Effects of the whole-body cryotherapy on NTproBNP, hsCRP and troponin I in athletes

Whole-body cryotherapy refers to brief exposure to very cold air for treating symptoms of various illnesses. In sports medicine, whole-body cryotherapy is administered to improve recovery from muscular trauma. As specific Studies are lacking we Measured cardiac markers in 10 top-level rugby players of the Italian National team before and after a I-week course of daily sessions of whole-body cryotherapy. All Subjects continued with the same training workload as that of the previous weeks. N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) levels increased but remained within the normal range. whilst troponin I (TnI) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) Were Unchanged. Whole-body cryotherapy did not impair cardiac function in this sample of elite athletes. (C) 2008 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.