Description

• Title:
  Cryotherapy and Whole Body Cooling: A Critical Review of Physiological Impacts on Elite Athletes
• Creator:
  Tokarczyk, Wojciech;
  Demel, Karol;
  Dziedzic, Monika;
  Potoczek, Adriana;
  Talaska, Justyna;
  Kantor, Antoni;
  Pietrzak, Krzysztof;
  Dyląg, Adrian;
  Król, Jakub;
  Raputa, Kacper
• Description:
  Background: Cryotherapy and whole-body cooling are widely adopted in sports medicine to enhance recovery and performance in elite athletes. Modern techniques like whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) reduce inflammation and muscle soreness, yet their physiological mechanisms and long-term safety remain debated. Purpose: This review assesses physiological impacts of cryotherapy on key systems (cardiovascular, neuromuscular, immune) and evaluates benefits, risks, and protocol standardization needs. Methods: PubMed literature (2012-2023) was systematically analyzed using keywords "cryotherapy," "whole-body cooling," and "elite athletes." Relevant studies on recovery, performance, and safety were synthesized, acknowledging design variability and language bias. Results: Cryotherapy reduces muscle damage markers (e.g., creatine kinase) and inflammation, aiding acute recovery and strength retention. WBC outperforms passive recovery but shows inconsistent efficacy versus cold-water immersion. Risks include hypothermia and blunted hypertrophy. Small samples and non-standardized protocols limit generalizability. Conclusions: Cryotherapy benefits elite athletes contextually, particularly for acute recovery. Implementation requires strict safety protocols (exposure limits, monitoring) and individualized approaches. Future studies should prioritize standardized parameters, long-term safety, and mechanistic insights into mitochondrial/neural adaptations to optimize athlete outcomes.
• Object availability:
  free access
• Rights: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 ;
  Prawa autorskie (c) 2025 Wojciech Tokarczyk, Karol Demel, Monika Dziedzic, Adriana Potoczek, Justyna Talaska, Antoni Kantor, Krzysztof Pietrzak, Adrian Dyląg, Jakub Król, Kacper Raputa
• Date:
  2025.03.18
• Type:
  info:eu-repo/semantics/article;
  info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
• Language:
  English
• Source:
  Quality in Sport; Tom 39 (2025); 59199;
  Quality in Sport; Vol. 39 (2025); 59199;
  2450-3118
• Format:
  application/pdf
• Publisher:
  University Center for Sports Research, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
• Relation: https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/59199/41918
• Subject:
  cryotherapy;
  whole-body cooling;
  elite athletes;
  physiological impact;
  recovery strategies;
  sports performance;
  inflammation reduction;
  neuromuscular recovery;
  muscle damage;
  cold exposure
• Identifier: https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/59199
• Data provider:
  Akademicka Platforma Czasopism
• Can I use it?:
  seek permission
• Type:
  text