It’s common to see a cold plunge listed as an amenity at your nearby gym or wellness facility, or spot a wellness influencer online timing how long they can stay in the freezing temperatures. But should you, as a runner, add ice baths to your recovery routine?

It’s a topic that has many runners and even experts divided. On one hand, some people praise ice baths as a recovery tool for relieving muscle soreness , and on the other, research suggests ice baths could dampen some of the muscle gains you make from your workout. Some runners also say suffering in the cold leaves them feeling more depleted, while others say it makes them feel refreshed.

To help you decide if it’s worth diving into the cold, we tapped experts and scoured the research to air out the facts.…