Obesity

The aim of this chapter is to provide an up-to-date picture of the evidence supporting the beneficial effects of whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) in patients with obesity. The cryogenic stimulus has widely acknowledged anti-inflammatory/antioxidant properties, mimicking an exercise-induced effect. This is of particular interest in patients with a chronic low-grade inflammatory status and often with reduced physical capacity that hinders adherence to physical activity programmes. This chapter describes the effects of WBC on haematological markers, metabolic parameters, lipid and endocrine profile, antioxidant enzyme activities, and inflammatory and cellular stress response in patients with obesity. Based on its anti-inflammatory/antioxidant, metabolic and autonomic modulating effects, WBC seems to yield the potential of becoming an adjuvant therapeutic approach to existing strategies, capable of reducing systemic inflammation, abdominal obesity and body mass in individuals with obesity. However, given the limitations of the available studies, no definitive conclusions regarding the efficacy of WBC as an add-on treatment in the management of obesity can be reached. Further, larger randomised controlled studies are needed.