-MP 18.0 software. Results: Twenty-two RCTs were included. For maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), no significant overall or time-dependent effects were observed (g = 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-0.11-0.26], Conclusion: Acute CWI exerts outcome-specific effects on post-exercise recovery. It showed no meaningful effect on MVIC, transiently impaired immediate explosive performance, and may reduce subjective soreness, whereas the apparent CK benefit was not robust after adjustment for publication bias. The CK and VAS findings should be interpreted cautiously because heterogeneity, publication bias, and dependency-adjusted sensitivity analyses weakened the certainty of inference. Acute CWI may be most relevant when short-term symptom control and next-day recovery readiness are prioritized, but its timing should be considered carefully when another power-dependent task is scheduled soon after exercise.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.