Whole body cryotherapy can be a daunting thought: submerging your entire body into a
massive chamber at temperatures below zero degrees Celsius
At first you might be hesitant. After all, who in their right mind would expose their body to such extreme cold?
Well, believe it or not, that’s exactly what some world-class elite athletes and health-
conscious people are doing all around the world.
Whole body cryotherapy, first developed in 1978, involves stepping into a cryotherapy
chamber and experiencing temperatures of between -110°C and -141°C through using liquid
hydrogen (don’t worry – it’s non-toxic).
You’ll only stay in there for three minutes (not enough for your core body temperature to
drop), but the potential health benefits you can take advantage of are definitely worth that
cold.
So if you’re wondering what happens after whole body cryotherapy, or just what
cryotherapy does to your body, you’re not the only one. Below, we’ll outline what can
happen after hopping into a chamber at subzero temperature.
Decreased inflammation and toxins
After whole body cryotherapy, you’ll enjoy a reduction in inflammation across your body.
Just like putting ice on an injury, cryotherapy will constrict your blood vessels and thereby
reduce your blood pressure. The result, of course, is lower swelling.
You’ll experience some short term relief, but you may also reap the long-term rewards of
norepinephrine (a compound stimulating an anti-inflammatory response, released by the
cryo treatment).
Improved mood
If you’re experiencing stress, anxiety or depression, cryotherapy has the potential to be an
effective alternative to traditional antidepressant medication
That’s because during cryo, endorphins (those ‘feel good’ chemicals in your body) will
release into your bloodstream. Not only does this help you lower the pain in your body but
boost your mood to get you feel great physically and mentally.
Better sleep
Cryotherapy can also improve the quality of your sleep – similarly to how the treatment can
put you in a better mood.
An increase in norepinephrine (a natural chemical in the body acting as a stress hormone)
and a simultaneous decrease in cortisol (a natural steroid hormone) occurring after whole
body cryotherapy can help you support your sleep wake cycle, thereby helping you go to
sleep easier.
Increased white blood cell production
After submerging yourself into a chamber, cryotherapy can produce a massive response in
your immune system. The level of white blood cells in your body can climb sharply, resulting
in lower inflammation and overall improved quality of your immune system.
Cryotherapy may also improve the levels of leptin in your body (a protein made in fat cells),
also connected to your body’s immune system. Leptin is the compound that informs your
brain that you have energy sufficiency (meaning you can burn energy in your body at a
normal rate).
Muscle and joint improvement
Submerging your body in subzero temperatures can significantly help people with joint and
muscle recovery (such as if you’re experiencing exercise-induced muscle damage or
soreness). This is because, once again, the treatment constricts blood vessels and help
reduce the breaking down of tissue, thereby reducing blood flow and swelling.
For this reason, whole body cryo is very popular amongst professional athletes and
celebrities around the world. The famous boxer Floyd Mayweather is known to undertake
the therapy on a regular basis. Many also have daily sessions for ongoing treatment.
The added bonus with cryo is that, after the treatment, you can get to exercising pretty
much straight away. Cryo doesn’t reduce your core body temperature, and only your tissue.
So there’s no need to wait a while to help your muscles to recover from the freezing cold
temperatures (unlike your traditional ice bath).
Increased collagen
After a cryo session, you’ll notice that the level of collagen in your body may increase.
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in your body responsible for building strong joints,
skin, hair and cartilage.
Because cryo slows down what’s called the “collagenase” (an enzyme that breaks down
collagen), the obvious result is increased collagen. The result isn’t just good for your joints. It
also has a wonderful anti-aging effect as it can help you reduce your wrinkles and overall
rejuvenate your skin.
Reduced toxins
Cryo is also known to reduce the level of toxins in your body, your vessels constrict from the
subzero temperatures.
After the therapy, when nutrient-filled blood returns to your body, it doesn’t contain any
toxins and so your body tissue is overall enriched with healthy enzymes and muscle
oxygenation. The result is reduced inflammation and younger looking skin.
Keen to try whole body cryotherapy in Sydney?
If you’re considering whole body cryotherapy treatment in Sydney, there’s no better place
to start than at Cryospa Clinics.
We’re located in northern Sydney, and home to a range of rejuvenating alternative
treatments to get your body feeling great.
Get in touch with our friendly team here at our day spa, and we can help you understand
the beneficial effects of our treatment if you’re still wondering what happens to your body
after whole body cryotherapy.
While cryotherapy may improve the symptoms of medical conditions you may have, the
treatment is not designed to cure diseases. Always speak with a doctor before undergoing
cryotherapy or any other treatment at Cryospa Clinics
