Cryotherapy and Whole Body Cooling: A Critical Review of Physiological Impacts on Elite Athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2025.39.59199Keywords
cryotherapy, whole-body cooling, elite athletes, physiological impact, recovery strategies, sports performance, inflammation reduction, neuromuscular recovery, muscle damage, cold exposureAbstract
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.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Wojciech Tokarczyk, Karol Demel, Monika Dziedzic, Adriana Potoczek, Justyna Talaska, Antoni Kantor, Krzysztof Pietrzak, Adrian Dyląg, Jakub Król, Kacper Raputa
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