Cryotherapy for Cyclists: Does it Make You Faster? | Cycling Science Explained

Whole Body Cryotherapy is extremely popular and is claimed to deliver huge benefits, but what does the scientific research say?

For maximum benefit, researchers recommend Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) be carried out every other day in WBC chambers that reach -110º - -140ºC (-166º - -220ºF) for a duration of 2-3 minutes.

The claimed benefits include decreased inflammation, increased fat burning, reduced DOMS, increased EPO production, and reduced pain and fatigue, but research points to these being along the lines of marginal gains rather than those that cause significant performance improvement.

Additionally, researchers have observed that most benefits don’t manifest until 20-30 sessions after which increased benefit should not be expected.

Above all, the relatively limited accessibility and practicality of Whole Body Cryotherapy seem to be the main limiting factors in it making you a faster cyclist, but if you have the means, it seems to be yet another legitimately beneficial recovery protocol to add to your repertoire.

Will you be trying Whole Body Cryotherapy? Let us know in the comments below!


// STUDIES REFERENCED IN THIS VIDEO

Whole-Body Cryotherapy in Athletes: From Therapy to Stimulation. An Updated Review of the Literature - 2017, Lombardi: https://trainerroad.cc/Lombardi2017
Whole-Body Cryotherapy in Athletes - 2010, Banfi: https://trainerroad.cc/Banfi2010
Bone remodelling biomarkers after whole body cryotherapy (WBC) in elite rugby players - 2013, Galliera: https://trainerroad.cc/3f5GkuJ
Whole-body cryostimulation--potential beneficial treatment for improving antioxidant capacity in healthy men--significance of the number of sessions - 2012, Lubkowska: https://trainerroad.cc/3Sv5GAV
Time-Course of Changes in Inflammatory Response after Whole-Body Cryotherapy Multi Exposures following Severe Exercise - Pournot, 2011: https://trainerroad.cc/3BGwqau
WHOLE BODY CRYOTHERAPY/ CRYOSTIMULATION 39 th Informatory Note on Refrigeration Technologies N° ISSN : en cours - Dugue, 2020: https://trainerroad.cc/Dugue2020
Body Composition, Lipid Profile, Adipokine Concentration, and Antioxidant Capacity Changes during Interventions to Treat Overweight with Exercise Programme and Whole-Body Cryostimulation - Lubkowska, 2015: https://trainerroad.cc/3StaNRM
Hematological Parameters, and Hematopoietic Growth Factors: Epo and IL-3 in Response to Whole-Body Cryostimulation (WBC) in Military Academy Students - 2014, Szygula: https://trainerroad.cc/3SmCfRX
Whole-Body Cryotherapy: Potential to Enhance Athlete Preparation for Competition? - 2019, Partridge: https://trainerroad.cc/3BGwrv4
Pre-Exercise Whole- or Partial-Body Cryotherapy Exposure to Improve Physical Performance: A Systematic Review - 2021, Partridge: https://trainerroad.cc/3BG2I5y


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