How whole-body cryotherapy can help your fitness regime, explained

From LeBron James to Michael Phelps to Floyd Mayweather, there are a number of professional athletes that rely on whole-body cryo­therapy to soothe sore muscles and speed up workout recovery. Just like an ice bath, this treatment uses sub-zero temperatures to benefit users with muscle healing and offers mind-blowing benefits.

If your goal is to dull muscle pain or ache after a tough workout, cryotherapy is the way to go! However, if you are looking for something that can help your muscles grow stronger, then whole-body cryotherapy is not your cup of tea. Let’s dive deeper into this post and find out how cryotherapy can benefit your fitness regime.

Whole-body cryotherapy in a nutshell

While it is a kind of cold therapy that has its roots in historical practices in Scandinavia and Russia, cryotherapy is a modern treatment offered at wellness clinics. With the incorporation of modern technologies, it has become better than ever, allowing users to benefit from cold temperatures. Here’s a quick explanation of how cryotherapy works…

When a patient enters a cryotherapy chamber, he/she is typically exposed to a chilling agent, generally liquid nitrogen or argon gas. This agent rapidly cools down the surface level temperature of the patient, which is often greater than -150°F. This happens when the body comes into action and detects the temperature change.

Instantly, a survival instinct kicks in and the blood vessels start to contract near the surface tissues. As a result, the body releases endorphins that are feel-good anti-depression neurochemicals. At the same time, inflammation reduces throughout the body. This is because of the intense cold temperature. After a few minutes in a cryotherapy chamber the patient can leave and warm-up progressively. Blood flow will start returning to the extremities and surface-level tissues, which will bring in nutrients from the centre of the body to those tissues.

5 ways cryotherapy can assist your fitness regime

Over the past few years, cryotherapy has been getting a lot of attention in the health and wellness industry. Why not? It offers lots of noteworthy offers. Now that you know what cryotherapy is and how it works, let’s figure out how it can benefit your fitness regime.

Increased metabolism

By lowering your body temperature, cryotherapy transports the blood around the body, increasing the overall metabolism and calorie expenditure. The therapy may also stimulate the production of brown adipose fat, which is “good fat”. It may lead to a leaner body mass.

Healthy sleep

Healthy sleep can’t be underestimated, especially in today’s hectic world. This is where cryotherapy can help you get a good sleep. It is a great way to boost dopamine levels that improve the duration and quality of sleep.

Reduced inflammation

It is known that inflammation can hinder the healing process. Whole-body cryotherapy can also reduce inflammation and restore the functional capacity of muscles, especially after a heavy workout. By slowing down the cellular metabolism, the therapy also inhibits cellular damage and promotes healing.

Boosted energy

When you workout before a cryotherapy session, it will give you greater energy and recovery. This is because of the reduction in inflammation. On the other hand, if you choose to workout after cryotherapy, you may experience a higher pain tolerance and greater energy.

Nutrients and oxygen

When exposed to extreme cold, your body will maintain blood in the core region. This will protect the vital organs. As soon as the cold temperature is removed, the heart will pump blood back to the extremities and redistribute much-needed nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.

Final thoughts

Because whole-body cryotherapy exposes your body to extremely cold temperatures, attempting to perform a cryotherapy session yourself can lead to hypothermia or other side effects. Thus, make sure you undergo whole-body cryotherapy at licensed clinics like Celsius Cryotherapy, where patients are observed the entire time, so they don’t spend too long in the cryotherapy chamber. Still have more questions about the cryotherapy chamber?

Feel free to contact us today and ask one of our wellness specialists for more information.