Whole-Body Cryotherapy in Athletes: From Therapy to Stimulation. An Updated Review of the Literature

Abstract

Nowadays, whole-body cryotherapy is a medical physical treatment widely used in sports medicine. Recovery from injuries (e.g., trauma, overuse) and after-season recovery are the main purposes for application. However, the most recent studies confirmed the anti-inflammatory, anti-analgesic, and anti-oxidant effects of this therapy by highlighting the underlying physiological responses. In addition to its therapeutic effects, whole-body cryotherapy has been demonstrated to be a preventive strategy against the deleterious effects of exercise-induced inflammation and soreness. Novel findings have stressed the importance of fat mass on cooling effectiveness and of the starting fitness level on the final result. Exposure to the cryotherapy somehow mimics exercise, since it affects myokines expression in an exercise-like fashion, thus opening another possible window on the therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. From a biochemical point of view, whole-body cryotherapy not always induces appreciable modifications, but the final clinical output (in terms of pain, soreness, stress, and post-exercise recovery) is very often improved compared to either the starting condition or the untreated matched group. Also, the number and the frequency of sessions that should be applied in order to obtain the best therapeutic results have been deeply investigated in the last years. In this article, we reviewed the most recent literature, from 2010 until present, in order to give the most updated insight into this therapeutic strategy, whose rapidly increasing use is not always based on scientific assumptions and safety standards.

Effects of whole-body cryotherapy on 25-hydroxyvitamin D, irisin, myostatin, and interleukin-6 levels in healthy young men of different fitness levels

“…Cryotherapy has also been shown to play a preventative role against the harmful effects of inflammation and pain caused by exercise 6 . Lombardi et al 6 noted that WBC does not always lead to beneficial biochemical changes; however, it may improve the final clinical status of the individual by reducing the pain experienced during post-exercise recovery.Most of the research conducted on WBC focuses on the acute effects of single or repeated exposure to WBC treatment in athletes. There is little data on the length of time that the physiological effects of WBC are maintained.…”

“…Cryotherapy has also been shown to play a preventative role against the harmful effects of inflammation and pain caused by exercise 6 . Lombardi et al 6 noted that WBC does not always lead to beneficial biochemical changes; however, it may improve the final clinical status of the individual by reducing the pain experienced during post-exercise recovery.…”

Trasformation of Erythrocytes in Young and Old Rats’ Blood After the Whole Body Cryostimulation

“…Кріостимуляція всього тіла (аерокріотерапія) останніми роками знайшла широке застосування в спортивній і відновлювальній медицині, проте її використання не завжди є безпечним і основаним на даних фундаментальних досліджень, як і обґрунтованість кількості і частоти сеансів впливу [1]. До того ж показано, що місцеве використання льоду або занурення у холодну воду надають зрівняного з кріотерапією, яка дорого коштує, фізіологічного і клінічного ефекту [2,3].…”

“…До того ж показано, що місцеве використання льоду або занурення у холодну воду надають зрівняного з кріотерапією, яка дорого коштує, фізіологічного і клінічного ефекту [2,3]. Сеанс кріотерапії складається з короткочасних впливів, що проводяться в спеціальній кріокамері, де температура повітря підтримується у діапазоні від -60 до -160 °С і зазвичай триває 2-3 хв (10-20 процедур) [1,2,4]. Відомо, що холодові впливи сприяють активації системи терморегуляції, а їх повторне застосування прискорює адаптацію організму до холоду.…”

Transient global amnesia following a whole-body cryotherapy session

“…However, the same review added that ‘a small number of studies that did not report any positive effects should, however, not be neglected’ 4. Furthermore, most of the studies are of low quality, consisting of a lot of bias (no double-blinded studies, for example), using small groups of patients and a population of mainly young male patients 3 4 7.…”