Athletes can greatly benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), as it speeds up recovery and enhances performance. But potentially, it accelerates recovery after sports-related injuries and surgery, allowing sportsmen to return to the field more quickly.
Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, recovery is essential. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has long been used for medical purposes such as wound therapy, decompression sickness, and crush injuries, but recently it has gained popularity for its recovery benefits in sports. Notable athletes like Michael Phelps and LeBron James have benefited from the therapy, and others who have had it say it leaves them feeling refreshed, revitalised, and with reduced muscle pain and inflammation. Also stated is a rapid recovery from injury.
Let’s talk about how hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve your workouts and what you can expect to gain from doing so. In today’s article, we’ll discuss why hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is such an effective treatment for athletes. Let’s get started!
- Activated Recovery by HBOT
The body is stressed by practise, training, conditioning, and competition. Recovery should be incorporated into the fitness routine of every athlete. After intense training, distance runners and mountain climbers are aware that they must take rest days to allow their bodies to heal.
When it comes to enhancing athletic performance, though, recovery is not as straightforward as simply resting. Athletes interested in optimising their performance should avoid passive recovery and instead adopt active recovery techniques such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Cristiano Ronaldo, who is probably the best soccer player in the world, used HBOT to heal his knee quickly after it got hurt.
Consider HBOT as a fast-forward button for recovery and healing. By flushing tissues with high concentrations of oxygen, athletes may experience the following advantages:
- Increased activation of stem cells
- Acceleration of bone and cartilage regeneration
- Reduced muscle weariness and fatigue.
- Faster treatment of tendon, ligament, and bone injuries
ACL injuries are typically hard to recover from, mainly due to their decreased blood supply. Not only through the blood vessels but also directly into the circulation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases blood flow to these tissues.
HBOT is a revolutionary treatment for injured athletes. Utilizing atmospheric pressures of up to 2.4 ATA, HBOT enables wounded tissue to absorb many times the typical quantity of oxygen. During a 60-90 minute HBOT therapy, oxygen can get deep into the blood, plasma, and cerebral fluids. This helps healing and blood flow in areas where they are needed.
- It reduces inflammation and discomfort
An inflammatory response is typical after strenuous exercise or when resting time is inadequate. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can minimise inflammation, reducing oxygen deficiency and reducing pain and swelling. Athletes that need to be at peak performance levels would appreciate this.
- Reduces the risk of overuse injuries
Athletes frequently have overuse injuries, DOMS, and other soft tissue issues. These result from particularly hard exercise, injuries, or mechanical concerns. HBOT adds extra oxygen to the bloodstream and tissues, which speeds up the healing of damaged tissues.
- Treatment for Concussion and TBI
Historically, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been mainly used to treat severe crush injuries. Recently, athletes such as NFL players have used it to treat difficult sports injuries such as head and crush injuries. HBOT may aid in reducing certain injuries’ side effects.
- The treatment of compartment syndrome
Compartment syndrome is not limited to elite long-distance runners; it can affect casual runners and joggers as well. Compartment syndrome, a rare, uncomfortable, and possibly fatal condition, is the result of internal pressure created by swollen or bleeding tissue. According to some physicians, the high-oxygen environment of an HBOT chamber may be an effective method to prevent this painful illness.
- Enhances mental health and performance
In addition to its physical benefits, hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides additional advantages. Athletes use HBOT to prepare their minds for a game, workout, or competition or to calm down after one.
- Enhancing Concentration
It takes more than just strength and technique to succeed as an athlete. Mental clarity, stamina, and concentration are required for peak performance! Athletes may benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy to eliminate brain fog and increase mental focus.
