Achieving the perfect balance between a strenuous training schedule and proper recovery is critical in getting the best performance results and maintaining competitiveness as an duathlete. I do a lot of running and cardio in the form of outdoor & indoor cycling and indoor rowing, so my legs get exhausted. Not to mention, I regularly participate in a number of races in a relatively short period of time. I discovered that whole body cryotherapy (WBC) is a potential method that can be used to help decease muscle aches and inflammation and speed up recovery.
For decades, immersing the entire body into an ice bath (also known as cold water immersion) has been popular among athletes. Nowadays, whole body cryotherapy offers all of the benefits of an ice bath in just 2-3 minutes in a more tolerable form. Professional athletes, such as LeBron James, Steph Curry, Usain Bolt, Mo Farah, and Floyd Mayweather have used cryotherapy as a treatment to decrease recovery time and increase athletic performance. As its popularity grows, more professional and amateur athletes are exploring doing cryotherapy on a regular basis because of its many benefits. Some of the athletic benefits of cryotherapy include:
Decreased muscle soreness
Reduction in pain & inflammation
Accelerated muscle repair
Decreased recovery time
Boosted energy
Cryotherapy is essentially a form of cold therapy. It works by exposing the body to freezing temperatures colder than -200 degrees Fahrenheit for about 2-3 minutes. This causes blood vessels to constrict so that blood flows towards the internal organs. This also decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. When the individual steps out of the cryotherapy chamber, the blood vessels dilate and nutrient-enriched blood flows back to the rest of the body.
I first tried whole body cryotherapy in 2018 before competing in the USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championships and I have had positive results from my experience. I noticed a reduction of pain, discomfort, and inflammation on my body, especially after hard workouts, as well as an instant boost of energy. In addition, when I work out following a cryotherapy session, my performance is typically higher than normal, and my recovery time is reduced. Overall, I feel more energized and refreshed after my sessions. Again, this is based on my experience with cryotherapy. Your experience and results may vary.
So, are there negatives to cryotherapy? For one, prices can reach up to $100 a session depending on your location, which is a lot to spend for a 2-3 minute process. This is significantly more than the cost of a few bags of ice and the convenience of your own bathtub. Also, research is inconclusive about the purported benefits of cryotherapy as a form of faster recovery or a means to improve performance. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even cautioned consumers against whole body cryotherapy in 2016, explaining that there was currently not enough research to encourage its use. Furthermore, individuals with certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart or lung disease, should probably avoid cryotherapy. If you have questions or concerns, I recommend that you talk to your doctor about cryotherapy before you start.
While the jury is still out regarding its usefulness, whole body cryotherapy is a growing method of recovery from strenuous physical activity on the body (if you can afford it). Cryotherapy is definitely a more tolerable and faster process for decreasing inflammation and improving recovery than a traditional ice bath. However, since scientific studies about the benefits of cryotherapy are inconclusive at best, it is always important to do your own research before making the decision to add it to your post-workout routine.
Further Reading:
Whole-body Cryotherapy as a Recovery Technique after Exercise: A Review of the Literature