How long after working out should you wait before doing winter bathing?

For the practice of winter bathing, which involves cold water immersion, it is advisable to wait about four hours after a workout before entering cold water. This timing is suggested to prevent interference with muscle growth signals that occur immediately after exercise, especially if your goal is hypertrophy or strength gains 1 2.

The initial period post-workout involves critical signaling pathways and gene expression processes that are essential for muscle growth and adaptation. Cold exposure immediately after exercise can blunt these processes and potentially reduce the growth and strength adaptations from the workout 1.

If winter bathing primarily aims to aid recovery or reduce muscle soreness without emphasizing muscle gain, it might be more flexible in timing. However, adhering to the four-hour wait ensures that you're not compromising your muscle-building goals.