I’ve already written a blog on the many benefits of cold therapy http://www.my360lifestyle.com/the-cold-never-bothered-me-anyway-november-30-day-challenge/ but who doesn’t want to experience the physical feeling of being chilled to -140degrees C in a confined cylindrical cryotherapy chamber? Maybe it’s just me. Ok, so this is what happened this morning.

It’s not just about mentally preparing yourself to deal with the coldest you have ever been and more. Cryotherapy benefits include: increasing your energy, burning more calories, reducing inflammation, improving skin conditions, healing injuries, improving sleep, improving immunity, alleviating post workout muscle pain, increasing testosterone levels, increasing serotonin, boosting circulation and the ability to contribute to slowing down the ageing of our cells, as well as being used to treat or alleviate a number of medical conditions. The research behind it is still inconclusive but in the name of improving on my own biology, and being able to write from a personal perspective, I wanted to give it a try.

Cryotherapy has been around a long time (first introduced in Japan in the 1970’s to treat rheumatoid arthritis) but has only just recently gained in popularity among the general population as a way to improve on their everyday health. Some people have even had cryotherapy systems installed in their homes (and they don’t come cheap).

Living here in Switzerland we know what it’s like to be cold in the winter but -140degrees C?! How can the body even withstand temperatures like that? I may originate from the North of England but I still don’t like the cold and am always the first to put my heated car seats on. Having said that, this is not my first experience of experimenting with the cold as when I was doing the research for the blog The cold never bothered me anyway, I did a 30 day cold shower challenge, and just this week I voluntarily stood for five minutes up to my neck in freezing cold water in a cold plunge pool. So although it does sound really unappealing, how bad could this be?

  

We arrived (I say we, because I managed to convince two friends that this was a great way to spend a Saturday morning) at 8.45am this morning at the Swiss Cryotherapy Centre  and were prepped for the session by putting on our robes, socks and some very oversized ‘Swiss’ looking slippers. Once we had filled in a detailed medical questionnaire, we were good to go.

There was only one chamber available at the facility we went to, so the next question was ‘who’s going to go first?’ I could envisage a game of ‘rock, paper, scissors’ to decide but there was no need as my friend, who seemed to be the most apprehensive of the three of us, had no hesitation in nominating herself.

Watching her remain calm and composed for the full three minutes of exposure to freezing cold temperatures was definitely reassuring and actually made me feel a bit silly that I’d even been apprehensive about the whole experience. Seeing the liquid nitrogen in the form of a white vapour rise up from the chamber with just her head sticking out looked like something you would see in a science fiction film and I couldn’t resist taking a few pictures.

Then it was my turn. I put on the gloves, took off my robe and climbed into the chamber. So your head doesn’t get exposed to the freezing cold the assistant raises or lowers the platform you stand on to be at the correct height. I then stood there and braced myself for arctic conditions to envelop my bikini clad body.

My first thoughts were ‘it’s actually not so bad’ and I definitely expected it to feel colder. It’s also a different kind of cold. The shock is far less sudden and it wasn’t as paralysingly cold as the plunge pool earlier in the week. It was more of a numbness and only when the three minutes were up did my left hand begin to freeze.

When it was over I was almost disappointed that it hadn’t been colder and more unbearable. That may sound like a crazy thing to say but it was the same as when I finish a workout and think ‘that was too easy’ or ‘I could have worked harder”. But with exercise and training it doesn’t always have to be that way to gain the multitude of benefits exercise brings. In fact, less is more in many cases.  So maybe the same can be said for this morning.

Shortly after the session was over, even before getting dressed, I did feel a warm tingling feeling all over. It wasn’t as intense as the sudden rush of warmth I got after getting out of the plunge pool but it was definitely evident. Apparently, the effects are different for every person. Some have a real surge of energy shortly afterwards whereas others feel quite lethargic. When I got home about an hour later I was so hungry, and this felt quite unusual, although the claim that each session is responsible for an extra 800 calorie burn seems a bit far fetched to me.  Maybe it did boost my metabolism and panic my hunger hormones into action.

I intend on having two treatments a week over the next few weeks, as this is what is recommended to be the most beneficial.  At least I won’t be losing any sleep worrying about the next one which is ironic as this is something cryotherapy claims to improve on. I think a lot of the benefits are all in the science of what’s going on inside the body and I guess that’s the part that intrigues me but also the part that is difficult to quantify.

So what do I conclude from todays trial? It’s too early to say after only one session but from all the research I’ve done, it does seem that greater effects can be achieved with iced baths.  But from my experience in the cold plunge pool on Wednesday and the cryotherapy this morning I know which one I would choose.

Frequently asked questions about cryotherapy

How does it work?
Common sense would tell you that standing in temperatures of -140degrees C would turn you into a block of ice and really can’t be a good thing for your body. However, the temperature only affects your skin’s surface as the liquid nitrogen used as the chilling agent only penetrates the skin to a depth of 0.5mm keeping tissue, muscle and internal organs protected. The thermo-receptors on the skin surface send electrical impulses to the brain to make it think you are freezing and this sends the body into defence mode by quickly transporting the body’s blood and nutrients to the organs in the core. During this process the body starts to oxygenate the blood, flushing it of toxins and lactic acid. When the session is over your body starts to return to normal by increasing blood flow back to the extremities. This blood is now enriched with oxygen, collagen, endorphins and other essential nutrients.

Is it safe?
Whole Body Cryotherapy has been researched and used throughout the world for over three decades. There is a trained assistant with you during the treatment and they can control the temperature or reduce the time you spend in the chamber.  It is very well tolerated but should be avoided by certain people (see below)

Who should not use cryotherapy?
Most people can do a cryotherapy session but those who cannot are listed here:
Anyone who has a pacemaker, hypertension, deep vein thrombosis, high blood pressure, coronary disease, acute or recent myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, uncontrolled seizures, bleeding disorders, open wounds, circulatory disorders, Raynaud’s disease, is allergic to the cold or anyone who is pregnant.
If you are unsure about whether you have any risk, you should first ask your Dr.

Maybe this is out of context, but it’s the ‘coolest’ thing I’ve ever done.

Let me know about your experiences with Whole Body Cryotherapy.

Contact me: bex@my360lifestyle.com