Sex and Body Mass Index Differences in Changes in Skin Temperature After Repeated Sessions of Whole-Body Cryostimulation

Background: Whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) involves exposure to extremely low temperatures to reduce inflammation and pain and to enhance recovery. Despite its growing popularity and the importance of the magnitude of WBC-induced skin cooling in triggering the cascade of effects, limited research has focused on skin temperature changes in individuals with severe obesity, where body composition and sex may influence outcomes. Objective: To examine differences in the cooling response based on sex and BMI, we conducted an observational study comparing patients with obesity to normal-weight individuals after repeated WBC sessions. The goal was to identify differences in skin temperature drops linked to sex and BMI. Methods: A total of 149 adults participated in the study: 119 with obesity (body mass Index, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) and 30 with normal weight (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m²). Participants underwent 10 WBC sessions at -110 °C for 2 min over two weeks. Skin temperatures were measured before and after each session. Results: While the overall drop in skin temperature after 10 sessions of WBC was similar between the patients with obesity and normal-weight subjects, significant differences emerged after adjustment for body surface area. Females exhibited a greater decrease in temperature than males in both groups irrespective of BMI. However, among males, normal-weight individuals experienced a significantly greater temperature drop compared to those with obesity. Conclusions: The study shows that sex and BMI influence WBC-induced skin temperature changes. The results of this study suggest that WBC protocols should be personalized.