Whole-Body Cryostimulation - Potential Beneficial Treatment for Improving Antioxidant Capacity in Healthy Men - Significance of the Number of Sessions

Abstract

It is claimed that WBC (whole-body cryotherapy) enhances the resistance of the human body, also thanks to the beneficial effect on the antioxidant system. Accordingly, this research aimed to evaluate the effect of a series of whole-body cryostimulations on the level of non-enzymatic antioxidants and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in healthy men. The study was carried out on 30 young and healthy men aged 27.8±6.1 years with average body mass index and peak oxygen consumption (46.34±6.15 ml kg−1 •min−1). The participants were daily exposed for 3 minutes to cryogenic temperatures (−130°C). Blood samples were obtained in the morning before cryostimulation, again 30 min after exposure and the following day in the morning, during the 1st, 10th and 20th session. Analysis concerned changes in plasma concentrations of total protein, albumin, glucose, uric acid and ceruloplasmin, and the most important components of the antioxidant system in red blood cells: superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, reduced and oxidized glutathione. To assess the oxidative stress level the 8-isoprostane concentration in plasma was measured. The obtained results indicate that cryogenic temperatures in repeated daily treatments result in changes in the peroxidant and antioxidant status. These changes seem to depend on the number of cryostimulations. After 20 daily treatments there was an increase in SOD, SOD:CAT ratio, a decrease in the concentration of reduced and oxidized glutathione and in the activity of GPx. It could be possible that differences in the activity of GSSG-R after 20 treatments depended on the body mass index of participants.

Could human cold adaptation decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease?

“…It is supposed that the response of the antioxidant system is different during one-off cold exposure than after repeated exposure, as shown in previous studies (Lubkowska et al, 2012(Lubkowska et al, , 2009. We may hypothesise that repeated exposure to cold water results in the adaptation of the antioxidant system to mild oxidative stress.…”

“…However, others (Sutkowy et al, 2014) have found no changes in levels of conjugated dienes after CA. Furthermore, (Lubkowska et al, 2012) decreased GSH concentrations and increased GR activities after repeated WBC have also been observed.…”

Whole-Body Cryostimulation as an Effective Method of Reducing Oxidative Stress in Healthy Men

“…A greater number of procedures (e.g. 20-30) could probably increase the treatment effect as was reported in the literature [14,36].…”

“…That is why we would like to emphasize that results presented in this paper contain much more data, and the studies may provide innovative and complementary conclusions. In another study [14], the authors showed that the activity of antioxidant enzymes in healthy men depends on the number of WBC procedures. After 10 sessions (temperature: -130°C, time: 3 min) the Table 4.…”

“…Very few studies published recently have shown that WBC may also have a beneficial influence on the human body by reducing oxidative stress in ankylosing spondylitis [11] and multiple sclerosis patients [12], and in healthy subjects [13,14] and athletes [15].…”