What is Cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy is a blanket term for any type of “super-cooling” to the body. Applying an ice pack to a localized area to reduce inflammation is a form of cryotherapy. Whole body cryotherapy is a relatively new method of cooling the entire body by entering a chamber cooled to temperatures as low as -200°F to -300°F while wearing minimal clothing for two to four minutes. The whole body cryotherapy trend has exploded across the country, touted as a method of therapy able to decrease inflammation, help with muscle pain post exercise, and treat medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous whole body cryotherapy clinics claim it can be used to expedite weight loss – a claim that could create a multi-billion dollar industry if proven to be true. At an average cost of $70.00 per session, I would want to be absolutely sure the treatment will result in the weight loss I hoped for. Here’s a breakdown of the latest arguments both for and against using whole body cryotherapy for weight loss.
Position For Whole Body Cryotherapy
There are two main theories explaining why whole body cryotherapy can help expedite weight loss:
Shivering Theory
Shivering is a natural physiologic response to cold temperatures. Your muscles involuntarily contract repeatedly to generate heat with the goal of returning your internal body temperature back to homeostasis, or baseline. Shivering burns more calories than simply standing at rest, providing some basis for the thought that whole body cryotherapy can cause weight loss.
Non-Shivering Theory
A little background information is needed before getting into the non-shivering theory in support of whole body cryotherapy. There are two types of human fat: white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. White fat and brown fat serve opposite functions: white fat stores excess energy as triglycerides, and brown fat aids in the release of energy through the production of heat. The non-shivering theory claims that whole body cryotherapy can result in the conversion of white fat to brown fat. This process is regulated by the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Norepinephrine causes a release of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), which then results in an increase in mitochondria (the energy producing part of the cell). The production of more mitochondria in white fat causes a “browning effect” and increases overall metabolism.
Position Against Whole Body Cryotherapy for Weight Loss
The theories stated above are just theories, and they are ones very loosely based on science to boot. It’s important to note that all of the “evidence” supporting whole body cryotherapy as a weight loss method comes from cryotherapy websites. Let’s review some of the externally conducted research.
One study measured the fat and lean muscle mass before and after 10 cryotherapy session in 14 adult men. By the end of the 10th session, no significant changes in body composition were observed.
Another study found that 20 whole body cryotherapy sessions coupled with aerobic exercise also didn’t result in any significant changes in total body mass or body fat % in high level athletes.
In fact, none of the research on the therapeutic effect of whole body cryotherapy published from non-cryotherapy agencies, for weight loss or otherwise, has shown it to be effective. The FDA does not yet recognize whole body cryotherapy as a therapeutic method, stating “not a single WBC device has been cleared or approved by the agency in support of these claims.”
It’s probably not just the lack of research that is keeping the FDA from approving whole body cryotherapy as an approved therapy; it may also be the considerable safety risk associated with the practice. Unsurprisingly, there is a certain level of danger associated with submerging your body in -200°F temperatures for an extended period of time. Asphyxiation is a major concern, especially when liquid nitrogen is used for cooling. Whole body cryotherapy is often conducted in a very small room; if the amount of liquid nitrogen used considerably lowers the amount of oxygen in the room, the clients could experience hyperventilation or even loss of consciousness. Additionally, clients put themselves at risk of frostbite and major burns from the extreme temperatures if a mistake were to be made and they were left in the chamber for more than a few minutes. The effect that whole body cryotherapy has on heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolism is unknown at this point, and for that reason, people with heart conditions should be particularly wary.
Take-Aways
- Whole body cryotherapy is a relatively new trend that claims to expedite weight loss. There isn’t much research on the physiologic effect of regular whole body cryotherapy.
- At this point, the research seems to be inconclusive and does not support whole body cryotherapy as a weight loss method.
References:
Costello JT, Baker PRA, Minett GM, Bieuzen F, Stewart IB, Bleakley C. Whole-body cryotherapy (extreme cold air exposure) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD010789. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010789.pub2.
Filliard J, FARIA FC, Bieuzen F, et al P-12 The effects of the whole body cryotherapy on the body composition Br J Sports Med 2016;50:A38.
Paweł Sutkowy, Beata Augustyńska, Alina Woźniak, and Andrzej Rakowski, “Physical Exercise Combined with Whole-Body Cryotherapy in Evaluating the Level of Lipid Peroxidation Products and Other Oxidant Stress Indicators in Kayakers,” Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, vol. 2014, Article ID 402631, 7 pages, 2014.
https://nccih.nih.gov/node/10985
http://www.chillcryo.net/blog/cryotherapy-for-weight-and-fat-loss-how-it-works/