Arsenal instal one of UK's biggest cryotherapy units
Mesut Ozil undergoing a cryotherapy treatment last season
Written by Simon Austin — August 12, 2017
ARSENAL have installed ‘one of the largest cryotherapy units in the UK’ as part of their refurbishment of the London Colney training centre.
Eight players are able to use the unit at any one time, with treatments lasting for between three and five minutes at temperatures as low as -160°C, according to installers CryoAction.
Co-founder Ian Saunders said: ”The club has moved forward from using an interim mobile cryotherapy solution to a fully integrated chamber which emphasises the growing importance of whole body cryotherapy as a recovery modality for Premier League teams.”
CryoAction have already installed units at Premier League sides Everton, Leicester, Bournemouth, Watford and Huddersfield.
The treatments “aim to reduce the effects of fatigue resulting from the intensity of the Premier League season, as well as “offering the ability to reduce the impact of soft tissue injuries, bringing pain relief, enhancing sleep recovery and improving overall player well-being”.
However, there is much debate about the scientific basis for the benefits of whole-body cryotherapy.
Last year the American Food and Drug Administration issued a news release about cryotherapy, focussing on use of the treatments by the general public rather than elite athletes.
“The FDA has informally reviewed the medical literature available on this subject,” said medical officer Dr Aron Yustein. “We found very little evidence about its safety or effectiveness in treating the conditions for which it is being promoted.”
Scientific reviewer Anna Ghambaryan, PhD, added: “At this time, there’s insufficient publicly available information to help us answer these questions.”
