TB Buccaneers Football Team Now Using Cryotherapy

Goodbye ice baths, hello cryotherapy! Tampa Bay Bucs are now one of only 3 teams in the NFL to have these post workout body therapy machines to save time on cool down. I hope it translates to better results on the playing field this season, but I am not getting my hopes up.

TBO.com
After any practice during training camp, players are lined up outside a converted storage room in the corner of a training area at One Buc Place. Inside are three silver cylinders, each 7 feet tall, with digital readouts and nitrogen gas spilling out from the top, suggesting perhaps time travel or maybe teleportation.
“It’s like you’re standing there in your boxer shorts with socks and gloves on and you walked outside in Green Bay, Wis., on the coldest day of the year for three minutes,” said Koetter, who has tried it himself.

The science behind it is that your body can’t process the idea of something that cold and rushes blood to your central organs in full survival mode. When a player steps out of the cold, the extremities are flushed with oxygen-rich blood to help with recovery.

So 150 seconds replaces what has long been 20 to 25 minutes in a “cold tub” of ice water, not necessarily a comfortable experience itself. Players must be dry — any water or sweat would freeze instantly, as would any jewelry worn inside. Players slowly rotate themselves in the cylinder, trying not to think about the temperature shown behind them in big, red numbers.

“You get a feeling like you can’t keep doing it,” tackle Gosder Cherilus said, barely a minute after such a session. “But as you keep going you realize it’s not that cold. They ask me to keep spinning, because you don’t want it to hit one spot. It’s a good way to take care of yourself.”

I would like to try these myself.

Ugh! I remember the much hated ice bath back in running days. That stuff got down into my bones and made them ache unbearably! It took forever to get to wear it didn't hurt anymore, and there were some days I just couldn't tolerate it. It felt like all the bones in my feet were grinding together. That was the worst season ever when I had those nasty shin splints and had to ice bath after practice every day.

I preferred the hard ice massage before hand and it wasn't pleasant either.

I can't imagine having to stand in one of those things.

I think they'd have to send someone to tackle me and stuff me inside.