We are in the process of rebuilding our websites. Stay tuned for dynamic changes over the next couple of days. We will be pulling all of our separate sites into one large site with new added dynamic functionality. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience our changes may bring about.
We are proud to announce that our online directory of hyperbaric facilities has grown by leaps and bounds. Nearly a thousand facilities now find a home on our up-to-date hyperbaric directory.
HBOT & Sports Performance Enhancement
Athletes today are always looking for the latest and greatest “Performance Enhancement Product”. In fact, many are willing to utilize illegal and/or experimental substances in hopes of unlocking some hidden potential that is believed impossible with good old fashioned hard work and healthy living. Others, on the other hand, are willing to put in the time and realize that longevity in any sport does not come from the quick fix, but rather from building on the small gains of the everyday struggle for perfection.
So for many athletes, the question still remains… “Where and who do I turn to if I’m not interested in the quick fix?” One such tool that more and more athletes, professional and otherwise, are turning to today is mild hyperbarics. Mild hyperbarics is the use of very mild pressure (only 4.4 psig) applied safely and conveniently for usually about an hour with a mild portable hyperbaric chamber either in the athletes own home or at a local clinic. Unlike many ergogenic aids such as steroids, mild hyperbarics has not received the same press and exposure throughout the athletic community, but does that mean that it is any less of a performance enhancement aid? The answer is no! However, we must go back and define what we mean by Performance Enhancement Aid. Will athletes see a 10% gain in power or speed within a week of utilizing mild hyperbaric chamber? Certainly not! Will endurance athletes get a direct competitive edge from dissolved oxygen if they do a mild hyperbaric chamber session just prior to an event? Absolutely not! And for these reasons major organizations like the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) do not list hyperbarics as a banned substance or activity for competing athletes. Then how does mild hyperbarics benefit the competitive athlete? Mild hyperbarics has two main avenues with which athletes could dramatically benefit from.
- Enhanced recovery time from intense training, thus helping to prevent chronic overtraining injuries.
- Faster recovery from acute injuries, leading to a quicker return back to a full training load.
Simply stated, the mild hyperbaric therapy environment is the ideal environment to promote healing and speed recovery. However, despite a near 400 year history… hyperbarics is still very misunderstood, underrepresented, and greatly undervalued; especially in the fields of wellness, anti-aging, and performance enhancement. Even in the professional arena; medicine is still more reactive than proactive. For this reason, the majority of professional athletes who have turned to, and are now advocates for mild hyperbaric chambers, did in the heat of the moment when sudden injury forced them to seek out alternative/complimentary approaches to get back on their feet fast. Terrell Owens is one such athlete; while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles just prior to Super Bowl XXXIX he sustained an injury that was expected to prevent him from playing on the biggest stage in professional football. In just 6 ½ weeks post ankle surgery, Terrell proved that he would recover in time for the big game. Terrell openly acknowledges his belief that his personal hyperbaric chamber played a major role in his recovery process. Even Dr. Oz, Oprah’s "go-to" doctor, has stated that hyperbaric therapies are one of the most powerful tools available in supporting tissue regeneration. Still, even with the research, and celebrity/pro-athlete testimonials… mild hyperbaric therapy is not something most athletes hear about from their athletic trainers, physicians, or training partners; simply because of a lack of knowledge and an unsubstantiated risk of liability.
So, where does that leave the aspiring athlete seeking out safe and natural methods for increasing their athletic performance? Same place it always has… In the driver’s seat! Athletes are no different than anyone else in this respect. The only person ultimately responsible for their health and performance or lack thereof… is the individual athlete themselves. So do your own research, and the next time your trainer, physician, teammate, or training partner tells you that a portable hyperbaric chamber isn’t something you should be interested in… ask them why! Then ask them to substantiate their reasoning with research and/or personal experience. Don’t let a great opportunity pass by because of an uneducated opinion! Give mild hyperbaric therapy a try, you just might shock yourself, and who knows… shock the world!
About the Author: Greg Harris is the founder of Hyperbaric Options LLC and has spoken publicly about health & wellness in various settings over the past eight years. Greg has a passion for human potential and is a firm believer that nearly all of the health problems we face today, from degenerative neurological conditions to the common cold, are preventable and reversible. As a health professional, Greg has a unique ability to connect the dots where others have left them scattered; it is this ability to integrate disciplines and think outside of the box that give his lectures and written materials a fresh point of view.
References
Kelley, B.G. A Fast New Fix for Sprains and Strains. Health 1995; 9-2: 26.
Kindwall, Eric P. Hyperbaric Oxygen: Therapeutic Uses - More Indications than many Doctors Realize. British Medical Journal 1993; 307(6903) p515.
Delaney, Scott, MD. How can Hyperbaric Oxygen Contribute to Treatment? The Physician and Sportsmedicine 2001. 29(3).
Maffetone, Phillip. Study of Athletes at Sea Level with the Hyperbaric Chamber. Baldwin Place, New York. 1990.
Dolezal V. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Athletic Injuries. Cas Lek Cesk 2002. 141(10): 304-6.
Cosgrove H. BrysonP. Et al. Hyperbaric Medicine in Soft Tissue Trauma. Trauma 2001. 3(3) 133-141.
Babul, S. Rhodes EC. The Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Sports Medicine. Sports Med 2000. 30(6): 395-403.
Martin, T. ATC. Effects of Hyperbaric Pressurization on a Well Trained Endurance Athlete. 1993.
Tom, S., Bhopale, V., Velazques, O., Goldstein, L., Thom, L., Buerk, D. Stem Cell Mobilization by Hyperbaric Oxygenation.
Check out the new Media Gallery located in the navbar. Here you will find pictures from events, albums of our hyperbaric chambers, and a library of videos both promotional and instructional in nature.