Estimate calories burned and calories per minute during a cold plunge using body weight, duration, water temperature, and shivering level.
Cold Plunge Calorie Burn Formula
Use the following formula to calculate calories burned during a cold plunge.
Calories Burned = BW * M * F * 0.0175
- BW = body weight in kilograms
- M = minutes in the water
- F = cold plunge factor
The basic calculator uses a typical cold plunge factor of 3.5. Advanced mode changes the factor based on water temperature and shivering level.
What Is a Cold Plunge?
A cold plunge is a short immersion in cold water, commonly around 37 to 59°F or 3 to 15°C. Most sessions last 2 to 15 minutes, and calorie burn rises as body weight, exposure time, and cold intensity increase.
How to Calculate Calories Burned During a Cold Plunge
- Enter your body weight.
- Enter your cold plunge duration in minutes.
- Use Basic mode for a typical plunge, or Advanced mode to add water temperature and shivering level.
- Multiply body weight in kilograms by minutes, the cold plunge factor, and 0.0175.
Typical Cold Plunge Calories
The values below use the basic calculator’s typical cold plunge setting.
| Body Weight | 5 Minutes | 10 Minutes | 15 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 lb | 21 kcal | 42 kcal | 63 kcal |
| 180 lb | 25 kcal | 50 kcal | 75 kcal |
| 200 lb | 28 kcal | 56 kcal | 83 kcal |
Example Calculation
For a 180 lb person doing a 10-minute cold plunge in Basic mode:
Calories Burned = 81.6 * 10 * 3.5 * 0.0175 = 50.0 kcal
That works out to about 5 calories per minute during the session.
