The effect of a series of whole‑body cryotherapy treatments on the activity of antioxidant enzymes in healthy women and women with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

The study aimed to compare the effect of a series of 20 sessions of whole‑body cryotherapy (WBC) on the level of CAT, GPx and SOD in women with multiple sclerosis and healthy women. The consent of the Bioethics Committee at the Regional Medical Chamber in Krakow was obtained, and the trial was registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Thirty people took part in the study: the study group (MS) and the control group (CONT). All subjects participated in 20 cryotherapy sessions. Venous blood was collected for analysis before the WBC session and after 20 sessions. There were no changes in the examined parameters (CAT, GPx, SOD) after using WBC in the MS or control groups. There were also no differences between the groups in the first or the last study. There were no adverse changes in the parameters tested – WBC appeared to be a safe form of therapy, although the mechanisms of hypothermic protection are not fully understood.