What Experts Really Think About 6 Popular Workout Recovery Methods

A few days ago, a package addressed to my husband arrived. He was pumped. “Nice,” he said. “My grounding sheets!” I figured he’d once again fallen for an Instagram ad for a new alternative health product. I didn’t laugh or give an annoyed wife look, even though, as a rational human, I don’t believe a sheet plugged into the wall would heal his trail-running-induced knee pain by sending electrodes from the Earth into his body. Instead, I helped him set it up on the bed. Despite my skepticism, I, too, have been suckered into buying all kinds of runner recovery gadgets and services to feel and perform better.

Supplements, lotions, lights, pain-relief patches—I’ve tried it all. But when the grounding sheets arrived, my inner skeptic got the best of me: What, if any, alternative remedies actually work, and what’s just snake oil?

There’s a bit of distrust in conventional medicine, maybe because we haven’t done a great job of helping athletes understand that we’re here to help them.

To get some insight, I reached out to University of Utah sports medicine physician Dr. Amy Powell and Grace Horan, an exercise physiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery, to help me sort fact from fiction.

Powell understands why otherwise rational runners spend money on what might be considered pseudoscience. “People are looking for any edge,” she says. “And there’s also a bit of distrust in conventional medicine, maybe because we haven’t done a great job of helping athletes understand that we’re here to help them.”

She adds that if something works for you and boosts your performance, most sports doctors will support it—so long as it’s not causing financial strain or physical harm.

Here’s what’s safe in the land of popular alternative treatments for runners and what to avoid, according to real-life experts.

1. Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy uses low-wavelength red or near-infrared light aimed at the skin or muscles, often through panels or saunas. It claims to stimulate cellular repair, reduce inflammation, and accelerate recovery by enhancing mitochondrial function.

The Experience

Red light panels for skin rejuvenation are all the rage right now, and you might’ve seen those hockey goalie-mask-looking contraptions that beam red light onto a person’s face. (There is scientific evidence that supports dermatology applications.) Runners looking to repair muscles and tendons will need full-body panels, and you can find these at medspas or wellness centers. A single use will cost between $20 and $40. You undress to your comfort level and stand in the warm, red light for 20 minutes.

Powell’s Take: “It started with NASA experimenting on plant growth in space, and then it was used to help heal wounds in astronauts. It seems to stimulate collagen production, which obviously is important for skin, but it’s also important for tendons, so that is cool and may have some impact in the future.”

Horan’s Take: “There is some evidence—like a few small studies—that show red light therapy can reduce muscle damage and accelerate recovery, but again, those studies are small. There hasn’t been any longitudinal study that says ‘yes, this definitely works.’ But I would say it likely wouldn’t hurt if someone wants to do it and they notice it makes them feel better.”

Expert Verdict

It’s not scientifically proven to help runners yet, but it’s promising. If you can afford it and it makes you feel better, why not?

2. Cryotherapy Chambers

A cryotherapy chamber is a walk-in or full-body pod cooled to ultra-low temperatures (often -200 degrees Fahrenheit or colder) for 2-4 minutes. It promises to reduce inflammation, speed muscle recovery, and boost circulation and mood. People also swear it’s anti-aging and can hinder the production of fat.

The Experience: Unless you’re fortunate enough to own one of these chambers (which can range from $12K for a used model to $80K for a brand-new one), you’ll need to find a cryotherapy center nearby. A single session typically costs between $25 and $75. When you go, you’ll undress down to your underwear, but you’ll still need to wear gloves, slippers, a hat, and a mask to protect your extremities and sensitive skin from freezing. Most places will have you pick a song to listen to while you stand there, shivering and moving around to stay warm, all while watching the timer tick down. It’s uncomfortable but manageable.

Powell’s Take: “I don’t know that we have solid data to support them, but I don’t think they’re gonna do any harm, and the mechanism would be as an anti-inflammatory.”

Expert Verdict

It likely won’t heal your pains or slow down the aging process, but if you want to freeze yourself, it’s pretty harmless.

