title: Whole-Body Cryostimulation as an Effective Method of Reducing Oxidative Stress in Healthy Men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) is the therapeutic exposure of the total human body (without underwear) to a very low temperature (below -100°C) for 120-180 s. Currently, WBC is used more frequently not only in the treatment of patients suffering from various diseases, but also by healthy people as a wellness method.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of WBC procedures on oxidative stress parameters in healthy men.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 32 healthy male subjects who were randomly divided into 2 groups: 16 men exposed to WBC procedures with subsequent kinesiotherapy (WBC group) and 16 men exposed only to kinesiotherapy procedures (KT group). Depending on the group, the subjects were exposed to 10 daily WBC procedures lasting 3 min, with a subsequent 60-min of kinesiotherapy, or exclusively to kinesiotherapy. In subjects from both groups, a day before the beginning of a cycle of treatment and a day after its completion, the level of selected indicators of oxidative stress and non-enzymatic antioxidants, as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes in serum, plasma and erythrocyte lysates were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the WBC group subjects, we recorded a statistically significant decrease in the concentrations of most of the parameters of oxidative stress with an accompanying increase in plasma concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants (total antioxidant status and uric acid). We recorded no significant changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (plasma total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and its isoenzymes SOD-Mn and SOD-ZnCu, erythrocyte catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results we obtained confirmed that WBC decreases oxidative stress in healthy men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Poland.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stanek
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine, Chair of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poland.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sieroń-Stołtny
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Romuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Chelkowski Institute of Physics, University of Silesia, Poland.
authors.forename: Armand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cholewka
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wielkoszyński
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cieślar
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Poland.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kwiatek
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sieroń
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawczyk-Krupka
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D017679:Cryotherapy; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants
keywords: antioxidant enzymes; healthy men; non-enzymatic antioxidants; oxidative stress; whole-body cryostimulation