Freezing chamber at minus 150 degrees Celsius helps English players recover

Midfielder Jude Bellingham says he always feels better after a treatment session. His teammates, who often queue up for their turn, feel better after just 150 seconds.

Key to England’s three-week recovery in Germany is the modified CryoLabs van, which has travelled more than 1,100km from Poole, Dorset, to Blankenhain, where Gareth Southgate’s squad are staying. Their cryo-chamber is inside the van, which is equipped with a cooling system that cools athletes to -122 to -150C to maximise their fitness during the tournament.

Cryotherapy is touted as a tool to help athletes recover faster from strenuous exercise while reducing muscle inflammation and soreness. It is used to reduce injury recovery time and increase muscle strength and energy levels. After the first few minutes of cold and pain, the benefits are noticeable.

“Treatments stimulate blood flow, reduce swelling and muscle pain, so you can get back to competition shape almost immediately,” the CryoLabs website states.

The therapy has been used by the England football team, rugby teams and singer Lewis Capaldi. Treatments are overseen by Chris Banks, a former Cheltenham Town footballer, and Mark Banks, a physiotherapist based in Port Vale.

According to Magazine Emergencies, Trauma, Shock, Training and competition overload the body, causing stress and fatigue. Therapies performed after training can affect the recovery process.

Magazine American Journal of Physiology found that cold water immersion after exercise allows athletes to perform better in subsequent training sessions.

The mechanism of action of cryotherapy depends largely on the immune system. The immune system is made up of a network of organs, hormones and cells that keep the body healthy. The study published in the Journal European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology tested how the immune system responded after being stimulated by low temperatures. They had athletes immerse themselves in ice water for six minutes, three times a week. They found that the cold triggered the body’s “fight or flight” response, causing an increase in lymphocytes. These are infection-fighting cells that help boost the athletes’ endurance.

Cold showers also constrict blood vessels, helping to remove waste products, such as lactic acid, from affected tissues.

Cryotherapy chambers eliminate the need for ice, but can still cool the body, achieving similar results. Cryotherapy chambers use liquid nitrogen to achieve the required temperature. The role of the cold temperature in the process is to encourage “blood to pump back to the heart before new oxygen-rich blood rushes out and travels to the muscles.”

However, cryotherapy does carry some risks. Users can suffer from frostbite or even asphyxiation if not properly monitored. The US Food and Drug Administration has not approved this therapy because the freezing chambers are not medical devices and do not treat any disease. Pregnant women or people with high blood pressure are advised not to use it.