The Kansas City Royals are turning Impact Cryotherapy as a new way to enhance recovery for their players.
The Impact Cryotherapy company, based in Atlanta, Georgia, was co-founded by Richard Otto and Robert Atwood. They engineer and manufacturer their whole body cryotherapy equipment.
“We chose Impact Cryotherapy based on several factors, including the fact it’s a high-quality system made and serviced in the U.S.A,” explained Nick Kenney, the Royals head athletic trainer. “That translates into better service and support for how our players utilize cryotherapy, how our staff administers it, and the equipment itself. We wanted the best equipment for our players, who deliver the best for the team and the fans.”
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Whole body cryotherapy was originally introduced in the 1970s in Japan. It was used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but then the practice quickly spread throughout Europe and by 1979 it has been utilized worldwide.
Users of Impact Cryotherapy stand on an adjustable platform inside a chamber, with their head outside of the octagonal-shaped chamber. From there, a technician fills the Impact Cryotherapy chamber with nitrogen vapor. The nitrogen vapor brings the temperature of the chamber down to a range of (minus) -100C to -150C. This temporarily lowers the temperature of the top layer of skin.
The cryotherapy treatment only lasts a maximum of three minutes. During those three minutes, the skin will send signals to the brain that stimulates physical reactions and activates naturally occurring healing resources. The body reheats immediately after a user is out of the chamber.
“I’m a big fan of cryotherapy and the benefits it offers athletes including recovering from both daily demands and injuries,” added Kenney. “Winning the World Series was an incredible experience, which means our team will have high expectations for the 2016 season. With Impact Cryotherapy, the ability to train harder and recover faster in order to help the team prepare for another successful year was extremely attractive to us as an organization.”
Whole body cryotherapy has been proven to speed muscle recovery and produce a feeling of well-being. It enhances athletic performance and has been used both nationally and internationally with professional and collegiate sports teams, resorts, spas and training centers.
“We are delighted to be selected by the Kansas City Royals,” said Otto. “Who knows, perhaps we’ll be able to contribute to the Royals winning a back-to-back World Series!”
By teaming up with defending World Series Champions, Impact Cryotherapy will be able to partner with more professional teams and the popularity of cryotherapy will continue to grow for athlete recovery methods.