The Cold Plunging Thread

[GolfSpy AFG]

Morning spies.  So you may have noticed an article I wrote appeared on the main site today concerning my own experiences with cold plunging, aka ice baths or cold water immersion.  If you haven’t seen it yet, here it is:  

https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/why-you-should-consider-cold-plunging/

I wanted to start this thread for multiple reasons.

1) yes, that’s me in the feature photo…here’s the safe space for @cnosil, @GolfSpy BOS and others to get their jokes in.

2) Answer any questions you might have or perhaps share your own experiences

3)  Get your feedback…am I off the deep end?  How crazy is this?

I try to avoid sensationalizing things so I tried to throttle back the enthusiasm a bit for the article, but I have to say, cold plunging has been truly life-changing for me.  It’s not the sole contributor but I’m in the midst of a pretty significant improvement in my overall health and cold plunging is a big part of it.

Ask away! (And if you do have comments on the article don’t be shy about commenting directly there…helps us writers, and helps the forum and main site.)

[cnosil]

17 minutes ago, GolfSpy AFG said:

 

1) yes, that’s me in the feature photo…here’s the safe space for @cnosil, @GolfSpy BOS and others to get their jokes in.

 

There are so many things going around in my head…but I will behave.  

[vandyland]

@GolfSpy AFG - were you a cold shower person before? I do contrast showers and cold showers but I imagine that is far less beneficial than cold plunging. 

[GolfSpy AFG]

1 hour ago, vandyland said:

@GolfSpy AFG - were you a cold shower person before? I do contrast showers and cold showers but I imagine that is far less beneficial than cold plunging. 

So when I’m traveling or for whatever reason can’t get near a cold plunge I’ll go for the cold shower, but in my experience it’s not cold enough and generally doesn’t have the same impact as full immersion.  It does work in terms of some feel good benefits an hour or so later, but in my experience not nearly as effectively.

[GolfSpy AFG]

@Kenny B, replying to your Good Morning Thread comment here rather than taking over that thread.  
I appreciate the feedback, and I’ll never disagree with talking to a doctor.  Not sure I’m in agreement on the spike in blood pressure though.  Sure, that happens in the very near term due to the vasoconstriction you mentioned, but it’s actually been suggested that in the long-term cold-plunging could lower blood pressure, potentially due to the perpetual mobilization of brown fat.

[Samuel09152]

This is SCREAMING "SAM GET ONE!!!" 

.... Amazong here I come! 

[vandyland]

I will practice by jumping in my neighbor's pool (it is 50 degrees today). He is almost never home anyway. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

So not a true cold plunge I did try this a little while ago via a cold shower after Hayes had been on his kick about this... It may have been the worst 45 seconds of my life. I was breathing so heavily and miserable during that time. Did it feel that much better afterwards? I don't remember ... I was too busy trying to warm up haha

In truth I know there are many benefits to it and it is something I may try to lean into a little more, but the cold shower is just killer. 

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

Tons of studies tons of benefits, in the end it still really sucks during!

Great article and look forward to seeing long term benefits Hayes! Want to get into this but didn’t bite the bullet over the winter, something about being 10* out getting into 34* water seemed extremely brutal….maybe when I can get it into a halfway warm room

[GolfSpy_KFT]

I haven't done any cold plunging since ice baths in high school during football two-a-days, but I do take cold showers weekly after hard treadmill sessions. I mainly do it to try and cool down as fast as possible because it's middle of the workday and I don't want to sweat my read end off the rest of the day, but I will say that I feel more revitalized after a cold shower than I do a warm one.

[SRI1982]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2cEKWHuLEx/?igsh=NHN3NzY5Y2EzeWc0

 

My Brother got me into cold plunging over the winter. 

 

I'm currently part of the Cold Shower Crew. Not as commited. 

 

Check out the link.

Edited March 27 by SRI1982

[SRI1982]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

So not a true cold plunge I did try this a little while ago via a cold shower after Hayes had been on his kick about this... It may have been the worst 45 seconds of my life. I was breathing so heavily and miserable during that time. Did it feel that much better afterwards? I don't remember ... I was too busy trying to warm up haha

In truth I know there are many benefits to it and it is something I may try to lean into a little more, but the cold shower is just killer. 

@GolfSpy_APH

The breathing part is super rough the first few times, it gets easier though. 

 

I started at 30 seconds now at 2:30. 

 

If you end up giving it another shot, it gets easier. 

 

[GolfSpy AFG]

@GolfSpy_APH@GolfSpy_KFTand @GolfSpy_SHARK, I appreciate the feedback and the attempts!

[TJ Hall]

I just appreciate the FJ glove on the left hand (not sure why that’s the only one that gets cold?) and the Titleist hat (since most heat is lost through the head anyways!)

I will occasionally swap the shower faucet to cold on hot days in an effort to cool down faster, but the initial hit of cold will rattle you.

[Mikey77]

I was a lifeguard in Myrtle Beach after two summers I had enough of water cold, hot, warm except for a shower after 18 holes, enough said. Good Evening folks.

[Rob Person]

I was a 25+ year member of the Polar bear club (Old Orchard beach. Maine) physiologists and cardiologists were always there to talk the benefits of RBTA, rapid body temperature alterations (and for safety reasons too)

I can say that rapid cold drops AFTER workouts,  strenuous labor, sports games, etc are beneficial to muscles and blood blood flow.

Do NOT do these if you are dehydrated, overheated , have heat exhaustion or heat stroke symptoms!!!

Things to be mindful of. If you are prone to blood clots,  take certain "statins", or have any kind of cardio issues, please seek out professional medical advice before attempting bath plunges!

