Athletes are always looking for ways to improve their performance and recovery time, either with remedies, training, equipment, or new therapies that promise much but sometimes can be left with little actual results.
However, one proven and studied method that has gained popularity in recent years is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which has more than a promise: It’s shown results. The hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment involves breathing in pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, which can have a range of benefits for athletes.
From speeding up muscle recovery to increasing stamina, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has the potential to enhance athletic performance in a significant way. Take some time to see if hyperbaric oxygen therapy is right for you.
Explore the various benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for athletes and how it can help take their training to the next level.
For decades, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and hyperbaric chambers have been utilized to treat various medical conditions, such as decompression sickness in scuba divers, soft tissue healing, severe anemia (deficiency of red blood cells), radiation injuries, and more.
The fundamental way this treatment works is by inhaling pure oxygen in a pressurized room or large tube to boost the body’s natural healing mechanisms. It is a safe, FDA-approved technology that essentially involves breathing in higher-than-normal levels of oxygen at increased pressures.
A hyperbaric chamber is a sealed enclosure where individuals inhale pure, 100% oxygen at elevated pressures exceeding normal atmospheric pressure levels. This enables the lungs to absorb a higher concentration of oxygen compared to the air at sea level.
According to the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) involves increasing oxygen delivery to a patient breathing only this gas at pressures of 1.4 ATA (equivalent to normal ambient pressure at sea level) or above.
Hyperbaric oxygen chambers vary in size and design, with the two most common types being monoplace chambers and multiplace chambers, designed for single or multiple individuals, respectively.
Research has shown that, at least for athletes, multiplace chambers are the better option, as they allow for oxygen fluctuation during each session, which has been shown to induce more stem cell production and hypoxia-inducible factor, key in the creation of new blood vessels.
Meanwhile, hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves a patient breathing a pure oxygen supply in a hyperbaric chamber, allowing the lungs to gather more oxygen than normal for several sessions. This increased oxygen level in your blood has a range of potential benefits, like promoting wound and injury healing and even helping fight certain infections.
New research, like this 2022 study, has found more potential benefits from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, such as boosting energy levels, improving athletic performance, or enhancing overall well-being.
Here are just some of the known effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the body include:
Understanding the uses and effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy can empower you or any patient to make informed decisions about incorporating this treatment into your healthcare routine.
Is there really evidence to prove athletes benefit from hyperbaric oxygen treatment? You bet.
HBOT has been studied extensively throughout the last three decades, with one 2011 meta-analysis done in Portugal of several global studies and clinical trials on professional athletes since the 1990s showing very promising results from HBOT for treating muscle-tendon junctions and ligament injuries, strains, and ischemia.
Another study has proven just how much it improved mitochondrial respiration and physical performance in middle-aged athletes, giving them an overall energy boost after consistent and effective sessions in a hyperbaric chamber.
These proven and beneficial effects are why some of the most famous athletes in the world, including LeBron James, Michael Phelps, and Tiger Woods, have used them for both healing and obtaining a competitive edge.
One of the most positive effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on athletes has been its reduction of inflammation. The science behind this starts with cytokines, which are small proteins crucial for the body’s immune response. They regulate inflammation and the body’s reaction to infection, injury, or stress.
However, prolonged elevated cytokine levels can lead to tissue and organ damage due to an overactive immune response. Athletes who regularly engage in intense physical activity may experience chronic cytokine elevation, a persistent state of inflammation caused by stress and damage to muscles and tissues during training and competition. This condition can result in reduced muscle function, increased injury risk, and impaired recovery, as well as potential health issues like insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and chronic pain.
It’s why researchers, for years now, have been studying how HBOT has shown promise in reducing inflammation and promoting tissue regeneration. Studies have demonstrated HBOT’s ability to reduce inflammation and enhance muscle recovery in injuries, as well as alleviate pain and improve function in chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
Another study from 2017 found that HBOT could indeed reduce inflammation while also improving muscle regeneration in animals with induced injuries.
Because hyperbaric oxygen treatment decreases the size of blood oxygen molecules, they can more easily reach cellular mitochondria, which is where ATP is produced. ATP can be best described as cellular or mitochondrial respiration and is essential for the body’s energy levels, meaning that the increase in oxygen concentration can lead to more energy for work and recovery, as well as an increase in physical performance.
