Fatigue recovery enhancement method

Abstract

To solve a problem that, even though there is a device that cools a part of a body with cooling gas of an ultra-low temperature, importance of measuring a temperature of a body surface is not known.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a method of promoting recovery from fatigue by inserting a part of a human body, for example, a leg, to a tank filled with cooling gas of minus 120°C or less, holding a surface temperature of a portion in contact with the cooling gas to 35°C or less, and maintaining the state at least for 1 minute and 30 seconds.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for promoting fatigue recovery by cooling a part of the human body at ultra-low temperature.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, methods and devices for cooling at least a part of the human body at ultra-low temperature for the purpose of treatment or fatigue recovery are known. For example, the following patent document discloses a device that positions almost the entire body of a person in a bath (human body storage container) filled with a cooling gas cooled to -120°C to cool almost the entire body and promote fatigue recovery. And a large-scale refrigerator is connected to this bath, and the bath itself also has a complex structure.

[0003]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Disclosure of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the above Patent Document 1, conditions for cooling the body by completely storing almost the entire body of a person in a container filled with a cooling gas at -120°C are described, but the temperature change on the body surface is not mentioned, and although a certain effect is recognized for treatment or fatigue recovery, it is not necessarily sufficient.

[0006] The present invention focuses on the temperature change on the body surface to solve such problems and mentions this temperature change on the body surface. In addition, it is not necessarily necessary to cool the whole body, and it has been discovered that cooling only the lower legs also has a fatigue recovery effect, and the content thereof is disclosed.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] (1) The present invention is a method for promoting fatigue recovery by positioning a part of the human body in a tank filled with a cooling gas at -70°C or lower and cooling it, and maintaining the surface temperature of the part in contact with the cooling gas at 25°C or lower for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds. For example, when the lower leg of the human body is brought into contact with air at -120°C and the surface temperature of the part in contact with the air is maintained at 25°C for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds, the legs feel refreshed and fatigue recovery is promoted.

[0008] (2) The present invention is a method for promoting fatigue recovery by positioning a part of the human body in a tank filled with a cooling gas at -70°C or lower and cooling it, reducing the surface temperature of the part in contact with the cooling gas by 5°C or more from the initial temperature, and maintaining it for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds. For example, when the lower leg of the human body is brought into contact with air at -120°C and the surface temperature of the part in contact with the air is reduced by 5°C from the initial temperature, the legs feel refreshed and fatigue recovery is promoted.

[0009] (3) It is desirable to cool a plurality of times with a cooling interval of at least 2 minutes. When cooling is performed a plurality of times, for example, 3 times at 3-minute intervals, the fatigue recovery effect is further enhanced.

[0010] (4) It is desirable to insert only the lower leg of the human body into a tank filled with a cooling gas. Since the key to fatigue recovery lies in cooling the lower legs, cooling only the lower legs promotes fatigue recovery efficiently.

[0011] (5) It is desirable that the volume of the tank is 40 liters or less and has a structure that allows only the lower leg of the human body to be inserted. When the volume of the tank is 40 liters or less, only the lower leg of the human body can be inserted, the entire device can be miniaturized, and the power for driving the device can also be suppressed.

[0012] (6) A refrigerator is connected to the tank, and it is desirable to cool the cooling gas inside the tank to -70 °C or lower by the refrigerator. When the gas inside the tank is cooled by a refrigerator, it can be operated anywhere with a power supply, which is convenient. Especially by miniaturization, it can be easily transported to the site of the athlete's activity.

[0013] (7) It is desirable to configure the refrigerator to operate at AC100V. When the refrigerator is configured to operate at AC100V, it can be installed anywhere with an AC100V power supply, so its applications are expanded.

[0014] (8) A seating portion where a person can sit is formed near the upper opening edge of the tank, and it is desirable that a seat cushion made of a heat-insulating cushion material is placed on the seating portion. When a seating portion where a person can sit is formed near the upper opening edge of the tank and a seat cushion made of a heat-insulating cushion material is placed on the seating portion, even if the seating portion is at a low temperature, the part of the human body that contacts the seating portion will not be abnormally cooled.

[0015] (9) It is desirable that the tank is equipped with a thermometer for displaying the temperature of the internal cooling gas. When the tank is equipped with a thermometer for displaying the temperature of the internal cooling gas, a person who wants to cool their lower legs can know the temperature of the cooling gas in the tank in advance and know the timing to insert their lower legs into the tank. Also, when their lower legs are inserted into the tank, they can know the temperature change of the cooling gas in the tank.

[0016] (10) It is desirable that the tank is equipped with a timer. When the tank is equipped with a timer, a person who is cooling their lower legs can know the cooling time.

[0017] (11) It is desirable to be equipped with a thermometer for measuring the surface temperature of the body. When a thermometer for measuring the surface temperature of the body is provided, a person who is cooling the lower leg can appropriately know the temperature change of the body surface of their own lower leg.

