The piece of technology that LeBron James made famous, the cryotherapy chamber, has resurfaced once again; this time, in . The cryotherapy chamber is more-or-less the ice bath on steroids.
Within a matter of seconds, the chamber can go from room temperature all the way down to -166 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to a nitrogen mist that gently surrounds the body.
“The science is not clear whether or not it is a game-changer,” Dr. Trent Nessler, national sports medicine director for Physio Corp, told AL.com.
While science has yet to prove to the world that cryotherapy has direct benefits, it has to have a similar effect to the ice bath doesn’t it? It claims to aid athletes in recovery whilst also managing pain and injury.
The Alabama players gave the chamber mixed reviews; some saying they would rather use the traditional ice-bath, simply because it is what they’ve been using for their whole careers.
However, while not all players were in favour of the technology, it is comforting to know that they have such cutting-edge technology at their disposal. Head football trainer, Jeff Allen told AL.com, “Coach Saban has placed a big emphasis on recovery from practice to practice, so our players can be at their best. We felt that it was another tool to utilize to help our guys perform every day. Whole body cryotherapy is a great technique to assist in recovery and help improve performance.”
The brand used by Alabama belongs to Donny Dockery who says since he established his business eight months ago, he has seen a steady interest in the product, seemingly popular for cross-fit athletes and people coming out of surgery dealing with swelling and inflammation.
One of the factors which would no-doubt weigh heavily on potential investment is the price of usage. A single 2-3 minute shot in the chamber costs $35, with packages of five for $150, eight for $230 and up to 20 for $425.
For teams that remain hesitant, it seems a lot like the best choice would be to wait and see what science can prove about the technology, as much of the theory behind the chamber has gone unproven. This is not to say that the system does not benefit players at all, but whether teams on the lower end of the financial scale are willing to invest in something that still needs objectifying remains to be seen.
However, despite the slim information available, cryotherapy is still making its way around the world and creating a market for itself. One would have to think that once more research is done, assuming it has the ground-breaking impact it claims to have, the ice bath will be making way for it’s younger and much stronger brother, the cryotherapy chamber.