3. Cold Plunges

A cold plunge involves immersing the body (usually up to the chest) in icy water, typically at a temperature between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, for 1 to 5 minutes. Cold plunging is supposed to reduce soreness, decrease inflammation, and aid in faster muscle recovery.

The Experience: Some physical therapists or athletic trainers offer a cold plunging pool, but since many people don’t have access to these professionals, there are spas and treatment centers made specifically for cold plunging. A single plunge at one of these places starts at $30. There are cheap, inflatable, at-home cold plunge pools for $50 and expensive tubs for $1,600. It’s just a very cold and uncomfortable bath.

Horan’s Take: “With cold plunges, the research is mixed, but a majority of the research is going to show no significant difference in general muscle recovery. There’s actually some evidence that doing a cold plunge after intense strength training is going to inhibit hypertrophy because of decreased blood flow to the muscle that interferes with muscle protein synthesis.”

Expert Verdict

Like the cryo chamber, cold plunges are really good at making you cold. Don’t plunge after a strength training session if you want to see maximum gains, but if you’re looking to reduce inflammation in an extreme way, it’s probably fine.

4. CBD Gummies

CBD gummies are edible supplements infused with cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound from the cannabis plant. They’re marketed as a natural way to reduce inflammation, ease muscle pain, and promote relaxation or sleep post-workout.

The Experience: You eat fruit-flavored gummies infused with CBD. Like many vitamins and supplements, they range in price depending on ingredients and manufacturing. A 30-day supply will run you anywhere from $10 to $75.

Horan’s Take: “From the research that I’ve seen, there’s no evidence showing any statistically significant difference with CBD. In my opinion, it’s not effective.”

Expert Verdict

Pretty useless, albeit tasty.

5. Vitamin IV Drips

Vitamin IV drips deliver fluids, electrolytes, and nutrients like B vitamins or magnesium directly into the bloodstream. They promise faster hydration, reduced fatigue, and boosted recovery, especially after long races or travel.

The Experience: There are now IV drip infusions, where a nurse administers an IV infusion with your choice of vitamins. The prices range from $100 to $300, depending on which vitamins you choose. You’re typically hooked up to the drip for 25 to 60 minutes.

Powell’s  Take: “We haven’t had studies, I would say, in the sports medicine literature that would support this. Even runners with fatigue after a marathon—if they’re fatigued and dehydrated—oral hydration has actually been supported to be as effective and safer than doing IV hydration.”

Horan’s Take: “My personal opinion—I wouldn’t want to be stuck with a needle to receive something I can otherwise get through Gatorade or eating vitamins.”

Expert Verdict

Expensive, involves needles, not backed by science—not worth it. Also, it’s important to note that while everyday runners aren’t necessarily bound by anti-doping agencies, both the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibit IV fluids unless medically necessary.

6. Oxygen Chambers

A hyperbaric oxygen chamber is a sealed environment in which a person breathes 100 percent oxygen at higher-than-normal air pressure. This medical device is also marketed to athletes to improve healing, reduce inflammation, and enhance recovery by increasing oxygen delivery to damaged tissues.

The Experience: For oxygen therapy, a person lies down in a tube that looks kind of like a giant incubator for an hour or more. There are wellness centers that offer hyperbaric oxygen chambers, and with a brief medical history and a few signatures, people are allowed to use these powerful machines without the green light from a medical professional.

The FDA advises that you go to a hospital or facility that has been inspected and is properly accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Similarly, the FDA provides a list of conditions that would benefit from an oxygen chamber. It’s notable that nowhere on the list appears anything having to do with running recovery or running-related injury. Instead, there are plenty of potential risks and side effects, including a collapsed lung, sinus pain, middle ear injuries, and temporary vision changes.

Powell’s Take: “We breathe oxygen at a percentage—what is it, like 21 percent at baseline—and our bodies can handle that, and they can’t really handle anything more than that. Except for a few things like hyperbaric oxygen chambers for wound healing, there’s very little evidence to support the use of higher concentration oxygen for the healing of other things.”

Expert Verdict

Not applicable for athletes looking for an edge or even injured runners, and it’s potentially dangerous.

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