Written by Megan Smith, PT
In recent history, sports have become increasingly intense, and professional athletes are always looking for a competitive edge. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the tool many have chosen to stay ahead of the competition!
Yes! Professional athletes who play football, basketball, and baseball have found success with hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sports performance, injury recovery, and more. But HBOT can help all types of athletes. There are also boxers, bodybuilders, swimmers, golfers, hockey players, and more! To name a few of the thousands of athletes using HBOT, Lebron James, Michael Phelps, and Tiger Woods have all reported benefiting from the use of a hyperbaric chamber.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) produces amazing results for treating sports injuries, but athletes are not just using hyperbaric oxygen therapy for injuries. In reality, many athletes also use HBOT for proactive healthcare. Evidence suggests hyperbaric oxygen therapy may enhance physical performance, boost energy, accelerate healing and minimize recovery time, reduce swelling, sharpen mental clarity, and more.
It is common for athletes to train at higher altitudes to increase red blood cell production and oxygen-carrying capabilities of the blood. For this very reason, the Olympic training facility in Colorado Springs is located at an altitude greater than 6,000 feet! No need to travel across the country, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can produce a similar result of increased circulation and oxygenation of the blood. The effect of HBOT on physical conditioning is described in a study of 22 athletes at the Nagano Winter Olympics in Japan. Over 77% found moderate or remarkable improvements.
Sports performance requires large amounts of physical exertion, resulting in physiological fatigue. Physiological fatigue is marked by the accumulation of a fatigue substance such as lactic acid, malfunction of metabolism regulation, and importantly, diminishment of an energy source. Naturally, the body uses oxygen to combat fatigue. HBOT can accelerate this process by increasing oxygen absorption and increasing oxygen levels in tissues and cells.
Recovery is crucial to an athlete’s performance; many people consider it just as important as training. When an athlete exercises, their muscles break down. During recovery, their muscles are rebuilt larger, resulting in greater strength. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an active recovery method and can reduce recovery time by up to 33 percent! HBOT flushes tissues with oxygen, which promotes and quickens the rebuilding process.
Athletes sidelined due to an injury can lose their rankings, or even place on a team. Many professional athletes have turned to HBOT to speed up their recovery. HBOT stimulates the release of stem cells, which is a vital element to repair injured tissue. It also lowers the body’s inflammatory response and increases white blood cell creation, which prevents both infection and illness.
When an athlete, or anyone for that matter, is hurt, fluid and white blood cells rush to the site of injury. This reaction is the body’s protective response. It is in part meant to keep an athlete from continuing to train and further hurting themselves. However, at times swelling is excessive and occurs at greater levels than necessary for healing. In a review of HBOT on post-surgical inflammation, researchers found that the influx of oxygen from HBOT reduces the proteins and other substances that cause swelling, which suggests the value of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to reduce swelling after sports injuries, as well. HBOT also stimulates collagen production, which will minimize scarring.
Both healthy and injured athletes require not only physical strength and endurance, but mental clarity, stamina, and focus to perform at their best. The brain needs significant amounts of oxygen, which HBOT can provide. The influx of oxygen to the brain sparks energy production, wakes up inactive neurons, and helps to build the connections in your brain. Brain scans even illustrate how the brain lights up with activity after hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It is also known to stimulate focus, memory, and clearer thinking, reducing feelings of “brain fog,” which we can all relate to at times!
HBOT is not FDA-approved to treat traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), but preliminary research suggests its effectiveness after both concussions and TBIs. According to the CDC, 3 million TBIs occur every year and 10% of those injuries occur during sports. In a study conducted on military members with mild to moderate brain injury, researchers found that with HBOT, subjects showed significant improvements in memory, impulsivity, and quality of life.
You’ve probably experienced nights when you find it difficult to fall asleep, but you’ve also probably had nights of fitful, low-quality sleep. It is important for our brains and overall functioning the following day, to have deep, restorative sleep. Research suggests that HBOT helps brains switch from active, high-wave sleep to restorative, slow-wave sleep.
High-quality, deep sleep is particularly important for athletes, who are recommended to get 9 hours of sleep each night. Your body heals the most at night, while you’re asleep. Sleep also prevents illness. Research suggests that adequate sleep increases speed and accuracy in tennis, basketball, swimming, and more. Other athletes report reduced fatigue and better reaction times with more high-quality sleep.
