r/Nootropics • u/catacomvis • 16h ago
Discussion Ice bathing as powerful nootropic
Hello. I've watched Joe Rogan podcast, where he explains that ice bathing is one of the most powerful nootropicpics. What do you think? It really could be helpful for mental clearance and fight with anxiety. Plus as I understand it is much more effective than simple cold shower.
•
u/TheMadFlyentist 12h ago
By definition, ice bathing is not and cannot be a "nootropic" as that term refers to drugs/compounds, not activities. There is a large body of anecdotal evidence suggesting that ice bathing results in subjective (and temporary) mood/cognition enhancement. Actual objective data is lacking, but that's pretty standard for all nootropics anyway.
Two things to note:
- Ice bathing is extremely reliable at inducing cardiac arrythmia, even in healthy people, although generally these arrythmias resolve without issue. If you have heart issues (diagnosed or family history) then it's probably not a good idea.
- Joe Rogan is a genuine moron and you should not take any health advice from him. Occasionally he will have reputable scientists/doctors, but he also platforms a ton of quacks, and his own opinions are influenced by some of the worst minds in the health industry.
•
u/CurvySexretLady 11h ago
Which podcast episode was it and who was the guest?
I learned of it from when he had Wimhoff on the show, he's someone that promotes not only ice bathing, but also breathing meditation for improved health with his Wimhoff Method: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/breathing-techniques
•
u/zen_flix 13h ago
I agree, it is extremely powerful. I personnaly use it during heavy stims comedowns : it resets my brain in express. But any "painful" activity (like a long intense run for ex) usually resets the dopaminergic pathways quite well.. playing with the pain VS pleasure balance ☯️
•
•
u/faykenghey 14h ago
It is great. Gets me revved up and always feel amazing after. Also I used to get so sore after working out and had a lot of pain in general from over use injuries. Cold tub combined with sauna, barely have any pain ever anymore. It really does wonders for inflammation. Helped me overcome adderall withdrawal too. I still use stims but addy causes such gnarly receptor down regulation compared to the others its much harder to quit or take breaks from it. Also if you combine cold tub with nootropics like semax and acd856, it seems to be synergistic too.
•
u/ubiquitouslifestyle 13h ago
I’m sorry but Adderall does not have more receptor down regulation than other stims. Anything increasing dopamine is eventually going to desensitize those receptors. I do agree that sauna/cold plunge would do wonders for the body in that “withdraw-esque” state. (Stims don’t cause withdrawal technically).
•
u/faykenghey 12h ago
Disagree here a tad because amphs are releasers and uptake inhibitors. More mild stims aren’t releasers, they are just uptake inhibitors. My experience with amphs was total worthlessness on days I didn’t take them. Cold tub helped get that dopamine flowing. I can easily take MPH multiple days and then not take it the next day and still actually function. Everyone is different tho so your experience could be totally the opposite. I might just have crappy baseline dopamine compared to someone else I dunno. I tried amphs on like 5 different stretches of time both addy, dex, lisdex. Experience was always the same. If I didn’t take on the weekends too, I wasn’t going to do squat that day
•
u/Griffincanon 15h ago
Yes it is. I do take cold plunges 3 times a day and it helps with muscle recovery and is quite powerful.
•
u/Andthentherewasbacon 15h ago
Nah. I've tried it. It's mostly cold. Plus, it cuts down inflammation, which is the thing that makes makes grow. So if you have a big game tomorrow and need to function sure, but day to day all you're doing is making yourself heal slower. Better to just rest and eat sell.
•
u/Hallahrian 13h ago
Heal slower? It makes you heal faster you even said it cuts down inflammation. I feel like you're getting confused with muscle building? If thats what you meant then you'd be correct but otherwise I'm not sure what you're talking about.
•
u/Andthentherewasbacon 12h ago
Yes that's what I meant. Heal worse not slower.
•
u/Hallahrian 12h ago
It doesn't make you heal worse it just reduces inflammation so doesn't allow as much time for muscles to grow. Also reduces blood flow to the muscles.
•
•
u/AutoModerator 16h ago
Beginner's Guide
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
•
u/No_Bath6716 12h ago
I 100% agree. It helps tremendously with anxiety and focus. ( it increases your baseline dopamine for the day) Spend at least 2 min ideally 3 min in the water
•
•
u/clon3man 8h ago
its not a magic cure for everyone's situation. People should try it, especially the lite verisons like putting your face in ice water to trigger the vagus nerve and instantly calm down without hating it so much