A single session of whole-body cryotherapy boosts maximal cycling performance and enhances vagal drive at rest

Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) has been reported to maximize physical recovery after exercise and reduce the ensuing muscle damage. In addition, WBC triggers cardiovascular responses leading to an increased vagal drive. Here we tested whether WBC may boost exercise performance as well as post-exercise recovery. Moreover, we compared the effects of WBC and exercise on sympathovagal balance and tested whether these two factors may interact. ECG was recorded in 28 healthy adults who underwent rest, all-out effort on a cycloergometer, 5 min recovery and again rest. After 3–5 days, WBC (3 min exposure to − 150 °C air) was applied and the whole procedure repeated. Total exercise duration was split into the time needed to reach peak power output (t PEAK ) and the time to exhaustion (t EXH ). The post-exercise exponential decay of HR was characterized by its delay from exercise cessation (t DELAY ) and by its time constant (τ OFF ). Sympathovagal balance was evaluated by measuring HR variability power in the low (LF) and high (HF) frequency bands, both before exercise and after recovery from it. Sympathetic vs. vagal predominance was assessed by the sympathovagal index LFnu. Paired t-tests indicated that WBC increased t EXH and reduced t DELAY , speeding up the HR recovery. These results suggest that WBC may be exploited to boost exercise performance by about 12–14%. ANOVA on HR variability confirmed that exercise shifted the sympathovagal balance towards sympathetic predominance, but it also highlighted that WBC enhanced vagal drive at rest, both before exercise and after full recovery, covering ~ 70% of the exercise effect.