a b Andy Schmitz; USA Triathlon. "8 Ice Bath Dos and Don'ts". Active.com . Retrieved 2011-08-14. DO: Be aware that moving water is colder water.

Kelly JS, Bird E. Improved mood following a single immersion in cold water. Lifestyle Medicine. 2022;3(1). doi:10.1002/lim2.53 Yeung SS, Ting KH, Hon M, et al. Effects of cold water immersion on muscle oxygenation during repeated bouts of fatiguing exercise. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(1):e2455. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000002455 Since I began leveraging ice bathing, I’ve noticed a dramatic improvement in an important sleep metric that most people don’t pay much attention to: wake after sleep onset (WASO), which is the time I spend awake after falling asleep. In addition to that psychological boost, there’s also a biological aspect to cold plunging’s mood-altering benefits: the process triggers the release of endorphins and other neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine.Then there is the research that Dr Susanna Søberg, scientist and founder of the Soeberg Institute and the 'Thermalist Approach', has done on the metabolic effects of cold and heat exposure. While duration can often be seen as an indicator of progress, that isn't necessarily the case with cold water immersion. Dr Susanna Søberg says that low doses are all you need to reap the benefits and cautions that, 'at some point, you have to stop yourself and say, now I have almost crossed the line in terms of how much health I can get out of this.' Allan R, Malone J, Alexander J, et al. Cold for centuries: a brief history of cryotherapies to improve health, injury and post-exercise recovery. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2022;122(5):1153-1162. doi:10.1007/s00421-022-04915-5 However, once you get out of the cold water, your blood vessels dilate, thus triggering increased blood flow to the muscle tissue in your extremities and skin. Stephen Mirarchi (September 2006). "Owner's Manual: Chill Out: Better recovery with ice baths". Running Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-05-22 . Retrieved 2011-08-14. ... First, immersion allows controlled, even constriction around all muscles, effectively closing microscopic damage that cannot be felt and numbing the pain that can. ...

If the Cold Plunge is out of your price range, a less expensive option is the Ice Barrel, which serves the same purpose but requires more preparation (e.g., you have to manually fill it up with ice) and maintenance (because it doesn’t have a filtration system). And if you need something that’s portable, TheraFrost is a high-quality inflatable ice bath.Comprehensive muscle recovery is more about the efficiency of the entire recovery process. Studies show that ice baths can improve muscle function and aid in the repair of muscle tissue after strenuous physical activity. White GE, Wells GD (2013). "Cold-water immersion and other forms of cryotherapy: physiological changes potentially affecting recovery from high-intensity exercise". Extreme Physiology & Medicine. 2 (1): 26. doi: 10.1186/2046-7648-2-26. PMC 3766664. PMID 24004719. {{ cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI ( link) Early morning plunge. If I had a bad night and don’t feel super energetic, I just jump into my cold plunge to get a jolt of energy that lasts several hours. The relationship between cold exposure and mental health is complex and varies from person to person. Consider your mental health history and speak with your healthcare provider when deciding if ice baths are a suitable addition to your training. For ice bath newcomers, reserving their use for after extremely intense workouts is a great place to start. This will help you gauge the effectiveness of this recovery method when you might need its potential benefits the most. Ease into It