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Cryotherapy, Emma E. Bedell

Student Publications

Rest and recovery are vital for athletes to give their bodies time to repair and strengthen between workouts. Whole-body cryotherapy involves exposing the body to vapors that reach ultra-low temperatures, ranging from -200°F to -300°F. There are several possible beneficial mechanisms from whole-body cryotherapy that support a fast recovery such as muscle temperature decrease, reduction in muscle damage, reduction in inflammation, reduction in heart rate and cardiac output, peripheral vasoconstriction, reduction in peripheral edema formation, and pain-relieving effects. This paper dissects the adaptations cryotherapy provides in athletic recovery, and additionally notes some draw backs of this cooling technique.