Cryotherapy for Weight Loss

Studies show that Cryotherapy helps to promote weight loss as the cold temperatures force the body to work harder to stay warm. This, therefore, increases your metabolic weight. However, Cryotherapy alone does not necessarily help you lose weight, there are other elements such as diet and fitness that factor into weight loss. 

As you’re exposed to whole body cryotherapy, the body and brain’s natural reaction is to protect internal organs, meaning blood circulation is prioritised towards our core. Blood still goes to our periphery (arms and legs) however, after several seconds of exposure, you will feel the cold on your arms and legs. This is because our blood vessels constrict to restrict the blood flow to that area. As this happens, our heart rate reduces and over the three minutes, it may be considerably lower than at the start. After the 3 minutes, and when you step ut f the chamber, our body and brain’s reaction is to get the periphery warm. Therefore, blood flow is increased, as blood vessels dilate to allow the increased rate of blood flow. Heart rate also increases, and, because of this, our body goes into a state of thermogenesis. This is where the body heats up at a higher rate than normal, utilising more energy (calories) to withstand the body’s demand. As you burn more calories, there is the potential for weight loss to occur. 

Research has also found that Cryotherapy helps the body to recover quicker after exercise and can reduce the effect of ROS (reactive oxygen species) that can lead to inflammation and weight gain over time. 

Moreover, as Cryotherapy is said to help soothe muscle pain and soreness, this can contribute to weight loss as it makes it easier for people to exercise. 

Weight loss in menopausal women - Wiecek et al, 2020- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7563463/ - Whole-body cryotherapy, assuming the application of 20 treatments in the series, reduces abdominal obesity in menopausal women indirectly through the secretion of irisin and IL-6. This can be used as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Our conclusion is limited to menopausal women with low–moderate physical activity for whose level, as well as diet, were not changed during the treatment. 

Weight loss in diabetic patients - Loap et al, 2017 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobe/2018/5789647/  - These findings argue that cold-induced thermogenesis (“cryothermogenesis”) rather than adipocyte disruption underlies the reduction in Adipose Tissue volume, raising the prospect that more intensive cryotherapy may be a viable option for combating obesity and overweight. 

*Disclaimer, Flow Recovery is not claiming that Cryotherapy definitely promotes this, this is based on any scientific research we have accumulated. Everyone’s experience may differ.*