HBOT was shown in a study to also increase aerobic capacity and endurance performance in healthy middle-age master athletes, meaning that they were able to improve their maximal oxygen consumption, or VO2max, which is the level of oxygen you can consume when being physically active.
In addition, it has also been shown to improve the anaerobic threshold or VO2AT, meaning athletes can last longer before their muscles and energy run out during exercise.
Another study involving young soccer players found that, just like with middle-aged athletes, the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy were just as promising, improving peak performance in noticeable ways.
HBOT involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, which increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. This higher oxygen level can improve circulation and blood flow and promote the delivery of oxygen to muscle tissues, aiding in their recovery time.
Previous studies have also shown how HBOT can help quicken the natural healing processes and functional recovery from injuries and recovery from fatigue in athletes. One study from Japan followed several athletes who were treated with oxygen therapy, and they all reported a reduction in post-injury swelling.
The best results were shown in bone, muscle, and ligament sports injuries, although there was still a generalized recovery in tissues around the body, not just ligament or muscle tissue.
Higher blood oxygen levels also increase the capacity of white blood cells in our immune system to kill bacteria, thanks to an increase in neutrophil and macrophage activity, adding another layer to the overall recovery effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Because HBOT also helps to increase maximal oxygen consumption and the anaerobic threshold, muscle soreness is reduced, and recovery from exercise is accelerated. With its anti-inflammatory effects, it also helps recovery times after exercise or intense physical strain. The influx of oxygen into the cells promotes blood vessel growth and, thus, better and faster muscle recovery after intense workout sessions, leading to better athletic output.
Even cognitive function improved in several trials about the effects of HBOT, with another study showing an almost 4% increase on average.
There’s a marked improvement in focus, attention, information processing speed, and overall cognitive performance. This is because improved oxygenation does not just lead to blood vessel growth and benefits for soft tissue injuries but also for the nervous system and brain tissue.
This means that it can also aid brain recovery after concussions or traumatic brain injury, which is why HBOT has become a mainstay in sports like American football or NASCAR. Some of the biggest names in the NFL, from Aaron Rodgers to Joe Namath have talked about using hyperbaric oxygen protocols to reduce complications from head trauma or other injuries. That’s not all, elite athletes across other sports like Lebron James, Joe Namath, and Michael Phelps also swear by the benefits of HBOT as well.
Last but not least, among the many benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for athletes is improving sleep. HBOT has been shown to improve the quality of sleep in individuals, including athletes. The increased oxygen levels provided during HBOT sessions can have several benefits on sleep quality in several ways.
Since inflammation can be reduced after a session in a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, that leads to a faster recovery and healing after muscle fatigue and inflammation, which then results in improved sleep quality at night.
HBOT also helps reduce stress and anxiety, as it helps the nervous system as well, healing the brain and improving cognitive function, which in turn leads to much better sleep at night.
In fact, it’s even been shown to improve the symptoms of long COVID, including chronic insomnia.
Just like HBOT can improve recovery from injuries and reduce swelling, then another expected benefit is an overall improvement in recovery from fatigue in athletes. The time it takes to be ready for their next run, fight, game, or workout is shortened.
This is a result of the increased atmospheric pressure with 100% oxygen, which allows the essential molecule to dissolve in the blood plasma itself, meaning more tissues can get more oxygen. This increases the recovery process and healing process after injury or intense workout. Again, improving sports performance is established at the top of the list.
Talk to your healthcare provider to see if hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help you as an athlete heal from any previous sports injury, improve cognitive performance after a past injury, or just keep your performance levels competitive and at the top of your potential. Don’t hesitate to call or contact ReEnergized to book a session that’s completely safe and where you’re in control of your treatment at all times.
The risks associated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy are generally considered to be rare when the treatment is administered appropriately by qualified, informed professionals. These include potential claustrophobia while laying in the chamber, anxiety, lightheadedness, fatigue, ear or sinus pressure or discomfort, and in cases where the recipient was in the chamber for too long, there have been cases of oxygen poisoning. HBOT is not recommended for pregnant women or individuals with middle ear barotrauma, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or acute or chronic respiratory conditions.