The Influence of Single Whole-Body Cryostimulation on Cytokine Status and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers during Exhaustive Physical Effort: A Crossover Study

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of single whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) preceding submaximal exercise on oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in professional, male athletes. The subjects (n = 32, age 25.2 ± 37) were exposed to low temperatures (−130 °C) in a cryochamber and then participated in 40 min of exercise (85% HRmax). Two weeks afterwards, the control exercise (without WBC) was performed. Blood samples were taken before the start of the study, immediately after the WBC procedure, after exercise preceded by WBC (WBC exercise) and after exercise without WBC. It has been shown that catalase activity after WBC exercise is lower in comparison with activity after control exercise. The interleukin 1β (IL-1-1β) level was higher after control exercise than after WBC exercise, after the WBC procedure and before the start of the study (p < 0.01). The WBC procedure interleukin 6 (IL-6) level was compared with the baseline level (p < 0.01). The level of Il-6 was higher both after WBC exercise and after control exercise compared with the level recorded after the WBC procedure (p < 0.05). Several significant correlations between the studied parameters were shown. In conclusion, the changes in the cytokine concentration in the athletes’ blood confirm that body exposition to extremely low temperatures before exercise could regulate the inflammatory reaction course and secretion of cytokines during exercise. A single session of WBC in the case of well-trained, male athletes does not significantly affect the level of oxidative stress indicators.

The Influence of Whole-Body Cryotherapy or Winter Swimming on the Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes

“…Moreover, it was confirmed that the enzymatic activity of erythrocytes measured after exercise preceded by exposure to extremely low temperatures was statistically significantly lower compared to that observed after control exercise. SOD and GPx activity was higher in erythrocytes when exercise was not preceded by cryostimulation [38].…”

“…Completely different but most commonly used WBC and CWS standard protocols are presented [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41].…”

The Effect of Physical Activity and Repeated Whole-Body Cryotherapy on the Expression of Modulators of the Inflammatory Response in Mononuclear Blood Cells among Young Men

“…A comprehensive analysis of WBC effects on muscle hypertrophy and anabolic processes is warranted [47]. Exploring novel strategies that incorporate WBC prior to exercise could reveal its timing-dependent efficacy in promoting muscle repair and growth [48]. Such strategies may also offer insights into how WBC could modulate mTOR kinase pathways, potentially priming the musculoskeletal system against exercise-induced stress [49].…”

Oxidative Stress and Skeletal Muscle Function

“…Using well-trained athletes, Jureka et al proved that a single WBC session effectively modulated the cytokine profile after intensive exercise. This may suggest that even a single exposure to very low temperatures may normalize the body’s inflammatory response to exercise [ 13 ]. This effect is statistically supported by the correlations between the level of cytokines and oxidative stress markers in the blood of these subjects, both after leaving the cryochamber and after the exercise preceded by WBC.…”

“…This could corroborate the relationship between ROS production and the modulation of the inflammatory response that normally occurs after vigorous exercise. This response, which can sometimes be negative on recovery from muscle damage, could be mitigated using this type of strategic approach [ 13 ].…”