[0018] (12) It is desirable that the thermometer is an infrared thermometer. When the thermometer is an infrared thermometer, the temperature of the human body surface can be measured instantaneously and non - contact.

[0019]

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, by cooling a part of the body, an effect of promoting fatigue recovery can be easily exerted. In particular, by paying attention to the temperature change of the body surface, a more effective effect of promoting fatigue recovery can be obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are perspective views of a cooling device used in an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a housing, and a tank 2 with an internal volume of 40 liters and an open upper part into which only the lower leg 8 of the human body 9 can be inserted is provided. The wall of the housing 1 is provided with a heat insulating material. On the opening surface of the tank 2, a lid 4 to which two handles 3 are fixed is detachably attached.

[0023] On the side part of the housing 1, a refrigerator storage part 6 in which a refrigeration device 5 is stored inside is fixedly provided. Also, on the upper surfaces of the housing 1 and the refrigerator storage part 6, a zabuton 7 made of a cushioning material having heat insulation properties such as sponge is placed.

[0024] Furthermore, on the upper part of the housing 1, a holding rod 10 for holding the human body 9 is fixedly provided when a person inserts the lower leg 8 into the tank 2. On the lower surfaces of the housing 1 and the refrigerator storage part 6, casters 11 for transporting the housing 1 and the like and a fixture 12 for fixing the housing 1 are provided.

[0025] Also, in the cooling device shown in FIG. 4, near the upper opening of the tank 2 on the upper surface of the housing 1, a thermometer with a clock 21 in which a thermometer showing the temperature of the air in the tank 2 and a clock showing the insertion time of the lower leg 8 into the tank 2 are incorporated is fixedly provided. Furthermore, a non-contact infrared thermometer 22 is detachably installed on the upper surface of the housing 1. In addition, when the volume of the above-mentioned 2 is 40 liters or less, only the lower leg 8 of the human body 9 can be inserted, the entire device can be miniaturized, and the power for driving the device can also be suppressed.

[0026] Next, the internal structure will be described with reference to FIG. 3. In the refrigerator 5, a refrigerant having an extremely low GWP (global warming potential) compared to Freon, such as hydrofluoroolefin, and having high refrigeration performance while significantly suppressing the influence of the greenhouse effect is used. The refrigerant is enclosed in a refrigerant pipe 13 for circulating the refrigerant.

[0027] The refrigerant pipe 13 is more specifically arranged to circulate through the refrigeration cycle. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas, which is the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 14, undergoes heat exchange by the condenser 15 and is converted into a high-temperature and high-pressure liquid. The high-temperature and high-pressure liquid is supplied to the evaporator 17 via the expansion valve 16. At this time, the refrigerant evaporates by adiabatic expansion and is converted into a low-temperature and low-pressure gas, which then refluxes to the compressor 14. A fan 18 is provided outside the condenser 15 to efficiently cool the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid in the condenser 15.

[0028] An air supply pipe 19 is arranged adjacent to the evaporator 17. The air cooled by absorbing heat from the refrigerant is supplied into the tank 2 by the air supply pipe 19. An air pump 20 is mounted on the air supply pipe 19 to circulate and cool the air in the tank 2 and also take in a part of the air from the outside.

[0029] The compressor 14, the fan 18, and the air pump 20 are all configured to be driven by an AC100V power supply. Also, in this embodiment, the temperature of the air supplied into the tank 2 is configured to be -120°C.

[0030] Thus, when cooling a person's lower legs 8, the refrigerator is operated with the opening of the tank 1 closed by the lid 4 in advance to lower the temperature of the air inside the tank 1 to -120°C. After confirming that the temperature of the air inside the tank 1 has dropped to -120°C, insert both lower legs 8 into the tank 1 while dressed, sit on the cushion 7, and then turn on the timer 21. The timer 21 is set to emit a warning sound when 3 minutes have elapsed.

[0031] During the cooling of both lower legs 8 of a person, in order to measure the surface temperature of the body at any time, the infrared thermometer 22 is directed at the bare skin to measure its surface temperature. When the temperature is higher than the target temperature, cooling may continue for more than the predetermined 3 minutes until the target temperature is reached.

[0032] (Experiment 1) Figure 5 shows the average values of five subjects when the lower leg 8 was inserted into the tank 2 filled with air at -120 degrees, and is a table and graph showing the changes in the surface temperatures of the ankle and calf respectively. Each temperature is rounded down to the nearest whole number. Generally, the surface temperature of the ankle is 1°C to 2°C lower than that of the calf. As is also clear from this graph, it can be seen that the initial temperature of the epidermis of the lower leg (ankle and calf) 8, which was around 31°C, decreased by about 6°C to around 25°C after 1 minute and 30 seconds. And when 3 minutes had passed, it can be seen that the temperature of the epidermis of the lower leg 8 had decreased by about 15°C from the initial temperature to around 16°C. Thus, it can be seen that the temperature decreased from the beginning to around 25°C after 1 minute and 30 seconds, and then further decreased to around 16°C after 3 minutes. Therefore, in this case, by simply inserting the lower leg 8 into the tank 2 for about 3 minutes, for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds, the temperature of the lower leg decreased sufficiently, promoting the fatigue recovery effect.

