It may have been a relatively mild winter so far, but several Tottenham players couldn't escape the cold as they prepared to aid their recovery in a freezing ice chamber after training.
The four Spurs stars, Andros Townsend, Kyle Walker, Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen, lined up wearing only shorts, socks, woolen hats and face masks as they nervously awaited the treatment on Friday.
And, with temperatures in the so-called kriotherapy chamber ranging from -130C and - 140C, they had every reason to be apprehensive ahead of the three minutes they will spend in a small room cooled by liquid nitrogen.
Developed in 1978 by Toshiro Yamauchi in Japan, the process, which has been used by Spurs players including Rafel van der Vaart and Jermain Defoe in the past, aids recovery by stimulating the body to keep warm in extreme cold temperatures.
Upon leaving the chamber, the players' veins will open to around three to four times bigger than normal, increasing the blood supply and bringing more oxygen to infected areas.
Kriotherapy provides a change of routine for injured athletes. It can trigger the release of endorphins that help combat any psychological malaise. It's also good for the skin, helps osteoporosis and can ease long-term complaints such as MS or ME. Men's testosterone levels increase afterwards, too.
Head of sports science at Manchester City (and formerly with Spurs), Dr Sam Erith, has said: 'Kriotherapy means you can train more, to get fitter more quickly. With the players who have been rehabilitating, they've been training three times a day.'
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