What is HBOT and How Does it Work?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. This therapy has been used for decades to treat various medical conditions, but did you know that it can also enhance endurance?
During HBOT, the increased atmospheric pressure allows your lungs to take in more oxygen than they would at normal pressure. This oxygen-rich environment stimulates the production of red blood cells and promotes the delivery of oxygen to tissues throughout the body. As a result, HBOT can improve athletic performance and endurance.
Boosting V02 Max and Endurance
One of the key factors in endurance is V02 max, which refers to the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during intense exercise. By increasing the oxygen supply to your muscles, HBOT can enhance your V02 max and improve your endurance capacity.
Studies have shown that athletes who undergo HBOT experience significant improvements in their V02 max levels. This means that they are able to take in more oxygen and utilize it more efficiently, leading to enhanced endurance and performance.
Enhancing Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction
Another important aspect of endurance is the efficiency of your heart in pumping oxygenated blood to your muscles. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measures the percentage of blood that is pumped out of the left ventricle with each heartbeat.
HBOT has been found to increase LVEF, indicating that it improves the heart's ability to deliver oxygenated blood to the body. This can have a significant impact on endurance, as a more efficient heart means better oxygen delivery to the muscles, allowing them to perform at a higher level for longer periods of time.
The Mechanisms of Action
HBOT exerts its effects on endurance through several mechanisms. Firstly, the increased oxygen levels in the body promote the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the primary source of energy for muscle contractions.
Additionally, HBOT stimulates the release of growth factors and stem cells, which can aid in tissue repair and regeneration. This can be particularly beneficial for athletes who experience muscle fatigue or injury during training or competition.
Furthermore, HBOT has been shown to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which can impair endurance. By reducing these factors, HBOT helps to optimize the body's physiological response to exercise and improve overall endurance.
Conclusion
Are you ready to build endurance with HBOT? A protocol of HBOT may help. Research has shown that it will take at least 20 sessions to build sustained gains in V02 max but initial short term gains are also possible even after just one hyperbaric sessions. The latter is the case because the oxygen that is infused during HBOT remains in circulation for 30 to 60 minutes post HBOT. This extra 02 can be used to do extra work and make bigger gains!
Citations
1. Clark, J. M., & Thom, S. R. (2003). Oxygen under pressure: hyperbaric oxygen therapy. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 326(7395), 1377–1381. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1126112/
2. Plafki, C., Peters, P., Almeling, M., Welslau, W., Busch, R., & Complications, C. (2000). Complications and side effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine, 71(2), 119–124. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10697087/
3. Lafère, P., & Van Leemputte, M. (2019). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: past, present, and future. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 127(5), 1307–1318. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31553685/
