Table 1.
Study characteristics
| Study design | Participants | WBC (control) | Outcomes
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higher values in WBC (vs control) | Lower values in WBC (vs control) | No between-group differences | |||
| Mila-Kierzenkowska et al5 Crossover study (4-month washout) |
n=9 Olympic-level kayakers undertaking a 10-day training cycle (all female, mean age 23.9±3.2 years) Cointerventions Antioxidant supplementation |
n=9 exposed to −120°C to −140°C for 3 minutes; 20 sessions in total: twice per day over a 10-day period (n=9 no WBC) | Catalase TBARS | Superoxide dismutase Glutathione peroxidase | |
| Hausswirth et al6 Randomized crossover study (3-week washout) |
n=9 well-trained runners undertaking a simulated 48-minute trail run (all male, mean age 31.8±6.5 years) | n=9 exposed to −110°C for 3 minutes; 3 sessions in total: immediately, 24, and 48 hours postexercise (n=9 seated rest) | Strength | Pain Tiredness | Creatine kinase |
| Pournot et al7 Randomized crossover study (3-week washout) |
n=11 trained runners undertaking a simulated 48-minute trail run (all male, mean age 31.8±6.5 years) | n=11 exposed to −110°C for 3 minutes; 4 sessions in total: immediately, 24, 48, and 72 hours postexercise (n=11 seated rest) |
IL-1ra | CRP | IL-1β IL-6 IL-10 TNFα Leukocyte count |
| Ziemann et al8 Randomized controlled trial |
n=12 professional male tennis players undertaking moderate-intensity training for 5 days (all male, mean age 20±2 years control, 23±3 years WBC) | n=6 exposed to −120°C for 3 minutes; 10 sessions in total: twice per day over 5 days (n=6 no WBC) | IL-6 Tennis-stroke effectiveness |
TNFα | Creatine kinase Leukocyte count Cortisol Testosterone |
| Miller et al9 Controlled trial |
n=94 healthy participants (46 male, 48 female, mean age 37.5±3.1 years WBC, 37.9±2.1 years control) | n=46 exposed to −130°C for 3 minutes; 10 sessions in total: 1 session per day over 10 days (n=48 no WBC) | Total antioxidant status Superoxide dismutase Uric acid TBARS |
||
| Costello et al10 Randomized controlled trial |
n=36 healthy participants (24 male, 12 female, mean age 20.8±1.2 years) | n=16 exposed to −110°C for 3 minutes; 2 sessions in a single day, 2 hours apart (n=16 exposed to 15°C) | Joint positional sensea MVIC | ||
| Costello et al10 Randomized controlled trial |
n=18 participants (4 female, 14 male, mean age 21.2±2.1 years) undertaking 100 high-force maximal eccentric contractions of the left knee extensors | n=9 exposed to −110°C for 3 minutes; 2 sessions in a single day, 2 hours apart (n=9 exposed to 15°C) | MVIC Pain Peak power output |
||
| Fonda and Sarabon11 Randomized crossover (10-week washout) |
n=11 participants (all male, mean age 26.9±3.8 years) undertaking high-load and eccentric lower-limb exercises | n=11 exposed to −140°C to −195°C for 3 minutes; 6 sessions in total: 1 per day over 6 days (n=11 no WBC) | Pain at rest Pain on squat |
Creatine kinase Lactate dehydrogenase Aspartate aminotransferase Performanceb |
|
| Hausswirth et al12 Controlled trial |
n=40 healthy participants (all male; mean age 33.9±12.3 years control, 34.6±11.5 years WBC, 33.3±13.8 years PBC) | n=15 exposed to −110°C WBC for 3 minutes; n=15 exposed to −160°C PBC for 3 minutes; (n=10 seated rest) | Norepinephrine Dopamine (WBC) Heart-rate variability | Epinephrine Dopamine (PBC) |
|
| Ma et al13 Randomized controlled trial |
n=30 participants with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder joint (24 female, 6 male, mean age 57.2±6.6 years) | n=15 exposed to −110°C for 4 minutes; 24 sessions in total: 2 sessions per day, 3 times per week over 4 weeks plus standard physiotherapy treatment (n=15 standard physiotherapy treatment only) | ROM Function | Pain | |
| Schall et al14 Randomized crossover (1-week washout) |
n=11 participants (all female, mean age 20.3±1.8 years) undertaking a 3-minute-maximum swimming exercise bout | n=9 exposed to −110°C for 3 minutes; 1 session immediately after exercise (n=9 30 minutes of passive recovery) | Indices of heart-rate variability Metabolic recovery (lactate VO2 peak) Subjective recovery | Performance (subjective judging in synchronized swimming) | |
Notes:
a
Absolute, relative, and variable error
b
countermovement jump, power, strength.
Abbreviations: WBC, whole-body cryotherapy; vs, versus; TBARS, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances; IL, interleukin; ra, receptor antagonist; CRP, C-reactive protein; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; MVIC, maximum voluntary isometric contraction; PBC, partial body cryotherapy; ROM, range of movement.