TRIED & TESTED recovery time , reduced pain and inflammation , increased energy levels and strength , as well as improved blood circulation and sleep quality .”
It ’ s a Bit
A few minutes in the Cryozone Cryotherapy Chamber at minus-120 degrees Celsius promotes faster healing and recovery after hard exercise or racing , and it really does not feel as cold as it sounds . – BY SEAN FALCONER
The coldest it gets in South Africa is at most a few degrees below freezing , and we South Africans don ’ t know what real cold is … So when Willie Muller of Cryozone told me I was going to experience a temperature of minus-70 degrees for 30 seconds , then move down to minus-120 degrees for a further two and a half minutes , my mind simply couldn ’ t grasp what that meant . And to be honest , it was a bit frightening stepping into the cryotherapy chamber , but once inside I soon realised it really isn ’ t that bad . For a few minutes at a time ...
The outer chamber is not an acclimatisation period , it is to cool you down so that your body temperature does not warm the inner chamber too much , and to make sure the really cold air in the second chamber doesn ’ t escape when you open the doors to go in . As Willie explains , “ the quicker you get into the coldest air , the more you will experience the benefits of cryotherapy , so we want you to get into the second chamber quickly , but without the chamber being warmed .”
Shock to the System
Let me tell you , those two and a half minutes seem to take forever ! The digital countdown clock inside the chamber seems to taunt you , until you rather focus on the music and moving with the beat , while trying not to make big movements with your arms and legs . Moving helps you to keep some warmth in your limbs , but also causes further wind chill in the super-cold air . You find yourself focussing on those parts of your body that you know require healing or recovery – in my case it was my quads , which were tight after a hard run two days earlier . Meanwhile , I was sucking in deep breaths through a protective mouth and nose mask , willing the time to pass quicker .
It helps that you can see Willie through the observation window and converse with him , so you don ’ t feel cut off or claustrophobic , but when he says time is up , the sense of relief is immense . Now here ’ s the interesting thing : You immediately recover and start to warm up , with barely a shiver . Within a few minutes of dressing I felt perfectly normal again , not even a hint of coldness . The human body really is a wonderful thing !
Enhanced Recovery
The Cryozone Chamber is a mobile unit built into a shipping container that can be trucked to different venues . Until recently it was located at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport , where the Springbok Sevens team were regular customers , but it has recently moved to the Sport Science Institute of South Africa in Cape Town . “ We moved across to offer a walk-in environment in a busy public gym facility , to give more people access to a full 360-degree fitness environment with recovery included ,” says Willie .
“ Cryotherapy was developed for people with chronic medical conditions , but it has spread to the sporting world . Within just three minutes in the chamber , an athlete can enjoy health benefits such as faster
“ When you step into the minus-120 chamber , your cold receptors send signals to your brain via the nervous system that this is a dangerous environment , so you need to protect the vital organs – the heart , lungs , kidney and brains . You immediately get vascular constriction of the veins and the blood is directed to these organs , which then allows the inflammation and lactic acid to be pulled out of your muscles . The blood is then cleaned and oxygenated by the vital organs , as well as enriched with nutrients and hormones , but the real magic happens when you walk out of the chamber . That ’ s when the good quality blood goes back to the muscles . Another great thing is that oxygen molecules are packed tighter together at such low temperatures , so filling your lungs with the cold air also assists with oxygenating the blood .”
Coming to your Town …
Cryozone is in the process of launching franchise opportunities around the country , with plans for more mobile chambers that can be taken to sporting events or festivals , as well as fixed chambers in city centres such as Pretoria and Johannesburg . “ We need to create accessibility to the technology ,” says Willie , adding that the company also has smaller hand-held units for use by physios , which focus cold air on an injured area . Added to that , Cryozone is an agent for Normatek compression boots , and offers a package deal of cryotherapy and compression , for a full recovery treatment with enhanced blood circulation .
For more info , go to www . cryozone . co . za , where you can book sessions and find out at which events the chamber will be available . Pricing options include R400 for a cryotherapy session , R150 for a Normatek session , R450 for a full recovery session of cryotherapy plus normatek ( 20-30 minutes ), while a package of 10 full sessions will cost R3000 .
Images : Willie Muller
36 ISSUE 109 AUGUST 2018 / www . modernathlete . co . za