Cryotherapy and ‘Polar Bear Plunges’ Are Healthy For Obese People
PAP/Grzegorz Michałowski/ Łódź, 05.01.2020
Cryotherapy and swimming outside in cold water, or Polar bear plunging as it’s known, can help regulate cholesterol and reduce the effects of insulin resistance in people with obesity, says research by scientists from the Poznan University of Physical Education.
By carrying out research on 70 people aged between 25 and 62 with abdominal obesity, Professor Ewa Ziemann and Dr. Giovanni Lombardi found that by combining both forms of cold treatment could be suggested it is possible to help with obesity.
Professor Ziemann said: “The anti-inflammatory effects of the cold are well documented in scientific literature. Therefore, cold treatments are used in various types of diseases, mainly those of the musculoskeletal system. While conducting research in this direction, it was noticed that the indicators regulating cholesterol and triglyceride levels also unexpectedly improve in young people, as does the level of proteins that participate in the regulation of glucostatic balance.”
As the researchers expected, the current stage of research shows that the most effective procedure is to combine effort and cold. However, this effect does not occur in all people, only in some. It is associated with the secretion of proteins released from both skeletal muscles and fat tissue.
Ziemann said: “We still have to identify the factors that determine this response. We will perform the second part of the study on cell cultures that will be treated with the serum of people undergoing the above-mentioned procedures. This part of the study will be done in Milan.”
According to the researcher, cryochambers are relatively popular in Poland. There is even talk of a Polish school of cryotherapy. But when access to this type of equipment is not possible, cryochamber treatments can be replaced by cold water. The effect of cold baths can be even stronger due to the fact that water cools more strongly due to its physical properties. The effect on the skin may be more noticeable in a cryochamber, but the whole body will be more strongly affected by a bath in cold water. Hence the well-being of people doing the so-called polar bear plunges (plunging into cold water whilst outside).
Professor Zieman added: “We do not assume that this is a path leading to weight reduction. We believe that the most important thing is to improve health, including insulin sensitivity. It is very important to combine two procedures: effort and cold action. It is worth noting that insulin resistance also affects people with normal build, but physically inactive, with a sedentary lifestyle.”
The research project 'Short-term and long-term effects of whole-body cryotherapy on insulin sensitivity in the group of overweight people - translational study including changes induced by cold and training on hormonal regulation of metabolism' is financed by the National Science Centre OPUS_13. It was carried out for two years at the Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport under the supervision of Professor Ewa Ziemann, and is currently conducted at the Poznan University of Physical Education.
Find out more in the publication: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-32274-8_11
PAP - Science in Poland
kol/ ekr/ kap/
tr. RL
Przed dodaniem komentarza prosimy o zapoznanie z Regulaminem forum serwisu Nauka w Polsce.
