How does Hyperbaric Chamber Therapy Improve Athletic Performance?

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No matter whether you are a professional athlete or a fitness fanatic, hyperbaric chamber therapy can help you out. Even if you feel fatigue after your workout session, you can consider this therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT is the key to fulfilling all of your fitness goals. Many professional athletes have admitted the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Professionals prefer to buy chambers that can be used at their homes. Even, many pro athletes have admired the effectiveness of HBOT.

You would be surprised to know that an average NFL player can play maximum 3.5 years, soccer 2 years, baseball players 6 years, and basketball players only 5 years. Due to the advancement of modern medical science, the professional athletes are looking for hyperbaric chamber therapy to recover their injury faster and perform better. In the initial stages of HBOT, it was applied to scuba divers only. Many scuba divers reported that they got rid of the joint stiffness after going through the therapy.

Hyperbaric chamber therapy heals injuries three times faster than the traditional treatment methods. Most of the people have reported that they feel refreshed after going through the sessions of HBOT. On the other hand, there are some people who have shared their euphoric experience after going through the treatment. It can happen due to the pure oxygen environment during the session. Pain level can be reduced by this therapy and this is why the professional athletes need the therapy frequently.

Let’s have a quick look the benefits the athletes can reap from hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

1. Recovery:

HBOT facilitates a faster resumption from critical injuries. An athlete needs to deal with injuries throughout his/her career. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also improves both the long and short-term prognosis of their injuries.

2. Fatigue:

If oxygen supply to a musculoskeletal system increases in the state of fatigue, it can activate the cellular activity. This process also increases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis by promoting the metabolism of fatigue elements. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is known as a method that promotes a quick recovery from fatigue.

3. Performance:

The increase in oxygen supply or oxygenation has a number of health benefits including cell growth, detoxification, regeneration, immune support, new capillary growth, and improvement in neurological functioning.

How does it function?

Generally, a human being consumes almost six pounds of oxygen each day. Oxygen is no doubt the most important element required for a healthy living. Oxygen has multiple functions in the body. But primarily, energy production is the main role of oxygen. We all know that only fifty percent of energy is provided by fats and carbohydrates that we consume. Our cells need to convert this stored energy into the molecules of ATP with the help of oxygen.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the pressure of oxygen partially. It dissolves the oxygen into the plasma and other fluids of our body. Water and the gas get dissolved into the system and both of these two elements can cross the cells’ semi-permeable membrane through osmosis. It is known to all that our human body is made of almost 70 percent water. Our cells almost bath into this water. Hyperbaric chamber supplies oxygen to every tissue in our body to further the process mentioned above. Professional athletes always go through hard training. HBOT helps them to reduce the pain and stress caused by the training. Often they get injured. To be fit before an upcoming event, HBOT is the best option for the athletes through which they can recover from their injuries or wounds in a short period of time.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved hyperbaric oxygen therapy for certain indications; recovery from injuries or wound healing is one of them. In most of the cases, athletes use HBOT for this purpose. Athletes go through several injuries because they spend most of their times in a rough environment. When you will enter the hyperbaric chamber, and the session will be started, all of your organs will be saturated in the presence of hundred percent pure oxygen. Athletes can energize themselves effectively by continuing HBOT.

A Final Takeaway:

From the above discussion, it is clear that the relevance of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is rapidly increasing in the field of sports. A professional athlete can take this therapy for multiple reasons. Even aspirant athletes (who are still struggling to get known as professionals) are also inclined towards the treatment for reaping the benefits.

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Chloe Paltrow
Chloe Paltrow, a medical assistant. She has shared her knowledge in various websites and blogs like PsychCentral, Collective Evolution and Pick The Brain. Currently, she is studying how brain injury and brain disorders can be treated with hyperbaric chambers.