Over the past 10 years, the intensity of training for competitive sports has increased along with the frequency of injuries among athletes, including fractures and strained or damaged ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Because of this, plenty of protocols have been put forth that optimize nutrition, training and conditioning methods, and intensity levels in an effort to minimize injuries in athletes while preserving peak performance. These procedures, however, need to be modified based on the objectives of the athlete because they are not flawless.
Apart from these performance-enhancing and injury-prevention elements, biotechnologies have emerged as a preventative or rehabilitation approach for athletes, with the aim of improving recovery times, averting injuries, or reducing the likelihood of re-injury.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) is a therapy that has been extensively investigated over the past 30 years and has received a lot of attention from scientists recently, indicating that it might be helpful for athletes.
What is the process of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Pure 100% oxygen is administered therapeutically at pressures greater than the average atmospheric pressure to which human bodies are regularly exposed. This is known as high-pressure hydrogen therapy or HBOT. In particular, the patient or athlete will spend 60–120 minutes at pressures 50–100% greater than normal in a pressurized chamber as part of the therapy. The competitor uses a mask to breathe in pure oxygen while they are inside the HBOT chamber.
The pure oxygen we inhale at pressures higher than usual raises the concentration of oxygen in our blood. Following its dissolution in plasma, this oxygen is then transferred into tissues at far higher amounts than usual. Since the 1990s, research has shown that HBOT can, in certain situations, raise tissue oxygen levels by up to ten times.
What is the true purpose of increased tissue oxygenation?
First and foremost, oxygen is necessary for the full functioning of many of the cells and tissues in our body. This encompasses the function of our immune system in warding off infections, cell division, and general homeostasis. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has even been shown in a 2008 study to increase leukocyte activity, or immune cells, to reduce tissue damage and improve circulation.
Subsequently, our tissues become hyperoxygenated, which promotes the growth of collagen where it is needed. This includes locations where exercise or injury has severely damaged the tissue. Greater blood flow throughout the body is made possible by the development of new capillary beds, which is made possible by the increase in collagen. The deposition of collagen into tissues is markedly enhanced by two hours of HBOT, according to research.
For this reason, HBOT has been suggested as a treatment for athletes recovering from injuries or heavy training volume. The oxygen infusion in HBOT also expedites the healing process of wounds.
Although its exact mechanism of action is unknown, hyperbaric oxygen therapy accelerates this wound-healing process in two ways:
The Process of Angiogenesis, or the Creation of New Blood Vessels
In reaction to low oxygen conditions or hypoxic, tissues go through angiogenesis, which is precisely what happens soon after HBOT is finished, but collagen deposits rise during hyperoxygenation. Changes in hyperoxia and hypoxia are crucial for augmenting the vasculature in our bodies and causing the highest level of angiogenic stimulation in metabolic tissues such as the muscles, liver, and fat.
Collagen Deposition
As was previously mentioned, tissues with higher collagen deposits generate more capillaries, which creates the angiogenic circumstances that occur after the hyperoxygenated conditions during Hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
How can athletes who compete benefit from HBOT?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is thought to provide its advantageous benefits to athletes through increased angiogenesis and tissue collagen levels after an injury. Because they can enhance blood flow and nutrient transfer to places that require it more, these factors are thought to play a major part in the healing process following soft tissue (or muscle) injuries.
Because the ankle joint is used for weight-bearing and for changing directions in a variety of sports, athletes frequently suffer injuries to it. In a study involving 32 athletes who had acute ankle sprains, those who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy at an atmospheric pressure of 2.0 demonstrated significantly better joint function than those who received a placebo. Nonetheless, there was no change in the patient’s recovery times according to this study. In another study, 44 athletes with acute ankle sprains were compared to placebo treatment groups, and Hyperbaric oxygen treatment was found to give a short-term reduction in soft-tissue edema, swelling, and discomfort.
In addition to providing temporary relief from pain and improved muscle function, studies suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy could also be a useful treatment for reducing muscle stiffness. muscular stiffness, edema, and pain scores were considerably reduced in athletes who had muscular injuries during physical activity and received HBOT for an hour within seven days of the injury onset, according to a 2007 study from a Japanese research group.
Recent research reveals that myoblasts, the progenitor cells of muscle cells, can benefit from hyperbaric oxygen treatment in order to enhance their growth rate and differentiation. This is from a biochemical standpoint. Additionally, the same study team found that following a muscular contusion, HBOT treatment showed evidence of muscle regeneration and enhanced physiological performance in mice.
When considered collectively, these studies provide some background knowledge about the possible benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for athletes. It should come as no surprise that the majority of the advantages are closely associated with the therapy’s fundamental mechanism, which includes considerably increasing blood and oxygen flow to the tissue.
The extent to which an athlete can actually benefit from Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is uncertain when these stated benefits are taken into account. Studies on this subject have been carried out, but the amount of evidence is restricted by uncertainties regarding the specifics of the treatment, such as how long HBOT should last and how much atmospheric pressure is suitable, as well as when an athlete should resume therapy after an injury.
