Why Cold is Good! Benefits of Whole Body Cryotherapy

Have you ever experienced the effect that freezing cold weather conditions have on your skin? If you have, you may also remember the rejuvenating and firming effect which followed, and in some cases led to the very healthy looking glow of rosy cheeks, a result of your blood vessels responding to the cold. It's this response your body has to cold temperatures which has led to countless studies which indicate that your body's exposure to cold has multiple health benefits. It's almost like your body goes into survival mode when exposed to these low temperatures. Hence why for many years, athletes have resorted to ice baths and other forms of subjecting their bodies to extreme cold, in order to aid in the treatment of various injuries and improve their athletic performance. Cryotherapy has also been a secret of the Hollywood elite for many years, for its rejuvenating, anti-ageing and weight loss benefits.

Whole Body Cryotherapy is a new form of treatment which exposes the body to sub-zero temperatures over a short period of time, resulting in multiple health benefits. It stimulates the production of anti-inflammatory proteins and stimulates collagen production in the skin. Professional athletes who have used ice baths in the past discovered WBC as a more powerful and effective method to decrease recovery time and increase athletic performance. 

With WBC the body is exposed to temperatures of -90 to -115 C. The client stands in a cryogenic chamber for a short duration of 1.5-3 minutes, which lowers the client's skin surface temperature significantly and stimulates receptors. During the 1.5-3 min session, the average skin temperature drops to 10 °C (50 °F), while the coldest skin temperature can be 0 °C (32 °F). The core body temperature remains unchanged throughout the process, however, it may drop slightly afterwards. The treatment is typically followed by some light exercise.

In recent years with Cryotherapy emerging as something of a buzz word in the sports and medical world, sports stars have been utilising Whole Body Cryotherapy as a fast and effective method of treatment. Sports organisations such as the UFC, NFL and NBA have invested heavily in Cryotherapy machines, and stars such as Padraig Harrington and Cristiano Ronaldo have machines in their own homes.   

Pictured Above: Stephen Quinn and Shane Long, part of the Ireland Euro 2016 squad who used Whole Body Cryotherapy at South William Clinic & Spa before and after their fixtures.

CRYOTHERAPY VIDEOS

Australian rugby players using a Cryo Chamber

Hollywood's Icy Secret

 Cryotherapy on Dr. Oz

 Cryotherapy with the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills