Effect of Short-term Cooling at –70°C in an Air Cryogenic Sauna on Body Temperature and Lipid Profile of Healthy People

Abstract

The investigation was aimed at evaluation of level and rate of cutaneous and tympanic temperature drop due to a single short-timed (3 min) cooling in a cryosauna (–70°С), and adaptation-indicative physiological parameters, including blood catecholamines, ACTH, lipoproteins and free fatty acids. The subjects were seven healthy men. Exposure to cold invariably reduced the internal (tympanic) and cutaneous temperature by 1°С and 7°С on average, respectively. Tympanic temperature remained 0.4°С low on the average for more than 20 min after exposure. Cutaneous temperature was 1°С below the norm for an hour after cooling. For one hour after the short-term cold exposure, blood norepinephrine remained increased, and so did the blood concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and free fatty acids. These results demonstrate brief adaptive changes following a single exposure at–70°C.