The optimum exposure times for elite male rugby league athletes to spend in a whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) chamber is two minutes, according to pioneering international research by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
Published in the peer-reviewed international journal PLOS ONE, the study is the world’s first research into physiological changes in the athletes’ muscle oxygen flow, skin and core temperatures, inflammation, thermal sensation, comfort and subjective feedback in collaboration, when exposed to WBC. This landmark in whole-body cryotherapy research and findings applies to male athletes taking part in land-based team sports.
Working in conjunction with BOC, the UK & Ireland’s leading industrial and medical gases company, and Rugby Super League club Wigan Warriors, UCLan researchers investigated the optimum time for the players to spend in the WBC at -135ºC following a competitive rugby league fixture the day before.
WBC is an increasingly popular recovery method for elite athletes but to date there has been little research into the amount of time they should spend in the whole-body cryochamber.
... to continue reading you must be subscribed
