Ice bath for runners — does cold water immersion actually help recovery, or is it just marketing hype? In this episode, I dig into the peer-reviewed research to find out and answer the questions every runner has but nobody seems to address.

For about 15 years, I thought I had ice baths figured out. Then in the span of a few months, I heard I might be doing them at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons — and that they might even be working against my own training. So I went looking for answers, and they were a lot harder to find than I expected.

This episode is one of the questions that made me start this podcast in the first place. Everybody talks about cold plunging and ice baths — but nobody seems to stop and answer the basic questions a runner actually has.

In this episode I cover:

• Is there even a difference between an ice bath and a cold plunge?

• Does cold water immersion really help with recovery?

• Will it kill your gains? (Spoiler: not for runners — and I explain why)

• When should you do it — in the morning, or after your run?

• How cold should the water be, and how long should you stay in?

• Do you need your whole body in, or are legs enough?

• How does cold compare to heat, contrast therapy, and active recovery?

I'm not a scientist or a doctor — I'm just a curious runner who can read and use the internet. I leaned on peer-reviewed studies for the facts and tried to translate what I found into something useful for runners of all levels, from beginner to marathoner.

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Until next time — Just Keep Running.

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Until Next Time: Just Keep Running