Cold baths 'ease aching muscles, but may be risky'

Taking a cold bath after exercise can soothe sore muscles but it is unclear whether this is safe, say experts.

Plunging into chilly water can provide a shock to the system and may even be harmful, researchers at the UK Cochrane Centre warn.

After looking at available trial evidence - 17 small studies involving 366 people - they say there is not enough evidence to back the technique.

There may well be other better ways to ease muscular aches, they suggest.

This might include a spot of light jogging or a dip in a warm bath, they say.

The idea behind submerging the muscles in icy water, sometimes referred to as cryotherapy, is to reduce swelling and the associated stiffness and soreness that comes with working the muscles hard.    More