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

<b>Background</b>: 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. <b>Objective</b>: 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. <b>Methods</b>: 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. <b>Results</b>: 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. <b>Conclusions</b>: 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.