You don’t have to be an elite athlete to know that exercise and achy muscles go hand in hand. Most people are familiar with the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) experienced a day or two after a workout. In fact, it is fear of DOMS that keeps many people from working out in the first place.
Now imagine being an elite athlete, pushing your body to its max, day after day, during training and competition. Leading up to and throughout the Olympic season especially, there is little down time for muscle recovery.
In the past, massage, hot tubs and ice baths were popular remedies for overworked muscles. But in recent years, technology has changed all that, ushering in a new approach to muscle recovery: Cryotherapy!
How Cryotherapy Promotes Recovery
You do not get to be an elite Olympian without hard work, and with only fractions of seconds standing between silver and gold, every training aid helps. Perhaps that is why the NFL, MBA, US Olympics and other athletic organizations are investing in Cryochambers for their athletes.
Using liquid nitrogen vapor, a single-person cryochamber is cooled to lower that -200° F. With hands and feet covered to avoid frostbite, the athlete stands in the chamber for three long minutes while their superficial body tissues drop to near freezing. Blood vessels constrict, shunting blood, cellular waste, toxins and inflammatory fluids to the viscera. There, blood picks up extra oxygen and nutrients, while inflammation and toxins are eliminated by the lymph and kidneys.
Upon exiting the chamber, as their body begins to warm, the athlete experiences a rush of euphoria as endorphins are released en masse. Enriched blood begins to return to the surface as blood vessels dilate. Because inflammation of damaged muscle cells is thought to be the primary cause of DOMS, athletes experience less post-exercise muscle pain and stiffness with regular cryotherapy sessions.
What Olympians Say About Cryotherapy
British track star Mo Farah is a huge fan of cryotherapy, using the treatment routinely for post-race recovery. Bahamian female track athlete Ty Gaither shares Farah’s enthusiasm for the treatment, calling it her “lifeline.” Both athletes sing the praises of cryotherapy for faster recovery and improved performance.
Olympic marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein reports reduced fatigue and soreness after a whole body cryotherapy session, and Olympic medalist Jarrin Solomon believes so much in cryotherapy, he started his own cryotherapy business!
In addition to warding off DOMS, cryotherapy is effective treatment for soft tissue injuries and metabolic conditions like arthritis. Regular cryotherapy users report better skin, improved mood and more energy.
Cryotherapy for Everyone in NYC
You don’t have to be a star athlete to enjoy the benefits of cryotherapy. Actors, dancers and fitness enthusiasts enjoy cryotherapy for its performance-boosting and pain-reducing properties. As the cryo-craze grows, whole body cryotherapy is available almost everywhere.
InVita Cryo NYC in the heart of SoHo offers whole body, localized and facial cryotherapy. Schedule your session today, and be sure to ask about our growing menu of other treatments to enhance your active lifestyle.
