The Effect of Whole-Body Cryostimulation in Healthy Adults: Whole-Body Cryostimulation According to Gender and Smoking Status

Abstract

Introduction: Whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) refers to the therapeutic application of extremely cold dry air for a short period of time. The method has beneficial results in various diseases as well as the recovery of athletes. The effects of WBC in healthy individuals have not been extensively investigated. Purpose: We aim to explore differences in the effects of WBC on blood pressure (BP), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and heart rate (HR) in healthy adults (not athletes) as well as differences according to gender and smoking status. Materials and Methods: Fifty adults (male/female: 32/18) smokers/nonsmokers: 26/24) were included in the study. WBC was performed in a cryochamber at −85 °C for 3 min. Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), HR, and SpO2 were measured before and immediately after WBC. Results: Males and females differed significantly in SBP after WBC (138.1 ± 13.0 vs 128.5 ± 17.0 mmHg, respectively, p = 0.029), SpO2 after WBC (96.6 ± 1.8 vs 98.3 ± 1.5%, respectively, p = 0.001) and HR after WBC (60.1 ± 9.6 vs 70.2 ± 7.7 bpm, respectively, p < 0.001). In males, SpO2 remained unchanged before and after WBC, whereas in women SpO2 increased by 1.0 ± 1.4% (p = 0.038) (Table 2). HR after WBC displayed a downward trend by −9.8 ± 5.9% in males compared to an upward trend by 3.6 ± 15.1 in females (p < 0.001). Nonsmokers displayed higher increase in SBP after WBC (4.3 ± 9.0% in smokers compared to 13.3 ± 13.2% in nonsmokers, p = 0.007). Smokers presented an increase by 1.0 ± 1.6% in SpO2, while in nonsmokers, SpO2 decreased by 0.8 ± 2.1% following WBC (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Our results suggest that WBC affects the cardiovascular and the respiratory system differently in males versus females and smokers versus nonsmokers. More studies are needed in order to fully explore the effects of WBC in these population groups in order to design individualized treatment protocols. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.