Taking a cold bath after exercise can soothe¹ sore muscles but it is unclear whether this is safe, say experts.

专家称，运动后洗冷水浴能减轻肌肉酸痛，但是尚不清楚这是否安全。

Plunging² into chilly³ 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（慢跑） or a dip in a warm bath, they say.

The idea behind submerging（淹没，沉浸） the muscles in icy water, sometimes referred to as cryotherapy（冷冻疗法） , is to reduce swelling⁴（肿胀） and the associated stiffness and soreness that comes with working the muscles hard.

The trend started in elite⁵ level sport, but it is becoming increasingly popular amongst amateur athletes too.

Comedian⁶ Eddie Izzard, who last year ran 43 marathons in 51 days to raise money for charity, said his daily ice baths were a necessary evil to stop his "legs inflating⁷ to twice the size of an elephant".

In the studies that the Cochrane team looked at, participants were asked to get into a bath or container of cold water after running, cycling or resistance training.

In most trials, participants spent between five and 24 minutes in water that was 10-15C, although in some cases much colder temperatures were used or participants were asked to get in and out of the water a number of times.

Lead researcher Dr Chris Bleakley, of the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, said: "We found some evidence that immersing yourself in cold water after exercise can reduce muscle soreness, but only compared to resting or doing nothing."

But there were too few studies that compared cold baths with other interventions⁸ to say that it is the best strategy for sore limbs.

And safety concerns remain unanswered.