Inside England Lionesses' -120C cryotherapy chamber helping heroes bounce back
The Lionesses are recovering between games thanks to a state of the art cryotherapy chamber which has been driven 800-miles all the way from the UK. The ice cold chamber, which plummets to -120C, helps to reduce lactic acid and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) so players can get back to fighting fitness ahead of their next Women's Euros 2025 bout.
In the last five years cryotherapy has soared in popularity, becoming a recovery favourite for sporting legends including Erling Haaland and Novak Djokovic. And now these cryo-vans have become a staple for the English Football Association, which also had a mobile chamber driven to Blankenhain for the 2024 Men's Euros in Germany.
Recalling her playing days, legendary Lionesses Jill Scott said it 'got her through' the Euros and World Cup. During the Australian World Cup of 2023 the Lionesses splurged out on private cryo-sessions in a clinic close to their base in Terrigal.
Determined to test the hype, the Mirror booked a session in Zurich city centre, where the Lionesses have been preparing for the Battle of Britain against Wales on Sunday. We spoke to Dr Oliver Boekels of the Ayun Longevity Clinic where a three minute session will set you back just £50 (55CHF).
Asked why he thinks cryotherapy has become a must-have for elite athletes, Dr Boekels, 57, said: "Cryotherapy promotes healing of the muscles and joints, which means you can perform better the next day. You want to perform the best you possibly can without overdoing it. If you give your body everything it needs.. you can stimulate the mitochondria in your cells which effectively fuel your body."
As well as promoting healing, cryotherapy improves sleep, prevents aging, releases endorphins and can burn 300-800 calories in one three-minute session. As I prepare to step inside the chamber, I'm given a wooly hat, socks, gloves and a mask to protect my extremities and lungs.
The rest of my body should be as exposed as possible to ensure maximum benefit and allow the cold air to penetrate my skin. Dr Boekels explains that when I get inside, they will give me 60 seconds to acclimatise to the cold before sending a wind chill into the chamber to get rid of my natural heat barrier.
After 90 seconds, the chamber is almost painfully cold and I find myself holding the mask to my face to try and keep the air inside just warm enough to breathe. It seems ludicrous that the air around me is now -110C.
Despite the discomfort, it is tolerable. While cryotherapy has been cemented as a crucial recovery step for athletes, Dr Boekels says there are also other popular therapies including altitude training, red light therapy and using a hyperbaric chamber.
This huge chamber pushes 100% oxygen into the body to help the lungs, brain and other organs. But before people are offered therapies Dr Boekels and the team at Ayun will run several tests to tailor their health plan for each unique customer. Dr Boekels said: "By tailoring the therapies, vitamins and supplements to your exact needs, you are giving it exactly the fuel it needs and effectively supercharging your body."
I can see my last ten seconds counting down in the ice cold cryo-chamber. Frost has formed on my hairs and when I finally step out the warm air feels like a hug. We take my external temperature and it has dropped by 11C to 21C from 32C.
Although the Ayun team explains that they would like to get my temperature down to 20C to get maximum benefit, I can already feel the rush of endorphins hitting me. I feel revitalised and ready to take on the day, but I'm probably still a few sessions off being able to take on the Lionesses.
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