If you want to know what this feels like very briefly, sit in a hot tub for 5 minutes , then immediately jump into a non-heated pool.

[cksurfdude]

Great article! But.. there's one important medical angle that wasn't discussed...

 

[Mr_BogeyPro]

When I have a few bucks, I would love to purchase one of these. A few questions:

1. Do you have to fill the pod up every morning?

2. How long did it take for you to get adjusted?

Thank you,

[tdroma98]

Great article @GolfSpy AFG!  I never thought about cold plunging.  After reading your article Tiger, JT & other golfers doing it, it's not just for football players.  

Cold plunging reminds me of the movie Vacation :

 

[GolfSpy AFG]

4 hours ago, Mr_BogeyPro said:

When I have a few bucks, I would love to purchase one of these. A few questions:

1. Do you have to fill the pod up every morning?

2. How long did it take for you to get adjusted?

Thank you,

There’s a picture in the article of the drain valve to empty the water out. I basically fill it, use it for 2-3 weeks, and then empty it, clean it out a bit, and refill it.

As for adjusting, that depends on what you mean by adjusting.  It’s still a shock every damn time, but I’m over the shock and settling in pretty quickly. Probably after 5-7 days of continuous use.

[GolfSpy AFG]

14 hours ago, Rob Person said:

I was a 25+ year member of the Polar bear club (Old Orchard beach. Maine) physiologists and cardiologists were always there to talk the benefits of RBTA, rapid body temperature alterations (and for safety reasons too)

I can say that rapid cold drops AFTER workouts,  strenuous labor, sports games, etc are beneficial to muscles and blood blood flow.

Do NOT do these if you are dehydrated, overheated , have heat exhaustion or heat stroke symptoms!!!

Things to be mindful of. If you are prone to blood clots,  take certain "statins", or have any kind of cardio issues, please seek out professional medical advice before attempting bath plunges!

If you want to know what this feels like very briefly, sit in a hot tub for 5 minutes , then immediately jump into a non-heated pool.

Not really with you there on the after workout thing.  If you’re doing cardio, sure, but if you’re strength-training and then cold-plunging all you’re doing is short-circuiting the inflammation.  That inflammation is necessary to trigger muscle repair and gains in size and strength. Cold plunging should be before weight-training, not after.  Plunge, VERY thorough warm-up, then lift.

[Mr_BogeyPro]

40 minutes ago, GolfSpy AFG said:

There’s a picture in the article of the drain valve to empty the water out. I basically fill it, use it for 2-3 weeks, and then empty it, clean it out a bit, and refill it.

As for adjusting, that depends on what you mean by adjusting.  It’s still a shock every damn time, but I’m over the shock and settling in pretty quickly. Probably after 5-7 days of continuous use.

Thank you! 

[StrokerAce]

16 hours ago, Rob Person said:

I was a 25+ year member of the Polar bear club (Old Orchard beach. Maine) physiologists and cardiologists were always there to talk the benefits of RBTA, rapid body temperature alterations (and for safety reasons too)

I can say that rapid cold drops AFTER workouts,  strenuous labor, sports games, etc are beneficial to muscles and blood blood flow.

Do NOT do these if you are dehydrated, overheated , have heat exhaustion or heat stroke symptoms!!!

Things to be mindful of. If you are prone to blood clots,  take certain "statins", or have any kind of cardio issues, please seek out professional medical advice before attempting bath plunges!

If you want to know what this feels like very briefly, sit in a hot tub for 5 minutes , then immediately jump into a non-heated pool.

is there an equivalent for the hot tub or sauna??

[Rob Person]

5 hours ago, GolfSpy AFG said:

Not really with you there on the after workout thing.  If you’re doing cardio, sure, but if you’re strength-training and then cold-plunging all you’re doing is short-circuiting the inflammation.  That inflammation is necessary to trigger muscle repair and gains in size and strength. Cold plunging should be before weight-training, not after.  Plunge, VERY thorough warm-up, then lift.

This definitrly is Not for weight training. More in line with high impact cardio workouts

[Rob Person]

3 hours ago, StrokerAce said:

is there an equivalent for the hot tub or sauna??

Next time you are at a hotel that has both, try it.  Otherwise a super hot shower followed by immediately jumping into a pool

[Northern Monkey]

Have to say that this sounds to me more like something the CIA use at Guantanamo

[Dead Solid Bogey]

1 hour ago, Northern Monkey said:

Have to say that this sounds to me more like something the CIA use at Guantanamo

Not sure of my metrics on this…. But this might be why 8 out every 10 Guantanamo detainees were /are single digit handicaps.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I’d be very afraid.

1) Such a shock could give me a heart attack. Not that I have a bad heart, but I’m no spring chicken.

2) I think I would choke on my golf balls.

3) Would I ever see them again? Or would the soft urethane cover turn into a surlyn cover?

All that comes to mind is the Seinfeld episode. 

[Shapotomous]

1 hour ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

I’d be very afraid.

1) Such a shock could give me a heart attack. Not that I have a bad heart, but I’m no spring chicken.

2) I think I would choke on my golf balls.

3) Would I ever see them again? Or would the soft urethane cover turn into a surlyn cover?

All that comes to mind is the Seinfeld episode. 

Tie a string to it, in case it makes like a turtle hiding in its shell you'll still be able to find it!!! 

My fear with the cold plunge would be a muscle spasm that would pinch every disc in my back and lock me up for weeks.  

 

 

 

 

[Rob Person]

9 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

Tie a string to it, in case it makes like a turtle hiding in its shell you'll still be able to find it!!! 

 

 

 

 

Bwahaha