Elite athletes love their ice baths, or "cold plunges." After sweating it out on the court or on the pitch, you slide into a tub of freezing cold water to keep the muscle cramps away.

Lately, the practice has gained popularity in wellness and bodybuilding circles — with the additional step of snapping a photo of yourself to signal that you belong to a higher echelon of physical specimen — but influencer gym bros especially. You know the type: selling you branded protein powders, a program for "INSANE" gainz, and form-fitting Gymshark tees.

But a new study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and & Exercise, throws some cold water on the purported benefits of the practice. And hilariously, it seems to produce the exact opposite effects you'd want as a person trying to bu

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