Effects of whole-body cryotherapy on haematological values in athletes

Whole-body cryotherapy is a treatment used for various conditions, especially rheumatological disease.1 In sports medicine, whole-body cryotherapy is known to encourage recovery from muscular traumas, although well-controlled studies have not been published. The treatment is not dangerous for lung function2 and does not decrease antioxidant capacity.3 In whole-body cryotherapy, the subjects, wearing minimal clothing, are exposed to very cold air: a period of 30 seconds at –60°C and, later, a period of 2 minutes at –110°C. Despite the high cold …