Get rid of excess pounds quickly? That promise trends like hot yoga or cold club.
The temperature drops slowly, but steadily. In the end, the red numbers above the cabin indicate the unbelievable value of minus 145 degrees Celsius.
What sounds like a training camp for an Alaskareise, is actually a treatment in a Frankfurt cold club. Promise is the rapid loss of excess pounds, as the minus degrees to fuel the metabolism. Now in the spring, not only the operators of this offer for those willing to eat can be very pleased.
Losing weight due to cold?
The extreme cold is harmless for the customers, says Renate Süssenguth, the head of the cold club “Cryosizer”. Because it is dry cold, which is generated with the help of nitrogen. “It feels very different than traveling outside.”
The customers at first take off their underwear. For the feet they get warm woolen shoes and climb otherwise unprotected in the cold cabin, only the head sticking out at the top. Gradually, nitrogen mist is blown into the silver case. “It is slowly cooled down, so that the body can get used to it,” says Süssenguth. It monitors and controls treatment via a touchscreen next to the cabin.
There is demand from all age groups, many customers are cold treatments from rheumatism known. Similar concepts are known, inter alia, from sports medicine, the cold should promote regeneration. However, authors of the German Sport University Cologne expressed skepticism in a study.
Scientific evidence is missing
The Lübeck endocrinologist and metabolic researcher Sebastian Schmid speaks of a highly interesting concept. Whether so that actually a weight loss is possible, but it is unclear. “There is no scientific data for it, that’s simply not investigated,” says the professor.
He asked two manufacturers if his research group could examine a cold chamber for one year for its effect on metabolism, blood pressure and weight, but received refusals. Even possible disadvantages are therefore not investigated. People with cardiovascular diseases, open skin diseases or mental health problems such as claustrophobia, he advised, in a cold chamber to rise, says Schmid.
In addition to the extreme cold, there are numerous other offers that promise a quick way to the dream figure: Training on special vacuum treadmills or muscle strengthening with electronic impulses – just 20 minutes a week should be loud advertising to achieve a slimmer line. If you do not like the temperatures of the cold chamber, you can also try it as a contrast program with Hot Yoga at 39 degrees and 40 percent humidity.
Nutrition change recommended
The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) has evaluated several diets and fasting programs in the spring and emphasizes: It is important in any case, a long-term and suitable for everyday use approach. “Otherwise body weight will rise again if you fall back into old habits,” says spokeswoman Antje Gahl.
She warns of crash diets: “A half to a kilo per week is quite neat.” Those who lose more risk being weighed more by the yo-yo effect than before. A permanent weight loss succeeds only in a long-term change in diet and daily about 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity, explains the DGE.
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits, but little sweets, alcohol and white flour products and additional exercise in many cases enough to lose three to four kilos, says spokeswoman Gahl. So you do not have to spend a lot of money on a slimming program.