Decreasing temperatures such that they could have an anti-inflammatory effect internally or bring back to body temperature (37-38°C) which a horse is designed to do of its own accord?
One of the main purported benefits of cold treatment is the associated reduction in tissue metabolism, cell activity, and enzyme reactions.(1,2) Meaning you are preventing or delaying the inflammatory response.
Metabolic enzymatic activity decreases by half for every 10 degrees C decrease in tissue temperature from normal body temperature,(2) Cryochaps have been found to drop temperatures over this 10 degrees significantly more than clays, water evaporative boots and gels.
Temperatures between 10 and 11degrees C have been suggested for effective inhibition of metabolism and minimization of secondary tissue damage.
Studies using internal temperature probes have found that internal tissue temperature does drop to around 10 degrees when using ice wraps on the horses lower limb.
The above graph is taken from the results of the study: Evaluation of the Cooling efficacy of different equine leg cooling methods by David Marlin and published in Comparative Exercise Physiology
(1)Meeusen R, Lievens P. The use of cryotherapy in sports injuries. Sports Med 1986;3:398–414.
(2). Swenson C, Swärd L, Karlsson J. Cryotherapy in sports medicine. Scand J Med Sci Sports 1996;6:193– 200
CRYOCHAPS #NoLegNoHorse #MakeLegsLastLonger
