Description: Cryo-sauna is emerging as a popular method to help the body to recover and relieve pains after hard sports training, learn what it entails, and also what to expect.
You may have worked out hard and now your body needs to recover. How do you do it? Do you rush for that protein shake as a way of helping your body rebuild the muscles or do you take up the relaxing yoga to get rid of the body tightness? These are techniques that athletes have used for ages and they are known to work. Thanks to technology alternative ways to help the body recover are emerging. Cryo-sauna, according to the latest report, is almost overtaking traditional sports massage as a therapy. Although the two aims at helping the body recover after a hard workout, they are based on totally different approaches. Sports massage is for people who prefer an environment where heat rises to eighty-eight degrees but cryo-sauna blasts an athlete with cold air to the levels of -120 degrees. In this article, we will be looking at Cryo-sauna as an alternative to recovery after sports training.
What is a cryo-sauna?
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Cryo-sauna is meant to provide athletes with relief after sports training. Some regard it as an alternative to ice baths since it involves subjecting the body to extremely low temperatures. The nitrogen-cooled Cryo-sauna is the most preferred by athletes as its low temperatures help them relieve pain and help the muscles to recover after sports performance training.
Benefits of cryo-sauna
Sitting or standing in a cold chamber may seem unusual especially when it is meant to lead us to recovery after hard training. However, this trend is gaining popularity. Athletes including the self-proclaimed “Iceman” Wim Hof, a motivational speaker and extreme athlete who is popular for his ability to withstand extremely low temperatures have popularized the cryo-sauna, promoting it as an alternative body recovery technique. Research on cryotherapy is still ongoing, so what may have been presented as the benefits may at times be disputed by doctors. What we present here are potential benefits as they have not been fully proven, but those who have experienced it claim that they have seen real benefits.
The next time you are searching for sports training near me, know that preliminary studies have shown that this alternative body recovery method may have some benefits and also poses some risks and therefore may not be recommended to all. In terms of pain relief and muscle healing, cryo-sauna is said to promote faster healing of injuries. Your doctor may have recommended the use of an ice pack on injured muscles, it is the same concept here. The idea is to increase blood circulation once the ice pack is removed leading to faster healing and pain relief. Two studies, one done in 2000 and another in 2017 found that cryo-sauna helped rheumatoid arthritis patients get temporary relief from pain. However, in a study in 2015 where four papers were reviewed, cryotherapy was found to offer little help in muscle recovery.
Weight loss
For those looking to lose weight following a refresh-cryo-sauna, you may get a little bit disappointed as the therapy alone may not give the desired results. However, all is not lost as experts have said it could help the process as cold forces your body to work harder for it to stay warmer and therefore some calories may be shed.
Preparation for cryo-sauna
Even with doubts which have been cast on this body recovery therapy, some athletes have found it effective after hard sports training. So how does one prepare for a cryo-sauna experience? As part of the preparation, you will be required to undergo some medical checkups where your vitals are taken to establish readiness for the exercise. Once you pass the medical checkup, you will be required to disrobe, remove all the jewelry and metals on the body. You will also be provided with a kit containing the following:
- Face masks
- Earmuffs
- Hat
- Mittens
- Long socks, and
- Booties
These items are meant to protect the vulnerable parts of your body to ensure that the benefits of the exercise are maximized as well as optimize the enjoyment of cryotherapy. Before the therapy starts, a technician will take you through what to expect.
Once you are ready, you can enter the sauna and get what those who have done it call a blissful therapeutic experience. During the process, the body gradually reduces its temperature which it adapts to the cold therapy. It gets three times more oxygen with blood being drawn into your core helping in the protection of vital organs, increasing metabolism, and other health-benefiting changes. You are encouraged to make a slight movement; this is meant to help you lose count of time and also to keep warm. For real benefits, cryotherapy specialists recommend several sessions.
Increased interest in cryo-sauna shows that many athletes and even non-athletes are adopting it as an alternative body recovery and pain relief therapy. It might not work immediately but there is evidence that it may help in speeding the recovery period and your body will be more relaxed after the session.
