Changes in lipid profile in response to three different protocols of whole-body cryostimulation treatments

Abstract

a b s t r a c tSystemic cryostimulation is useful treatment, both in sport and medicine, during which human body is exposed to very low, cryogenic temperature (below À100°C). Although there exists some evidence of its beneficial effect in biological regeneration, so far it has not been unequivocally determined if the positive effect of repeated stimulations depends on their number in a series. The aim of this research was to estimate the influence of 5, 10 and 20 sessions of 3 min-long exposures to cryogenic temperature (À130°C) on the lipid profile in physically active men. Sixty-nine healthy volunteers participated in the study. The blood samples were taken in the morning, after overnight fasting, before the first cryostimulation session, and the following morning after the last one (5th,10th, 20th).In serum specimens the concentration of total cholesterol (TCh), HDL cholesterol and triglicerydes were determined using enzymatic methods. LDL cholesterol level was calculated using Friedewald formula. The changes in lipid profile (LDL decrease with simultaneously HDL increase) occurred after at least 10 sessions of cryostimulation.Ó 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. IntroductionWhole-body cryostimulation in a cryogenic chamber uses very low temperatures (ranging from À100 to À160°C) over a short time span (1-3 min) to induce systemic physiological responses. It is based on the heat exchange between surfaces with different temperatures [30]. Heat is absorbed by cooled surface tissues from deeper situated tissues at the rate proportional to their difference in temperature.A desired response to a systemic effect of cryogenic temperatures (below À100°C) is a hyperaemic reaction (rebound effect), stimulatory in character. Exposure in cryogenic chamber, under a supervision of a physician and in compliance to commonly accepted rules concerning cryostimulation, is not harmful or dangerous to healthy individuals, although there exist several contraindications. Banfi et al. reported that whole-body cryotherapy is not deleterious to cardiac function in healthy individuals [1]. Documented analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioedematous action reduces increased muscle tension and therefore cryotherapy has been increasingly often applied in sport and medicine, in combination with additional forms of treatment [13,14,25,34,36].It is postulated that cryostimulation mobilizes the white blood cells, particularly immunocompetent lymphocytes [4,15,21,22]. The effect on red blood cells has not been positively confirmed. Banfi et al. did not observe changes in the level of hematocrit, whereas red blood cells and mean corpuscular hemoglobin decreased after 5 cryostimulation sessions [2,3]. On the contrary, significant increase in erythrocytes count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit value and the mean corpuscular value (MCV) were reported by Stanek et al. [33].It is unclear how repeated cryostimulation influences the level of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. There is a report of increased anti-inflammatory cy...

Changes in blood pressure with compensatory heart rate decrease and in the level of aerobic capacity in response to repeated whole-body cryostimulation in normotensive, young and physically active men

“…Each cryostimulation session lasted 3 min. The duration of each session and the temperature of the cold chamber were similar to our previous studies [6,7,11,21], and similar to the prevalent practice. Glasses, contact lenses and all jewelry were removed before the participants entered the chamber.…”

“…Literature describes a number of changes occurring in the body after exposure to cold. Usually, the changes concern the endocrine system [3,4,], the immunological system [3][4][5][6] lipid profile [7], and hematological values [8][9][10]. The impact of cryostimulation on the level of physical fitness remains considerably unexplored, both in relation to the components of aerobic and anaerobic capacity.…”

Does whole-body cryotherapy improve vertical jump recovery following a high-intensity exercise bout?

“…WBC consists of exposure to very cold air (−110°C to 195°C) for 2–4 minutes 7. The claims made about the benefit of WBC to human performance are based on positive effect on hematological profile8 and the antioxidant system,9 improved lipid profile (low-density lipoprotein decrease and high-density lipoprotein increase),10 and increased immunity 9. These beneficial responses have reasoned the use of WBC as a recovery strategy following different sports activities 7…”

Thermogenic adipocytes promote HDL turnover and reverse cholesterol transport

“…Dyslipidemia in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, which have lower thermogenic adipocyte activity than healthy subjects140, is characterized by high plasma TG and low plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations41. Interestingly, repeated cryostimulation in humans has been described to lower plasma TG while increasing plasma HDL-cholesterol levels42. Likewise, the expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) in human epicardial fat is associated with lower plasma TG and higher plasma HDL-cholesterol levels43.…”