Recovery
Sleep and Recovery Fundamentals
Sleep duration and timing, training load management, and an honest read of the evidence tiers behind popular recovery modalities.
7 min read · Published 15 Aug 2026
Recovery & therapies
Cryotherapy in Marbella
Whole-body cryotherapy exposes you to very cold air, typically below −110 °C, for two to three minutes in a chamber or open-topped cryosauna.
It is a fixture of the recovery market here. The evidence supports short-term perceived recovery far better than the metabolic and longevity claims that often accompany it.
What a session involves
You enter dry, in minimal clothing with extremities, ears and airways protected, and stay for two to three minutes under supervision. The stimulus is intense but brief, and skin temperature falls much further than core temperature.
Sessions are usually sold in packages, which is a commercial structure rather than an evidence-based dosing schedule.
How it differs from cold-water immersion
Cold water conducts heat away far more efficiently than cold air, so an ice bath at 10–15 °C for five to ten minutes produces a larger drop in tissue temperature than a three-minute cryotherapy session despite the less extreme number on the display.
Most published cold-exposure research uses water immersion. Applying that evidence to air cryotherapy is an assumption, not a finding.
Evidence tier and safety
Emerging evidence for reduced muscle soreness and improved perceived recovery in the day or two after hard exercise. Insufficient evidence for fat loss, metabolic health, immunity or longevity claims. As with cold water, routine use immediately after resistance training may blunt some adaptation.
Cryotherapy is not appropriate for everyone — cardiovascular conditions, uncontrolled hypertension, Raynaud's, cold urticaria, neuropathy and pregnancy are among the situations that need medical advice first. Discuss it with a doctor, and only use supervised facilities.
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