Cryotherapy is becoming increasingly popular because of its capability to reduce things like stress, chronic pain, workout recovery times, and more. But, does cryotherapy work for weight loss? There is some evidence to suggest that it can help.
Cryotherapy is becoming increasingly popular because of its capability to reduce things like stress, chronic pain, workout recovery times, and more. But, does cryotherapy work for weight loss? There is some evidence to suggest that it can help.
Cryotherapy Weight Loss: What We Know
What Is Cryotherapy for Weight Loss?
Whole-body cryotherapy is a procedure during which you stand in a chamber that covers your entire body from the neck down.
While you stand there, the temperatures in the chamber are reduced to as low as -200 to -300 degrees fahrenheit. The whole procedure only lasts for a few minutes, usually about three and no more than five.
Whole-body cryotherapy was invented in Japan, continued to develop in Europe, and has been taking the United States by chilly storm because of the many benefits it provides, which we’ll get into a bit later.
For now, let’s take a look at the purported benefits of cryotherapy for weight loss.
It’s been proven that regular exposure to cold temperatures of 62.5 F (17 C) or below leads to fat burning. This is because when your body is cold, it starts some internal processes that burn energy to stay warm, which in turn can cause fat loss.
That’s not to say one day out in the cold is going to make you noticeably thinner. But, over time, repeated exposure to cold temperatures can contribute to weight loss by increasing your metabolism and helping your body process glucose, or sugars, that can otherwise turn into fat.
Cryotherapy Fat Loss and Cryotherapy Calories Burned: What Are the Facts?
Studies into using whole-body cryotherapy for weight loss are relatively new, so the jury is out on exactly how much it may contribute to boosting your metabolism and reducing fat.
Proponents of cryo weight loss have said that it may be possible to burn upwards of 500 calories by spending three minutes in a cryotherapy chamber set to -300 F.
Though studies have yet to confirm numbers like these, studies have confirmed that people who spend just two hours a day in a room with temperatures of 63 F burn more calories than people who spend the same amount of time in a room at higher temperatures.
Studies have also shown that people who regularly sleep in rooms colder than 66 F experience up to a 10-percent boost in their metabolic rate and burn more calories than people who sleep in higher temperatures.
Besides the potential for colder temperatures to provide you with a metabolic boost, cryotherapy may help you in your weight loss journey in other ways because of the other effects it has on your body.
The intense flash of extremely low temperatures triggers an endorphin rush, which some users report has aided them in boosting the intensity of their post-cryo workouts.
In fact, cryotherapy has become really popular with athletes because of the endorphin boost and the anti-inflammatory responses that it triggers, which both help with pain management and can shorten post-workout and injury recovery times.
What Are the Other Benefits of Cryotherapy?
Benefits of Whole-Body Cryotherapy:
- Pain and inflammation reduction
- Mood enhancement (endorphin boost)
- Anti-aging and skin rejuvenation (more collagen production)
- Increased metabolism and blood flow
- Higher energy levels
- Improved sleep
- Headache and migraine relief
- Better overall skin appearance
- Revitalized immune system
- Can help treat anxiety and depression
- Can help with other medical conditions like arthritis and tendonitis
The brief exposure to extremely cold temperatures that your body experiences during cryotherapy has the potential to boost your well-being in a variety of ways.
If you deal with chronic pain and inflammation, cryotherapy can provide you with some much needed relief. This includes if you suffer from a chronic medical condition like arthritis, tendonitis, or fibromyalgia.
Cryotherapy can also relieve pain and inflammation from activity-related injuries like muscle and ligament strains.
The relief cryotherapy provides can also result in more restful sleep, better moods, and less stress, anxiety, and depression.
Besides that, cryotherapy can also boost collagen production, which leads to better, more youthful skin. Cryotherapy can even be used to treat some chronic skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
CoolSculpting: a Proven Cryo Weight Loss Procedure
An Alternative to Cryotherapy Weight Loss
If you’re interested in using the powers of cold temperatures to reduce fat loss, there’s another procedure you can use to target specific problem areas and get rid of unwanted fat deposits. This treatment is called CoolSculpting.
CoolSculpting is a type of body sculpting treatment that involves using a special machine to apply extremely cold temperatures to specific areas of your body such as your abs, thighs, neck, love handles, upper arms, and more.
This machine uses suction cups to target stubborn fat deposits below your skin and tissue and freeze the fat cells to death with temperatures of up to -11 F. When the fat cells are destroyed in this way, they then get flushed out of your body in your urine and are permanently gone.
CoolSculpting is a totally non-invasive procedure, which is why it’s becoming a popular alternative to liposuction for permanent fat removal. This method of cryo weight loss is also known as cryolipolysis.
This type of treatment is FDA approved and results have been documented, so if you’re looking for a non-invasive fat reduction procedure, CoolSculpting is something to consider. Sessions only last about 30-45 minutes and you can go about your regular activities afterwards.
Why Choose CoolSculpting:
- FDA-approved fat reduction treatment
- Permanently kills fat cells
- Fat gets flushed out of the body naturally
- Completely non-invasive
- Minimal discomfort
- No recovery period after procedure
Conclusion
Though we can’t say with certainty the extent to which cryotherapy may help with weight loss, we do know that it can provide many different benefits with regular treatments. We also know that extreme cold can be used to permanently kill fat, as exhibited by CoolSculpting.
iCRYO offers state-of-the-art cryotherapy and CoolSculpting treatments at various franchise locations across the US. Contact us today for more information or to schedule a consultation.
