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 hyperbaric. Mild hyperbaric 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 hyperbaric 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? Certainly not! Will endurance athletes get a direct competitive edge from the dissolved oxygen if they do a mild hyperbaric 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 hyperbaric as a banned substance or activity for competing athletes. Then how does hyperbaric benefit the competitive athlete? Hyperbaric has two main avenues with which athletes can dramatically benefit from.
- 1. Enhanced recovery time from intense training, thus helping to prevent chronic overtraining injuries.
- 2. Faster recovery from acute injuries, leading to a quicker return back to a full training load.
Basically, if you can train harder longer; injury free... will that not translate into Performance Enhancement! The answer is yes! In a study conducted with well trained endurance athletes, Dr. Phillip Mafetone demonstrated a 5 beat decrease in resting heart rate in just six short weeks of mild hyperbaric. Other research has demonstrated increased collagen synthesis in tendons post hyperbaric therapy and even more interesting is the research which demonstrated an 800% increase in stem cell activity in just 20 sessions. Simply stated, the mild hyperbaric environment is the ideal environment to promote healing and speed recovery. However, despite a near 400 year history… hyperbaric 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, 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 hyperbaric played a major role in his recovery process. Even Dr. Oz, Oprah’s go to doctor, has stated that hyperbaric is one of the most powerful tools available in supporting tissue regeneration. Still, even with the research, and celebrity/pro-athlete testimonials… hyperbaric is not something most athletes here 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 hyperbaric 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 hyperbaric a try, you just might shock yourself, and who knows… shock the world!
Visit www.BodySpecific.com to start your very own mild hyperbaric performance enhancement program!
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.
