The Best & Worst Recovery Methods (Ranked)

Recovery Tier List! Two are in S tier, one is in F tier. Cold plunges. They can reduce soreness, but most studies show they actually blunt muscle growth. And hot water is probably better post-workout. D-tier. Sauna. Heat can help with recovery, but the research isn’t super clear yet. Until there’s more data, I’m leaving it in high C tier. IV Drips. Unless it’s for extreme dehydration, heat stroke, or trauma under medical care, I’d skip it. F-tier. Foam Rolling. Some research shows that it can reduce muscle soreness. No real downsides, but the effects are pretty small in my experience. Low B-tier. Stretching. It can help flexibility and range of motion but for recovery, it doesn’t seem to be any better than just resting. Low C tier. Eating Enough Calories. You can recover in a deficit, but if your calories get too low, recovery drops off, for sure. High A-tier Appropriate Training Volume. This is mostly what recovery boils down to. If you try to do too much in the gym for too long, you’ll dig yourself into a hole. Easy S-tier. Sleep. Getting 7–9 hours boosts recovery, performance, and overall health across the board. S-tier.