Forget cold showers after a workout — according to an exercise scientist, 'the evidence to support that in terms of muscle regeneration is really lacking'

Open Instagram and you would think post-workout recovery begins and ends with an ice bath. After you hit 'save' on your Apple Watch, your run zips off to the Strava cloud, plenty of social media influencers advise you go for a cold plunge (if you have access) or a cold shower (if you don't).

But a new human study on muscle healing suggests something different: if you actually want your muscles to repair themselves, you are better off turning the hot tap up than jumping into a tub of freezing water or opting for a cold shower.

Dr Freya Bayne, a sport and exercise scientist at London South Bank University, has just co-authored research in The Journal of Physiology comparing cold and hot water immersion after a simulated muscle injury.