If you are a fan of sports news or shows, you have certainly seen many times how, during breaks or after the competition, athletes retreat to inhale oxygen on the field. It is a rapid option for the body to receive a high intake of pure oxygen and to benefit from all the advantages it offers. During the training and preparation periods for important competitions, many athletes successfully resort to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, for an increase in performance, but also for a faster recovery after injuries.

Why hyperbaric oxygen therapy is recommended for performance athletes

Inhaling oxygen on the field during sports competitions gives athletes the opportunity to regulate their breathing, but does not necessarily help them gain an advantage in terms of performance. With the interruption of the process of inspiration of pure oxygen, when the athlete returns to the field, the positive effects he enjoys also stop.

The same does not happen in the case of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, whose effects can be felt for a long time after the end of the sessions. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the efficiency of leukocytes, especially in injured areas, while minimizing the harmful effects of carbon monoxide and cyanide, you can read more about this on Oxyhelp Hbot - oxygen therapy right here.

Technological advances, which allow the use of portable devices, as well as the increased number of clinical trials conducted by institutions and manufacturers, demonstrate the countless benefits offered by hyperbaric oxygen therapy. (“Sales of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Devices Are Slated To Rise At A CAGR Of 8.9% to Reach US$ 7.3 Bn By The End Of 2028”)

The often superhuman effort made by athletes causes the breath to become insufficient and the level of oxygen that reaches the body to decrease. This impact can be best realized when athletes train at high altitudes when, due to the pressure difference, the heart rate increases, breathing is accentuated, and lactic acid accumulates faster in the blood. Due to the lack of oxygen in the muscles, the high level of lactic acid in the muscles cannot be transported quickly to the liver, to be transformed into pyruvic acid. The result is an acute feeling of fatigue and exhaustion.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions help to oxygenate the muscles, so that the level of lactic acid will be reduced and training can continue and last for longer, despite the high effort involved.

The percentage of oxygen in the air, compared to the rest of the gasses that make up the atmosphere, is approximately constant, regardless of its location on the globe (in normal conditions). The only difference is made by the air pressure, which is higher at low altitude, but decreases as the altitude increases. At high altitudes, under low pressure, oxygen molecules are further away. This is why, at a given volume of air, there are more air molecules at sea level than when the altitude is high.

In short, regular breathing takes less oxygen when you are on top of the mountain than when you relax on the beach. Automatically, the level of oxygen that reaches the blood is reduced, and the human body will respond by increasing the heart's respiratory rate. The body adapts and produces more red blood cells and this is the effect that athletes want when training at altitude, for a long period of time. With the return to a lower altitude, each breath will provide a greater amount of oxygen and the greater number of red blood cells will transport it faster to cells, organs and muscles.

What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Also called Hbot, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the inhalation of high purity oxygen, in a specially created chamber, where the pressure is from 1.5 to 2 times higher than in the usual environment (“ Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy ”). The first chamber was created in the 1930s, with the aim of using it for decompression sickness, which is related to deep diving.

Normally, the air we breathe contains about 21% oxygen, while 78% is nitrogen, and the rest are noble gasses and carbon dioxide. Because it is possible to inhale oxygen up to 95% purity in hyperbaric chambers, all organs, muscles and cells will benefit from this rapid supply of oxygen, which will be dissolved in the blood.

Why hyperbaric oxygen intake is important during intense training

When exercising with high effort, the body must maintain the level of oxygen in the blood. For this reason, breathing is faster, so that all organs, muscles and cells receive more oxygen.

Even if you breathe faster the body does not receive enough oxygen to function, a process known as anaerobic respiration begins. This means that the body takes oxygen from within and the effect is the transformation of glycogen (from oxygen-free blood) into lactic acid. As a result of this process, muscle cramps and generalized fatigue appear, and later, muscle fever. When the body receives a high amount of oxygen, the blood will limit the production of lactic acid, but also eliminate the existing one. Obviously, any athlete who benefits from a high intake of hyperbaric oxygen will be able to improve his performance by increasing endurance.

To benefit more from the hyperbaric oxygen therapy it is better to perform sessions before important training and competitions. Top physical and mental performance can be achieved, because during exercise, the body metabolizes oxygen at a faster rate. If it does not receive an adequate amount of oxygen, the body gets tired and lactic acid accumulates in the muscles.

In addition, mental fatigue will also appear, given that among the most oxygen-consuming organs in the body is the brain. It needs about 20% of the body's oxygen to function. According to studies, just a few sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps improve memory, concentration and reaction time. (“A double ‐ blind placebo ‐ controlled clinical trial testing the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on brain and cognitive outcomes of mildly cognitively impaired elderly with type 2 diabetes: Study design”).

Other benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Performance athletes resort to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, not only to withstand intense training or to increase their performance during competitions, but also to recover from various types of injuries, including stretching, ligament tears and even concussions.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also helps to quickly reduce inflammation, improve blood circulation and slow down the formation of scars. Hyperbaric oxygen has the unique ability to ameliorate tissue hypoxia and alleviate ischemia reperfusion lesions, and most of the conditions for which it is used have few successful alternative treatments (“An Update on the Appropriate Role for Hyperbaric Oxygen: Indications and Evidence, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery”).

Oxyhelp hyperbaric chambers - best best choice today

Manufactured in the European Union by specialized engineers with high quality materials, the hyperbaric chambers from Oxyhelp are built to the highest design and functionality standards. There are products that help to achieve and maintain optimal health, with the help of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

They have:

-digitally controlled operating systems

-efficient ventilation

-safety and comfort

-premium materials

The hyperbaric chambers offered by Oxyhelp are designed for people of all ages, offering amazing fast results. In addition, they can be used for years, with minimal operating and maintenance costs.

More information about hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be found at Oxyhelp.com.