Whole-body cryotherapy
Two to three minutes standing in a chamber cooled by liquid nitrogen vapor
Nitrogen-cooled air at somewhere between minus 100 and minus 150 degrees Celsius, for two to three minutes, standing in a chamber with your head out or fully enclosed. Gloves, socks, a hat and often a mask stay on, because exposed skin is the limiting factor. Athletes and actors book it after training for the reasons people use ice baths: it feels good afterwards, soreness eases, sleep comes more easily. Controlled evidence for muscle recovery is mixed and the effect is short-lived, so it sits alongside a training program rather than replacing anything in it. Studios in most cities sell sessions, at a price well above a cold plunge at home.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Mark WahlbergDoes it
Actor and producer · The 2:30 a.m. daily routine
Told Ellen DeGeneres in 2018 that he uses a cryo chamber that drops to 150 degrees below zero after workouts, three minutes at a time in a mask, gloves, socks and a hat. He said it takes the inflammation out and helps him sleep.
Source: Entertainment Tonight: Mark Wahlberg Reveals His Fitness Routine Includes a 150 Degrees Below Zero Cryo Chamber“I'm telling you, it is great for recovery, and it just takes all the inflammation out of your body, it helps you sleep good”
Entertainment Tonight: Mark Wahlberg Reveals His Fitness Routine Includes a 150 Degrees Below Zero Cryo Chamber (opens in a new tab) · 5 Sep 2018
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness or sleep.
- Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
WHOOP
Screenless wrist strap tracking strain, recovery and sleep
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Apple Watch
Apple's wrist computer for activity, sleep and notifications
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Apple Watch Ultra
Apple's biggest watch: titanium case, brighter screen, more than a day of battery
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - App$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Centr
Chris Hemsworth's training, nutrition and meditation app, built with his own team
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Respiratory rate tracking
Watching overnight breathing rate as an early fatigue and illness signal
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance training
Lifting weights 2-4 times a week to build and hold muscle
On record from 43 of 62 tracked people: 37 do it, 4 recommend it, 2 have discussed it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.