At this very moment around the world, athletes are almost naked into freezing cold chambers. Why on earth are they doing this? Because it’s supposed to help them feel better.
The treatment is called whole-body cryotherapy. Basketball star LeBron James and soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo have all tried it. The therapy works like this. You take off everything but your underwear. Then you put on warm socks and gloves and step into a chamber that looks sort of like a shower, except your head pokes out the top. Once you’re locked in, air cooled to below-200 F(-129 C) fills the chamber. That’s colder than Antarctica. You stay in for two to three minutes.
Those in favor believe the frigid air helps muscles recover faster and reduces pain. After his first cryotherapy sessions, Phil Mac Kenzie, a professional rugby player, felt noticeably better. He told Scientific American, “I felt refreshed right away. My sleep was better.” Soon, he was using the chamber four times a week. Those who promote cryotherapy make all sorts of wild claims about its benefits. Supposedly, that frigid air can increase focus, improve skin tone, make you happier, burn calories, treat arthritis, slow aging, and much more.
Is there any evidence to back up these incredible claims? Nope. Several small scientific studies have looked at whether the therapy can improve muscle recovery after exercise, with encouraging results. But there just isn’t enough evidence to show that the therapy works. The benefits some people experience may just be the placebo effect. That’s when a patient’s expectation that a treatment will work leads to an improvement.
The US Food & Drug Administration has actually issued a warning about whole-body cryotherapy. It cautions that the liquid nitrogen used to cool the chamber may make it difficult to breathe. Frostbite is another potential risk, which is why participants wear gloves and socks. What do you think?
12. Why should participants wear socks and gloves?
A.To prevent frostbite. |
B.To look better. |
C.To prevent shyness. |
D.To ensure the effect. |
13. Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word in paragraph 2?
A.warm | B.hot | C.freezing | D.relaxing |
14. What’s the main idea of paragraph 3?
A.The process of the treatment. |
B.The benefits of cryotherapy. |
C.The working principles of the treatment. |
D.Tips taken in account during the treatment. |
15. What’s the author’s attitude toward cryotherapy?
A.favorable | B.positive | C.unclear | D.doubtful |