Soreness may be an indicator of increased strength and ability, but it can impede future training. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy stimulates an influx of oxygen to tired, sore muscles, allowing athletes to perform and feel their best in practice and competitions. The influx of oxygen from HBOT helps reduce lactic acid, a key contributor to muscle soreness. This capability promotes early recovery after difficult workouts and high-intensity training.
 | Summit to Sea Dive 33 in Hyperbaric Chamber View Product |
The Dive 33" Hyperbaric Chamber made by Summit to Sea is an excellent choice for most professional athletes! It’s not only portable but has a carry bag, making it great to take on the road or to keep at home. Its 33" diameter gives it a comfortable interior, while still being small enough to fit in places like hotel rooms, training areas, etc. It is a mild hyperbaric chamber that reaches pressures of 1.3 ATA.
 | Wheelchair Accessible - Grand Dive Pro Plus Hyperbaric Chamber by Summit to Sea View Product |
The Grand Dive Pro Plus Hyperbaric Chamber by Summit to Sea is perfect for athletes seeking enhanced physical performance, reduced recovery time, and heightened energy, among other sports necessities to remain competitive. This chamber is best for clinics, due to its size and price tag. It is large enough to accommodate multiple users at once and is safe to use with smartphones and other electronic devices inside the chamber.
Yes, extensive evidence states that hyperbaric chambers increase a user’s red blood cell count. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is FDA-approved to treat anemia, which is a deficiency of red blood cells. This is best achieved when you have a large chamber and work out while receiving HBOT treatment.
Blood doping is the use of substances or techniques including blood transfusions, synthetic oxygen, and recombinant erythropoietin to increase red blood cell count and speed physical recovery between competitions. Recombinant erythropoietin is the man-made version of a naturally produced hormone that stimulates red cell production. It was created for therapeutic causes but is commonly abused by athletes today. Blood doping is extremely frowned upon and considered cheating.
In contrast, hyperbaric chambers can produce the same results, without any controversy or consequences. The World Anti-Doping Agency has not banned hyperbaric chambers.
There are dozens and dozens of famous athletes who use hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Athletes from Superbowl champions to Olympians reap the benefits of HBOT to heal injuries, reduce recovery time, and more.
Football players are at high risk of brain injury. After seeing a teammate experience cognitive deterioration from head trauma, as well as the many cases of brain damage to other players, Joe Namath decided to research his own brain. After all, he had experienced a multitude of hits to the head and at least 5 concussions during his career. Namath’s brain scans showed limited blood flow and activity to certain areas of his brain and he began using hyperbaric oxygen therapy. After a total of 120 sessions, his brain scans were normal, indicating a healthy brain. This NFL legend founded the Joe Namath Neurological Research Center which helps find improved treatments for traumatic brain injuries and promotes FDA approval for TBIs.
NBA star Lebron James has found hyperbaric oxygen therapy useful during recovery and even reports using his hyperbaric chamber during breaks! Not only does HBOT promote healing, but Lebron James finds it promotes relaxation and increases his mental focus.
Michael Phelps, professional swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time, regularly sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber. While preparing for the 2012 Olympics in London, Phelps was searching for a way to combat his age and decreasing recovery-time speed. He began by training at higher altitudes such as the Olympic training facility in Colorado Springs, but discovered HBOT was effective in producing an even greater oxygen supply to his recovering muscles, and without all the travel. Training ay higher altitudes is a natural method to increase oxygen absorption. Athletes are not just using hyperbaric oxygen therapy for injuries, they’re using HBOT for recovery.
Terrel Owens, a now-retired NFL receiver, used hyperbaric oxygen therapy as well. He incorporated HBOT in his training and recovery program after suffering from a broken leg and torn ligament in his ankle. To the surprise of many, Terrel Owens returned to the 2004 season and even competed in Superbowl XXXIX. Terrel Owens, like many others, found success with HBOT in the injury recovery process.
The professional golfer and now five-time Masters champion, Tiger Woods, began using hyperbaric oxygen therapy to fight chronic back and knee injuries, as well as reduce inflammation. He even installed a chamber in his house which we’ve included a photo of below. After tearing his Achilles tendon in 2008, with the help of HBOT, Tiger Woods was able to return for a six-tournament win in 2009.
HBOT provides a multitude of benefits for professional and amateur athletes including exercise recovery, mental clarity, healing from injury, and better sleep. Of our chambers, we recommend the Dive 33" Hyperbaric Chamber as our "overall best" hyperbaric chamber for athletes. Just like the many professional athletes who use HBOT for top performance, you can as well!
Thanks for reading our article on the athletic use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy! Browse our entire selection of Hyperbaric Chambers for sale, and read The Ultimate Guide to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for more valuable information. For more information on HBOT and other medical equipment and advice, please visit Caregiver University!
Megan has been a part of Rehabmart since its inception nearly 20 years ago. For the past several years she has been enjoying her role as HR Director while maintaining her Physical Therapy license. When she isn't working on her next in-service or working to find a new team member, she enjoys her five children, helping those who have PT type ailments, baking, practicing yoga, and working out.
.jpg&maxheight=250&width=365&product_name=Grand Dive Vertical 54 in. Hyperbaric Chamber by Summit to Sea "Grand Dive Vertical 54 in. Hyperbaric Chamber by Summit to Sea")
