Cryo Applications- Although electric cryotherapy chambers are becoming increasingly popular, there is still a lot of confusion about the benefits you can expect from using cryo chambers on a regular basis. There are countless benefits of electric cryotherapy, but below are some specific benefits you can expect from regular use of cryotherapy.
1. reduce fat/boost metabolism
You have been shown to have more brown fat when you work in colder temperatures or outdoors. In a Nature Journal Scientific report, it was shown that our cells produce certain types of fats called brown fats at lower temperatures. The frosty weather then activates brown fats, which in turn break down blood sugar and fat molecules to generate heat to maintain your body temperature. In addition, the activated brown fats lead to various metabolic changes in the body. Brown fats are essentially white fat dense with ochondria, and as few as 10 consecutive cryotherapy sessions can increase the number of your mitochondria by about 38%. A higher metabolism helps burn calories at rest to stay warm in cold temperatures and helps reserve energy for a fight or flight situation.
When you are repeatedly exposed to colder temperatures, your metabolism is boosted as your body tries to warm up. Boosting metabolism is also how babies regulate their body temperature, since they don’t yet have the muscles to shiver themselves warm. Over time, as your metabolism increases, your body burns more calories at rest and during activity. When you combine all this with the fresh feeling you have right after cryotherapy, you will be inclined to exercise even though you have already lost fat.
2. cryo applications Less inflammation
As we mentioned in one of our previous articles on the vagus nerve, stimulation of this nerve by the presence of tumor necrosis factor helps prevent inflammation. This alerts the brain and releases anti-inflammatory neurotransmitters that regulate the body’s immune response. One study found that patients who received whole-body cold therapy (WBC) had significantly less rheumatoid arthritis compared to patients who received physical therapy alone. Cryotherapy reduces the inflammatory process by decreasing macrophage infiltration and accumulation of key inflammatory markers. That is why the best athletes in the world and prestigious sports clubs resort to cryotherapy as one of the most important methods of recovery. Since these benefits are achieved by stimulating the vagus nerve, we go into more detail in our article on the effect of cryotherapy on the vagus nerve.
3. cryo applications prevention of dementia
The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is a major cause of disability and mortality in the aging population. Vascular changes, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses have been found to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. It has been shown that these aspects of the disease can also be influenced by cryotherapy.
In studies of patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, cryotherapy has been shown to reduce the oxidative stress that occurs during the development of dementia. Due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of cryostimulation, as well as hormonal and lipid changes, they may play a role in preventing pathophysiological processes leading to dementia.
In addition, inflammatory cytokines are released during WBC. They cross the blood-brain barrier, which reduces chronic inflammation in the brain. Clinical studies of patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis have shown that they had a statistically significant increase in total antioxidant status after 10 cryotherapy sessions (Miller 2010). Thus, because of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of low temperatures, as well as the hormonal and lipid changes they induce, WBCs may play an important role in preventing or inhibiting processes leading to dementia.
4. cryo applications reduction of anxiety and depression.
In a small 2008 study, patients with depression and anxiety were subdivided. The study group in this experiment was treated with 15 routine visits to the cryotherapy chamber plus standard psychopharmacotherapy. After three weeks, the groups’ outcomes were measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Hamilton’s Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS). Although a larger sample needs to be tested, the results of this experiment suggest that patients taking WBC had lower scores in the HDRS and HARS. Another aspect of cold exposure is the release of endorphins and natural adrenaline in our bodies. This gets our blood pumping, which can be helpful for people with anxiety and depression. Hence the euphoric feeling after leaving the session.
Studies conducted in Poland using WBC as an adjunctive therapy for depressive and anxiety disorders showed greater improvement in the group exposed to WBC compared to a group not treated with it. The endorphins released, combined with the sleep-promoting effects that contribute to natural sleep, suggest that repeated cryotherapy can have an immense and positive impact on our mental health. After a session, people have experienced deep feelings of euphoria and an energy high that lasts for hours.
5. cryo applications treatment of migraine headaches.
Cold therapy for headaches has been known for 150 years. Migraine affects millions of people around the world. In a University of Hawai’i study, participants’ carotid arteries were treated with cold therapy to relieve migraines. The results of this study showed that the pain of participants with migraine headaches treated with cold therapy decreased significantly compared to the control group. Stimulating the neck during cold therapy can help numb nerves and significantly reduce migraine pain. The cooling and anesthesia can help constrict blood vessels, which in turn reduces neurotransmission to the brain. A headache solution that has evolved from using ice with salt to a precise and effective method is cryotherapy.
6. cryo applications Younger looking skin
Cryotherapy sessions promote collagen building, which helps the skin reduce visible lines and wrinkles. Increasing collagen also helps improve skin volume and elasticity, while reducing pore size and promoting smooth skin. The increase in collagen also helps to restore the visibility of cellulite and fat deposits under the skin. WBC works by stimulating cell growth and renewal, which in turn rejuvenates the entire body, resulting in younger looking and repaired skin that may have been previously damaged.
When blood flows from the center of the body back to the extremities after a session, the rejuvenated blood brings nutrients, antioxidants and oxygen back to the entire body. This increased circulation can help improve skin tone, reduce dark circles under the eyes, and promote the growth of hair and fingernails.
