MosesHallEnforcer said:

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I would have to vehemently disagree with you on the cold plunge. It's one of my favorite things to do. End the the day I rotate between the sauna and cold plunge for about 15min/5min for 3 rounds. It makes a noticeable difference in my sleep, recovery and jacks up metabolism. Plus the endorphin rush is incredible and relaxing.

I have never had anyone do a few rounds of sauna and cold plunge with me and not been blown away.

The science is there for cold plunge and sauna. Rhonda Patrick has a bunch on it and there's a Danish lady that studies cold swimming and sauna. Reduced risk of heart disease, all cause mortality, dementia drastically. Fat loss, mood, sleep and it goes on and on.

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Actually not arguing that at all. It can have benefits. BUT, it all depends on your goal. If you came to me to get bigger and stronger, given the body of literature out there, I would recommend not doing doing cold therapies as it shows that it limits metabolite accumulation in muscle that send the signals for muscle growth. ie it limits the cascades that signal muscle growth in almost every study done on it. See Dr. Brad Shoenfeld for this as he gives a great explanation and oversaw much of the research on this. But, that doesn't mean you won't grow. It likely limits the growth potential overall to a certain degree. So, do it if you like it. But if you value or need muscle growth over the other benefits, skip the cold. Do the sauna.

MosesHallEnforcer said:

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Also your study about cold plunge reducing hypertrophy response after training was around 20 minutes straight in sub 50 degree cold 2 hours or less after training. Plus the effect was so minimal that it wouldn't matter unless you were a competitive body builder.

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And that's the thing. If you wait, I think Shoenfeld recommends 24 hours after training, but id have to go recheck that. It might be more like 6-8.

And that is also a great point. Hence the reason I saoid it depends on your goal. I wouldn't b/c I do not want any possibility that i do not get the full dose response from each training session. I train to maintain or growth muscle, depending on what stage I am in regarding my training. But, I would not worry too much if I did a cold bath every once in a while either. Like, its not Kryptonite to me, lol. But to some, the cold plunge benefits over all mean a lot more and in that sense, I support it. I think the key is this, are you cold plunging and progressing in the gym as well to your liking? then continue. If you notice a drop off in performance, then consider dropping it after other concerns have been accounted for (fatigue manegement that is training related, sleep, nutrition, stress etc).

My only issue with it is that I feel cold plunging should not be prescribed as a fatigue management tool for muscle recovery if muscle growth (and likely strength as well) is your goal. If you like the other benefits, fine. But, if muscle growth is you focus and you are using cold plunges as a recovery aide, you probably shouldn't and just use rest and netflix, as they say....

1997aggies said:

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Has anyone here been through a fast lasting multiple days? If so, how was your experience with it and would you recommend it?

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Questions for you?

- Do you eat processed foods with sugar?
- Do you drink coffee?
- Do you drink sugary soda drinks?

I ask, because fasting from these foods will put your body into withdrawals. You definitely should get off these or greatly limit them IMHO.

Good luck.

I usually do a week fast before Thanksgiving. So, I am pretty familiar with longer fasts.

cpscAG06 said:

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1997aggies said:

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Has anyone here been through a fast lasting multiple days? If so, how was your experience with it and would you recommend it?

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Questions for you?

- Do you eat processed foods with sugar?
- Do you drink coffee?
- Do you drink sugary soda drinks?

I ask, because fasting from these foods will put your body into withdrawals. You definitely should get off these or greatly limit them IMHO.

Good luck.

I usually do a week fast before Thanksgiving. So, I am pretty familiar with longer fasts.

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I argue coffee is fine, if black or with a non sugar sweetener. But, ya, cut out the processed fatty/sugary foods, stop drinking sugary drinks and eat a balanced, healthy diet with a focus on getting enough protein per body weight and limiting carbs and fats if it meets you particular goals, and you are fine. Right there, you health improves almost infinitely. Add resistance training with some cardio or steps, and you're doing great.

Again, it's a slow game. No need to lose 50 lbs in 2-3 weeks, and it isn't even realistic for most, outside of a POW or concentration camp. Seriously. It ain't healthy outside of certain special cases. I feel the OP's wife's office mate likely didn't get an accurate read on his supposed weight loss. But, maybe the person lost a good portion of water weight and then some fat and muscle. Still, the more realistic number likely was 15lbs at most.

While I still don't have the confidence in my ability to fast for multiple days I have used this thread as inspiration to go back to intermittent fasting which helped me lose weight in the past. I generally stick with an eating schedule between 8:00 am - 2:00 pm. It's a lot easier to manage my hunger if I don't eat at the end of the day. If I eat late then I wake up starving, if I don't eat then it's not that bad in the morning. I stick with higher amounts of protein and fats and keep the carbs to a minimum which helps me stay full for longer. Keeping the carbs to a minimum also helps me keep my energy levels up, especially after lunch.