Next time you're looking to ice a day of failure training, see if the results of this study add something to your end result. The research, which was published in the International Journal of Sport Physiology and Performance tested the effects of applying a cold compress on muscles between sets.
Scientists had healthy male volunteers perform 4 sets of biceps curls at 80% of their one rep max. One group had wet bags of ice wrapped around their arm muscles between sets. The other guys just rested. The iced down lifters were able to perform about 21% more reps than the control group even though markers of muscle damage were not significantly different between subjects.