[0033] (Experiment 2) Also, the effects of cooling a part of the body in other experiments were as follows. Experimental method (1) Subjects: 37 adult males Age 39.5 years old ±11.4 years old Height 170.4 cm ± 6.12 cm Weight 71.2 kg ±11.0 kg (2) Experiment date and time: July 5 to August 10, 2023 (3) Immediately before the start of the experiment, blood pressure and heart rate were measured while lying on the back. After being placed in the tank 2 of the cooling device for 3 minutes (hereinafter referred to as "cold air bath"), blood pressure and heart rate were measured immediately after performing 3 sets of 3-minute breaks. After a 30-minute break, blood pressure and heart rate were measured and examined respectively.

[0034] Experimental results (1) Mean value of systolic blood pressure (upper blood pressure) Before experiment: 133.6 mmHg Immediately after experiment: 132.0 mmHg 30 minutes after experiment: 129.7 mmHg Blood pressure decreased significantly immediately after the experiment compared with that before the experiment. Blood pressure decreased significantly 30 minutes after the experiment compared with that before the experiment. As a result, it can be seen that although systolic blood pressure temporarily increases immediately after cold air bath, it returns to normal within 30 minutes.

[0035] (2) Mean of pulse pressure (difference between systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure) Before experiment: 50.7 mmHg Immediately after experiment: 51.8 mmHg 30 minutes after experiment: 49.9 mmHg Pulse pressure fluctuated significantly immediately after the experiment compared with that before the experiment. Pulse pressure fluctuated significantly 30 minutes after the experiment compared with that before the experiment. As a result, it can be seen that although pulse pressure temporarily increases immediately after cold air bath, it decreases after 30 minutes compared with that before bathing. This suggests that the cardiac load is reduced by cold air bath.

[0036] (3) Heart rate There was no significant difference in heart rate before and after the experiment and 30 minutes after the experiment. As a result, it can be seen that heart rate is not affected by cold air bath.

[0037] (4) ABI (blood pressure of lower limb / blood pressure of upper limb) The normal value of this index is 1.0 - 1.4 Before experiment (right): 1.1206 (left): 1.1123 30 minutes after experiment (right): 1.1149 (left): 1.1121 ABI fluctuated significantly 30 minutes after the experiment compared with that before the experiment. As a result, it can be seen that ABI decreases 30 minutes after cold air bath. This suggests that cold air bath reduces vascular resistance and improves blood flow, which is considered to contribute to the promotion of fatigue recovery. As a final result, all showed a reaction that the fatigue recovery was promoted and the lower limbs felt refreshed.

Explanation of Signs

[0038] 1 housing, 2 tank, 3 handle, 4 lid, 5 refrigeration device, 6 refrigerator storage section, 7 futon, 8 lower leg, 9 human body, 10 holding rod, 11 caster, 12 fixture, 13 refrigerant pipe, 14 compressor, 15 condenser, 16 expansion valve, 17 evaporator, 18 fan, 19 cold air supply pipe, 20 air pump, 21 thermometer with clock, 22 infrared thermometer.

Claims

1. A method for promoting fatigue recovery by positioning a part of the human body in a tank filled with a cooling gas at -70°C or lower, cooling it, and maintaining the surface temperature of the part in contact with the cooling gas at 25°C or lower for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds.

2. A method for promoting fatigue recovery by positioning a part of the human body in a tank filled with a cooling gas at -70°C or lower, cooling it, reducing the surface temperature of the part in contact with the cooling gas by 5°C or more from the initial temperature, and maintaining it for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds.

3. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein cooling is performed multiple times with a cooling interval of at least 2 minutes.

4. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein only the lower leg of the human body is inserted into a tank with an open upper part filled with a cooling gas.

5. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tank has a volume of 40 liters or less and is shaped such that only the lower leg of the human body can be inserted.

6. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a refrigerator is connected to the tank, and the cooling gas inside the tank is cooled to -70°C or lower by the refrigerator.

7. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 6, wherein the refrigerator operates at AC 100V.

8. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 4, wherein a seating portion where a person can sit is formed near the upper opening edge of the tank, and a seat cushion made of a heat-insulating cushion material is placed on the seating portion.

9. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tank is provided with a thermometer for displaying the temperature of the internal cooling gas.

10. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tank is provided with a timer.

11. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a thermometer for measuring the surface temperature of the body is provided.

12. The method for promoting fatigue recovery according to claim 11, wherein the thermometer is a non-contact infrared thermometer.

Images