Aug 10, 2018
Simple Cold-Water Immersion

Cold-water immersion is recommended by organizations such as the NATA and the Mayo Clinic for rapid cooling of athletes, but most institutions rely on a logistically difficult system of large immersion tubs requiring up to 300 gallons of water and ice. The Polar Life Pod® was introduced three years ago as an effective alternative to this method. The pod requires only 40 to 80 gallons of water (four to eight Gatorade-type containers) and is packed in a convenient and transportable 10 pound gym bag, making it the only commercially available, on-demand, rapid, full-body water immersion device that can quickly be set up to use wherever and whenever needed.

The Polar Life Pod® is made out of heavy–duty PVC with a full-length two-way zipper and is capable of fitting any sized athlete, all the way up to seven feet and 400 lbs. It utilizes a dual drawstring hood that allows for full body, neck and partial-head water coverage of the athlete while minimizing water leakage, which is not possible using a large tub. A floating head-support helps to safely elevate the athlete’s head. The Polar Life Pod® also has arm ports with sleeves which allow athletes to extend their arms outside of the Pod to give health professionals access to the arm. In addition, there is an attached thermometer bag and access port midway down the Polar Life Pod®, which allows access for monitoring the athlete’s temperature.

The large tanks and tubs that are often recommended to achieve near full body immersion are not portable, can be difficult to set up, are difficult to keep cold all day, and require huge amounts of ice. Additionally, most sites set up a tub at one central location requiring the athlete to be transported to the tub and then lifted into it. This adds time and complicates the process. Other portable methods such as tarps cannot come close to achieving near full-body immersion safely. Because they are not designed for the purpose of immersion cooling, it can be difficult for even trained professionals to use them effectively or safely.

Visit www.polarlifepod.com




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