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Therapies · product guide

Cryotherapy: does it work?

Chambers that expose you to air at −110°C or colder for 2–3 minutes. The evidence is very low quality, it isn't shown to beat an ice bath, and it has real risks.

Weak evidenceReviewed September 2026

What it is

Whole-body cryotherapy exposes you to extremely cold, dry air, typically −110 to −140°C (−166 to −220°F), for about 2–3 minutes, either in an electrically cooled chamber you walk into or in a nitrogen-cooled 'cryosauna' that leaves your head outside. Localised cryotherapy blows very cold air or nitrogen vapour onto one area. Because the air is dry and the exposure short, your skin cools sharply while your core temperature changes little.

It's sold for recovery, inflammation, pain, mood, weight loss and skin. In the US, the FDA has not cleared any whole-body cryotherapy device to treat any medical condition.

How strong is the evidence?

Weak evidence

A Cochrane review found only four small trials (64 mostly young men) on muscle soreness, all at high risk of bias, and rated the evidence 'very low' quality, too little to say whether it works. Broader recovery meta-analyses suggest cold exposure trims soreness a little, but whole-body and partial-body cryo performed the same, and there's no evidence it beats a far cheaper cold-water tub. There are no good trials for weight loss, anti-ageing or treating medical conditions.

The claims you'll see, checked

Reduces muscle soreness

Mixed

Small trials hint at less soreness, but the evidence is very low quality, and cold water does similar things for a fraction of the cost.

Burns 500–800 calories a session

False

No measurement supports this for a 2–3 minute exposure.

Treats arthritis, pain, depression, anxiety or skin conditions

Unproven

The FDA hasn't cleared any whole-body device for these uses and has warned that the claims lack evidence.

Works better than an ice bath

Unproven

No trials show an advantage over cold-water immersion.

Tightens skin and slows ageing ('cryofacials')

Unproven

No good controlled trials support it.

What to look for

  • A trained operator present for the whole session, with an emergency stop you can reach.
  • Electrically cooled walk-in chambers where you breathe normal air, or, for nitrogen cryosaunas, your head held above the vapour and oxygen monitoring in the room.
  • Screening before your first session, including a blood pressure check and health questions.
  • Dry gloves, socks, ear covers and a mask provided, and a strict 2–3 minute limit.
  • A price you can justify against a cold shower or ice bath, which have at least as much evidence.

What to skip

  • Calorie-burn and weight-loss claims.
  • Treating arthritis, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety or migraine with cryotherapy.
  • 'Cryofacial' and 'cryo-slimming' packages.
  • Longer or colder sessions. More isn't shown to help, and it raises frostbite risk.

Who should be careful

  • Nitrogen cryosaunas can displace oxygen, and people have died from asphyxiation, including a spa worker who used a chamber alone in 2015. Never use one alone or with your head below the rim.
  • Frostbite and cold burns happen, especially on damp or sweaty skin or under jewellery. Be completely dry and remove metal.
  • Skip it if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease or a rhythm problem, Raynaud's, cold urticaria, peripheral artery disease, or you're pregnant; it isn't for children.
  • Blood pressure jumps during exposure, so anyone with heart or circulation problems should ask a clinician first.
  • Get out immediately if you feel faint, numb or panicky.

The studies

Every citation is checked against its PubMed record.

  1. Whole-body cryotherapy (extreme cold air exposure) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults
    Costello JT, Baker PR, Minett GM, Bieuzen F, Stewart IB, Bleakley C · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2015 · Systematic review (Cochrane)

    Four small laboratory trials in 64 active, mostly male young adults, all at high risk of bias, gave very low-quality evidence on soreness after whole-body cryotherapy; the reviewers found insufficient evidence to say whether it reduces soreness or improves recovery, and no data in women.

  2. Different Cryotherapy Modalities Demonstrate Similar Effects on Muscle Performance, Soreness, and Damage in Healthy Individuals and Athletes: A Systematic Review with Metanalysis
    Azevedo KP, Bastos JAI, de Sousa Neto IV, Pastre CM, Durigan JLQ · Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2022 · Meta-analysis

    In six studies (120 people) comparing whole-body and partial-body cryotherapy after muscle-damaging exercise, both produced similar effects on performance, soreness and muscle-damage markers.

  3. An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis
    Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugué B · Frontiers in Physiology · 2018 · Meta-analysis

    Across 99 studies of recovery methods, massage was most effective for soreness and perceived fatigue; cold exposure, compression garments and water immersion gave small-to-large reductions in soreness, and massage and cold exposure lowered inflammation markers.