Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: New Research on Inflammation, Muscle Damage, & Exercise
For decades, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has proven to be an innovative, proven treatment for many conditions. HBOT involves breathing 100% infused oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. This enables oxygen to reach every part of the body, where it both repairs damaged cells and encourages new cellular growth (1). At the same time, HBOT promotes circulation and stem cell growth, which reduces inflammation, and supports the immune system (1). HBOT has proven effective for treating a multitude of medical conditions, including diabetic ulcers, bone infections, and radiation injury (2). New and exciting research about HBOT is coming out all the time. Here at Holistic Hyperbarics, we stay up to date on the latest research so we can treat you effectively.
A study examining HBOT’s effects on exercise was just published in October 2020. The study set out to investigate “the effects of HBOT on inflammation, the oxidative/antioxidant balance, and muscle damage after acute exercise in normobaric, normoxic (NN) and hypobaric, hypoxic (HH) environments” (3). While exercise can have many health benefits, acute exercise can also muscle damage and excessive oxidative stress (OS) (3). You may have experienced this after exercise yourself, waking up the next day with muscle pain or fatigue. This new study set out to determine whether HBOT could assist in post-exercise recovery from muscle injury.
This study also examined past data, including from a June 2020 study on HBOT for sports musculoskeletal injuries, whose results suggested HBOT can: “enhance oxygen delivery, reduce edema and pathologic inflammation, and mitigate ischemia/reperfusion injury.” Using that and other studies, the October 2020 study set out to “verify the levels of inflammation, OS, and muscle damage” in different levels of oxygenated environments, and investigate whether HBOT can help aid in post-acute exercise recovery.
The study had a strong focus on inflammation, which it defined as “a reaction that causes fever and pain in the body in response to foreign antigens and tissue damage, such as in skeletal muscles” (3). The study confirmed what we’ve known for years: HBOT significantly reduces inflammation. The researchers concluded that HBOT can help athletes recover from post-exercise inflammation.
At Holistic Hyperbarics, we work with all kinds of patients, from people recovering from surgery to professional athletes. We are excited to take this new data to further improve our treatment for post-exercise inflammation, whether you are a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or a casual runner. We work with everyone, and would love to tailor an HBOT regimen to your needs. If you are seeking new treatments to aid in your recovery from exercise, we are here to support you. Our state-of-the art spa features knowledgeable staff, a relaxing environment, and comfortable hyperbaric chambers. We’d love to answer your questions about exercise and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Give us a call today.
SOURCES:
1. Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 12 Jan. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/about/pac-20394380.
2. Staff, IHAUSA. “Anti Aging.” International Hyperbarics Association, International Hyperbarics Association, 2020, www.ihausa.org/anti-aging.html.
3. Woo, Jinhee, et al. “Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Inflammation, Oxidative/Antioxidant Balance, and Muscle Damage after Acute Exercise in Normobaric, Normoxic and Hypobaric, Hypoxic Environments: A Pilot Study.” U.S. National Library of Medicine | National Institutes of Health , International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10 Oct. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7601270/.
4. Moghadam, Navid, et al. “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Sports Musculoskeletal Injuries.” U.S. National Library of Medicine , Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, June 2020, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31876671/.