Rejuvenice cryotherapy centerThe act of stripping down naked save for a pair of gloves and socks and stepping into a freezing chamber cooled by nitrous-gas to temperatures of up to (down to?) minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit for one-and-a-half to three minutes may sound novel, or perhaps even downright insane, but that's part of cryotherapy's appeal. Its proponents believe it has the ability to heal aching muscles or aid in quicker recovery times after hardcore workouts. Fair enough: Ice baths and various other methods of cooling the body after vigorous activity have been employed for centuries.
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"The studies have shown that it has not been harmful in high level athletes who are healthy—there's been no studies looking at this in an average person or anybody with any diseases or illnesses," Dr. Jennifer Solomon told Foxnews.com in May of this year. Dr. Solomon is a board-certified physiatrist in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. She also serves as team physician for the United States Tennis Association. "In my opinion, if somebody has risks for heart disease or cardiac disease or a family history of stroke, I still think that this could cause a huge stress on the body, which can lead to potential dangerous issues."The stress she speaks of is caused by the freezing temperatures, which send the body into a survival mode hyperstate, causing blood flow to the vital organs to increase oxygen and nutrients."The whole idea of hot and cold is removing the toxins and allowing blood that doesn't have those toxins or those inflammatory components into that area," Dr. Solomon told Fox News. "So their claim of having health benefits or skin benefits to that is the washing away of the bad [blood] and renewing it with good, vital blood."One of cryotherapy's biggest proponents is comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan, who has been espousing the treatment's benefits for quite some time (in fact, he goes for a session in this recent Rolling Stone profile). He first learned of the practice from Jiu-Jitsu champion Eddie Bravo, who is a steadfast believer.In October of last year Rogan described the experience to guest Keith Weber on JRE episode 559 thus: "It's ridiculously good for inflammation, ridiculously good for any aches or pains you might have like muscle soreness because your body freaks the fuck out. It feels this 250 degrees below zero and it just goes 'HO-LEE SHIT' and it pulls all the blood from the surface of your skin down to its core," he said, echoing Dr. Solomon's professional take. "Then three minutes later when you're out—it's enough time so you're not dying of hypothermia—your body goes 'Oh, we're OK and—WHOOSH—it all goes rushing out. And it's been explained to me in very technical, scientific terms, all the different mechanisms that are going on in the body that are protecting you. It's way better than these ice baths that people have been taking for a long time. It's amazing. You've got to try it."Or, as one young professional puts it in the New York Post story, "I left feeling like I drank four Red Bulls and was a Prozac-ed-out Disney employee."Rogan's frequent endorsements on his podcast are very convincing, and the number of world-class athletes and plebs who attest to the virtues of cryotherapy suggest there's certainly some there there. But the practice remains untested and unproven, and the stress it places on the body means those interested in turning themselves into temporary ice pops should check with a doctor before submitting themselves to the chamber.Follow Brian on Twitter.Read on Motherboard: I Went to the Mardi Gras of Cryonics to Look for the Meaning of Life