Author: Jort Veen et al (2026)
Journal: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports

AI generated summary

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of cold-water immersion (CWI) on post-match recovery in trained soccer players. Ten randomized controlled trials published between 2009 and 2025 were included, evaluating recovery outcomes up to 72 hours after match or simulated match play. The main outcomes assessed were physical performance (maximal voluntary contraction [MVC], countermovement jump [CMJ], and 20-m sprint), muscle damage (creatine kinase [CK]), and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

The results indicate that CWI can enhance recovery of muscle strength, with a large positive effect on MVC across all measured time points (24–72 h). CMJ performance showed a small but significant improvement, though only at 48 hours post-match. In contrast, CWI did not improve 20-m sprint performance at any time point. Biochemically, CWI consistently reduced CK levels compared with passive recovery, suggesting accelerated recovery from muscle damage. Subjectively, CWI reduced DOMS at 24 and 72 hours post-match, indicating an analgesic effect.

Despite these favorable average effects, all prediction intervals included the null value, meaning that future studies may find smaller or no effects depending on context. Overall, the findings suggest that CWI may support post-match recovery in soccer by improving muscle strength recovery, reducing muscle damage, and alleviating soreness, but it does not appear to benefit sprint performance and its effects on jump performance are time-dependent. These conclusions should be interpreted cautiously due to variability across studies and limited data in female players.