Anybody here cold plunge?

[DarkStar189]

For the last year or two now I’ve heard people raving about cold plunges and how great you feel afterwards. Two weeks ago I started to….dip my toes into the idea. Bought a portable “tub” called The Cold Pod. Found someone on eBay selling the XL size for $100. Just set it up and fill it with water. Keeping it cold is definitely annoying. I seem to have picked the hottest week here to try this out(pushing 100 degrees some days). We have a BJ’s membership(similar to Costco) and they sell 20lb bags of ice for $4.49.  So for about $24 I can get the thing down to 48 degrees and then maintain it for a few days.  I have a chest freezer so I can freeze a bunch of gallon jugs and toss them in like big ice cubes. 
I look forward to jumping in every morning. For the rest of the day my arms and legs feel so loose and free.  It zaps my appetite completely in the morning.  I won’t even think about food until 12-1pm. Interested to see if I notice any differences mentally.  My wife said I seem calmer since starting two weeks ago.  I have a physical job and this really has taken away aches and pains better than Tylenol or ibuprofen ever has.  I think it’s crazy how I can sit down for 3 minutes in cold water and feel the way I do for a whole day.
 

Really looking forward to the cold weather to make my life easier to keep it cold.  Of course I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of making something more permanent. There are a bunch of expensive options online. The biggest component is a water chiller. Seems like your not going to get one big enough for under $700-800. A popular option is converting a chest freezer into a cold plunge but that seems sketchy.  If I stick with it for a year, I have a DIY plan I’m going to go with that should keep me around $1,700 for everything. Sounds like a lot, but my body has seriously felt good the last two weeks.

[Fizzzzle]

Okay but the main question everyone is asking... Does your peepee look like a slightly oversized clit when you're done?

[DarkStar189]

1 hour ago, Fizzzzle said:

Okay but the main question everyone is asking... Does your peepee look like a slightly oversized clit when you're done?

There’s surprisingly less shrinkage than I expected.

[Captain Pickle]

My buddy across the street has one and a hot tube and sauna. Cold plunge is great. I should do it more often 

[Nokra]

I would be interested to see if you get the same benefits from a cold shower every morning.

[Biggie]

9 hours ago, Fizzzzle said:

Okay but the main question everyone is asking... Does your peepee look like a slightly oversized clit when you're done?

Everyone? Uh, speak for yourself buddy boy 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

This makes sense as ice baths have been a staple of athletic training and locker rooms for decades.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

4 hours ago, Nokra said:

I would be interested to see if you get the same benefits from a cold shower every morning.

 

I'm doubtful that any benefits from a cold shower would be nearly on the same level as bodily immersion would seem to be the key factor.

[DarkStar189]

5 hours ago, Nokra said:

I would be interested to see if you get the same benefits from a cold shower every morning.

I tried that for a while. I’d feel a little refreshed but only during the coldest months when the water was colder. All summer the cold water coming out of the tap is rather warm. I’ve read 58 degrees it’s the starting point for cold water therapy. It’s actually colder than it sounds when you are suddenly immersed up to your chin. Your heart immediately starts racing and then calms down.

[gamer.tv]

I have in the last through rugby, but never consistently. It’s something is definitely be interested in as I’ve utilised ice baths, ice showers and hot/cold for about a decade now. 

[TUFKAK]

As someone who did that in hockey the fact anyone not involved in athletics would willingly do that is peak fucking while people shit.

[Biggie]

27 minutes ago, TUFKAK said:

As someone who did that in hockey the fact anyone not involved in athletics would willingly do that is peak fucking while people shit.

We are the worst

[thewhyteboar]

I've done the sauna thing here in Korea and there's always a cold pool. I like it, but I haven't done it in a long time.

[TheLeon]

If you wanna get cold, just come to work with me. The ice cream room in our DC is -15 degrees.

[best3444]

I used to lay in ice baths after games. That felt amazing all around. 

[SmugPrick]

Yes I have an Ice Pod. I dont use a water chiller, IMO waste of money. I just freeze (4) 1 gallon jugs of water and throw them in the tub an hour before I use it. Gets the water down to around 45-50

[Ominous]

But why?

 

[DarkStar189]

3 hours ago, Ominous said:

But why?

 

Just feels so good.  It puts me in a nice mindset afterwards that last for hours. No pills, medications, or supplements. 

[Ominous]

14 hours ago, DarkStar189 said:

Just feels so good.  It puts me in a nice mindset afterwards that last for hours. No pills, medications, or supplements. 

I know a cheaper all natural way to accomplish that.....

[GoldenTongue]

It may feel good, but ice baths/cold plunges would tend to dilute many of the benefits you are looking for from training.  They reduce/negate the inflammation which is a natural (and necessary) part of the stress-recovery-adaptation cycle needed to drive and improve strength/performance gains.

 

For professional athletes looking to be able to display athletic performance, they can be extremely useful.  But for those who are training to get bigger, stronger, faster, etc., then there is a strong likelihood that cold plunges could limit your growth.

[Jason]

15 minutes ago, GoldenTongue said:

cold plunges could limit your growth

 

[DarkStar189]

10 hours ago, GoldenTongue said:

It may feel good, but ice baths/cold plunges would tend to dilute many of the benefits you are looking for from training.  They reduce/negate the inflammation which is a natural (and necessary) part of the stress-recovery-adaptation cycle needed to drive and improve strength/performance gains.

 

For professional athletes looking to be able to display athletic performance, they can be extremely useful.  But for those who are training to get bigger, stronger, faster, etc., then there is a strong likelihood that cold plunges could limit your growth.

Sounds like that makes sense.  At the moment I haven’t been doing much training or lifting. I’ve had some rough physical work days week to week. Mix that with knee pain caused by a recent Lyme disease diagnosis.  I’ve felt a lot of relief since starting the cold plunge.