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Plunge Pools?

  • 20-02-2007 11:25am
    #1
    Sleepy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭


    While skiing last week, our hotel had a lovely leisure centre with sauna, steam-room, hot-tub, pool and something which was quite new to me: a plunge pool.

    I'm convinced that taking advantage of this facility greatly improved my muscle recovery rates this year while skiing (compared to last year where we had no such facility) and have taken quite a shine to using the plunge-pool after a sauna rather than irritating little cold showers as found in most Irish gyms.

    With the boost in fitness from spending a week on the slopes I'm looking into joining a gym again (I had just been going sporadically to the 'pay as you go' leisure centre in Monkstown but the pool is always *way* too busy to use comfortably there). I tried out the WestWood in Leopardstown and while I thought the facilities seemed excellent, the sales staff didn't seem interested in anything except getting my signature and the prices seemed a little steep tbh.

    Can anyone recommend a south-side gym with a plunge pool/sauna combination? Or indeed, I'd be curious to hear other's opinions on the benefits (or even lack thereof) of these pools?


Comments

  • #2
    Guvnor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 448 ✭✭Guvnor


    Total Fitness in Sandyford would be your best bet.
    Plunge pools are very good - although sometimes you find the water is not quite as cold as it could/should be which defeats the purpose.


  • #3
    davyjose
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,287 ✭✭✭davyjose


    Yes I was In Berlin recently and the hotel Gym had a plunge pool. I used it after working out as I've heard Ice Baths are very good for muscle fatigue. Anyone ever use an ice bath? Any good?


  • #4
    GreenHorn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 369 ✭✭GreenHorn


    davyjose wrote:
    Yes I was In Berlin recently and the hotel Gym had a plunge pool. I used it after working out as I've heard Ice Baths are very good for muscle fatigue. Anyone ever use an ice bath? Any good?

    Ice Baths are fantastic. You feel so well recovered after them. They have them out in Citywest every now and then - usually Tue or Thurs is a god bet as they take them out for the local football team who all go there.

    They're a god send after a tough workout - although, as mentioned, at times they're not as cold as they should be.


  • #5
    quozl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,308 ✭✭✭quozl


    I do home-made ice-baths after runs 17+ miles. Stick on a fleece, get a cup of tea and freeze your bollocks off while chunks of ice float by. I honestly think it helps though it's a hard thing to say for sure as you don't really know how you would have felt if you hadn't done it.

    Certainly a lot of top runners believe in them and ice is great for keeping down inflamation. 20 minutes is a reasonable minimum time for one I think.


  • #6
    GreeBo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,370 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    quozl wrote:
    20 minutes is a reasonable minimum time for one I think.
    A reasonable Maximum I would have said.
    Whenever you are icing for an injury its not recommended to ice over 15/20 mins


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  • #7
    quozl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,308 ✭✭✭quozl


    According to google it seems you're right :) I'll stick to 20 minutes and no more so in future. That's good news anyway!


  • #8
    thirtyfoot
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    Although loads of people use them, I never got any noticable benefit from them. As far as I'm aware there is no hard scientific evidence to suggest they improve recovery and prevent injury, but its a personal thing and if an ice bath makes someone feel recovered and refreshed then why not use them.


  • #9
    Leon11
    Closed Accounts Posts: 578 ✭✭✭Leon11


    when we use ice neaths it's usually 2/3 mins max and then a warm shower for a min x 4-6 depending on how ****ed you are, if your really stiff there a gift because imo they make your body loosen up, hard to describe your body just gains a sense of relaxation


  • #10
    MMM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭MMM


    AS far as i'm aware the theory behind alternating between ice bath and hot shower is as follows:
    By spending a minute or two in an ice bath your bady starts drawing blood in from the extremities (Legs and arms) to your core (chest and stomach) to keep your vital organs warm. This is a defense mechanism of the body and causes forstbiten toes in extreme cold. So after the ice bath a lot of the "dirty" blood filled with waste products from training get drawn into the vital organs and "cleaned".
    By next stepping into the hot shower the body releases fresh blood into the muscles of the extremities helping with recovery and regneration. Essentially the hot cold process acts as a pump to suck the "badness" out of the muscles in the legs and arms and replace it with fresh "clean" blood.
    Or so the theory goes...i find them useful in recovery after games anyways


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