Anybody know if one exists? My swimming pool is down to 53 degrees and was wondering if that’s cold enough. Also, anybody know if there is a temperature where is to cold and considered a little dangerous for frostbite?
I was told by three PT’s that you want to soak thebody part in water under 40 degrees and when you lose feeling in the body part or it turns bright red, you take it out. For me it’s 10 mins on, 10 off, repeated three times. Of course I’m sadist too, but it works.
Bob
I was told by three PT’s that you want to soak the leg in water under 40 degrees and when you loose feeling in the body part or it turns bright red, you take it out. For me it’s 10 mins on, 10 off, repeated three times. Of course I’m sadist too, but it works.
Bob
Yep. I had that in college. They filled a bucket with ice, poured water into it, and in went the foot.
John
I just load up the bathtub with water out of the cold spigot. 15 minutes while occasionally moving the water around. The legs always feel better afterwards, but I can’t say if it’s “optimal.”
OMG, 30 minutes of icing?
I can barely stand 10…
I am not sure what the optimum temperature is, all I know is what I was told to do. I get in my bath tub, put in enough water to cover my legs. Then I pour 3 to 4 10 lb bags of ice into the tub and scream like a little girl.
I remain in the water for 20 minutes.
It is great after a long workout.
Yeah, the first 10 aren’t too bad…the second 10 suck…And the last 10 are pretty much torture. But, it helps with injuries, so…
Bob
I was told by someone who did a short internship at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs that 50 degrees is ideal and what they set the cold whirlpools at. Never below 48 or above 53, something like that. She said there definitely is a point where the water is “too cold” to reduce swelling effectively. It may also be that 20 minutes at 50 degrees is better and more tolerable than 10 minutes at 40 … I also know frostbite only occurs close to freezing or below: Your blood becomes like a slurpie and it expands, moves less and causes damage.
Still in awe.
I’ve been such a wimp when it comes to ice baths lately, I ran long yesterday, rinsed off in the shower and went to a 30 min yoga class, thinking “okay, I’ll do yoga then go home and get in the ice bath.” Nope, just could not bear the thought of that cold water. When I can talk myself into it they do help but it’s so cold in ME right now that the idea of an ice bath is completely uninviting.
I’m less of a wimp in the summer - live on an island and we just go in the ocean after a run, right up to your hips. The tourists think it’s funny, sometimes I find sand dollars and starfish, THAT is fun.
Alright, I stopped being a wimp, second day in a row of ice bathing. Not so bad once you get past the initial cold.
Ran XC in college. After practice, went to training room and sat chin high in a tub of 50 degree water for 10-20min. Was told to never go below 50 degrees. You could set your watch by the amount of time it took for your toes to cramp and then go numb–90 seconds for most of us. After the first couple minutes, it wasn’t bad at all. just read a magazine and think warm thoughts. only fell asleep once 
I don’t really get it, without using something other than water, how do you get an ice bath that is not within a few degrees of 0 C or 32 F?
I mean if it has ICE in it, won’t it drop to that temperature provided the ice remains in significant proportion to the amount of water and enough time for some stability to be reached?
-SD
depends on how much ice you have in it I think
I fill the tub up so the water will be up to my hips, then put a couple of trays of ice in it. There’s not enough ice in mine, then, to make it 32*.
there is not really an "ideal temperature,"don’t quote me on this and i’m too lazy to go look it up right now. As I recall from my PT textbook on modalities that you start to derive the most therapeutic benefit from ice baths when the water is below 55 degrees or in that ballpark. The colder it is the less time people can and should tolerate. It stands to reason if you can get as much benefit from 15 minutes at 54 degrees than 45 degrees then go with the 54. It’s slightly more comfortable and just as effective. Numb is numb.
Yeah, the first 10 aren’t too bad…the second 10 suck…And the last 10 are pretty much torture. But, it helps with injuries, so…
Bob
Helps with prevention or helps with treatment of?..
-SD
That sounds about right…your lower half will go numb in exactly 2 and a half minutes…seriously I used to be an avid icer.
Sorry, I probably wasn’t clear enough…Both prevention and treatment.
When I broke my ankle (avulsion fracture) seven weeks ago, ice baths were recommended for therapy on the ankle.
But, if you look at Ryan Hall, Meb K, and Josh Cox’s trainign videos from Mammoth, they used cold stream (38 degrees) baths after long runs to control inflammation and aid in recovery. I think they did it daily.
Bob
Ps- Now Dave about this new Felt Da mentioned in Velonews…
there is not really an "ideal temperature,"don’t quote me on this and i’m too lazy to go look it up right now. As I recall from my PT textbook on modalities that you start to derive the most therapeutic benefit from ice baths when the water is below 55 degrees or in that ballpark. The colder it is the less time people can and should tolerate. It stands to reason if you can get as much benefit from 15 minutes at 54 degrees than 45 degrees then go with the 54. It’s slightly more comfortable and just as effective. Numb is numb.
You answered what I have already found out. Why go colder when it doesn’t help much? My swimming pool is an ice bath for the winter. I posted this on other boards and got some interesting answers. I would hate for some of these people to have been my high school coach.
Yea well as we know there are a lot of people on here that like to expound personal theories based on little more scientific reason than HTFU. This is a shining example. Unfortunately some of these people or there equals may have been you high school coach. As I said numb is numb and anyone that has spent time in 54 degree water knows it’s freaking cold and you will get the desired response from it. Someone said 40 degrees…That’s ridiculous. We’re trying to decrease inflammation or pain with ice baths, not cause frostbite.
A well mixed solution of two different phases will be at the equilibrium temperature of those phases.
So yes, a well mixed solution of ice and water will necessarily be at 32 F.
But the “well mixed” part is a big if, it’s pretty easy to see how a bucket or bathtub may not be well mixed.