Athletes are known for their sheer determination, discipline, and hard work. They typically train for several hours daily, which can strain the body. It is why they take their recovery sessions as seriously as their training sessions.
Gabby Thomas, a famous American sprinter, who won 3 gold medals in Paris Olympics was asked about her non-negotiable habits that contribute to her success, and the mention of HBOT therapy grabbed the most attention.
According to Gabby, maintaining regular mindfulness practices such as meditation, a consistent bedtime routine, not using an alarm clock, curbing caffeine consumption, and indulging in post-training recovery activities such as HBOT sessions have helped her immensely.
Surprisingly, Gabby Thomas isn’t the only athlete who relies on HBOT therapy sessions for faster injury recovery and overall rejuvenation.
Many global icons, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Drew Brees, and Usain Bolt, are a few other top athletes who have openly accepted taking HBOT therapy.
To determine the real effectiveness of HBOT, a study was conducted on 41 athletes with exercise-related muscular injuries. Some athletes were given 10 sessions of HBOT sessions, while others were given an equal number of placebo treatments.
By the end of both sessions, researchers found that HBOT significantly reduced pain interference and was considered safe and effective for aiding faster recovery in elite athletes. Since HBOT is non-invasive, it also becomes the ideal recovery tool for non-athletes.
The rising trend of using HBOT therapy among pro athletes is making many others contemplate going the same route. However, a significant roadblock is a lack of knowledge and awareness about this therapy.
If you’re fairly new to this treatment, it involves helping patients inhale 100% pure oxygen in a specialized chamber. This non-invasive treatment increases the oxygen supply in your body and activates your body’s natural healing abilities.
Patients can easily inhale and infuse oxygen into their bloodstream since it is given inside a specialized chamber with higher atmospheric pressure. A specialist will determine how many sessions you need based on your health condition, and each session may last from 60 to 120 minutes. You can be given your sessions in a chamber designed for single or multiple individuals.
Regardless of the chamber, you’re given the therapy in, you will constantly be monitored by a trained technician from the outside for safety reasons. If you have decided to take HBOT therapy, it is recommended that you only visit licensed facilities with specialized equipment, trained staff, and practicing approval.
HBOT introduces your body to pure oxygen at an elevated atmospheric pressure inside a specialized chamber. When your bloodstreams receive additional oxygen to support the different body functions, it automatically activates the body’s natural healing abilities.
While HBOT was initially used to treat only decompression sickness, its effectiveness made it a viable treatment for open wounds, infections, and specific types of poisoning. Taking the prescribed number of HBOT sessions can help your body in the following ways:
Increased oxygen flow in the body leads to angiogenesis, a process that grows new blood vessels from the existing vascular system. These newly developed vessels help supply nutrients to starved cells in oxygen-deprived areas, supporting the repair of blood cells.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in any human body that maintains the health of skin and other organs. When you take HBOT therapy consistently, it stimulates collagen growth. Hence, this treatment is especially beneficial for people with compromised skin grafts and radiation injuries on the skin.
People with severe wounds or injuries often report a breakdown in their cell tissues, eventually leading to damaging blood vessels in that area. If enough oxygen isn’t supplied to these vessels, they may leak deep into the tissue’s fibers and cause the cells to swell. HBOT can help reduce such swelling by supplying the necessary nutrients via additional oxygen.
When an individual encounters an accident, there is a high chance that bacteria may enter into places where they don’t belong because of the developed open wound. If it isn’t treated timely, it can cause severe damage.
Taking HBOT sessions can eliminate the potentially harmful effects of toxins and bacteria by creating an oxygen-rich environment inside the body. Bacteria and toxins cannot thrive in such environments, increasing your healing prospects.
Since HBOT therapy supplies additional oxygen to the bloodstream, it effortlessly moves poisonous gases out of the body. As a result, blood poisoning cases of carbon monoxide, cyanide poisoning, etc., can be reversed.
The therapy also has the strong potential to reduce health-related blockages and minimize the development of any severe health complications.
HBOT therapy has emerged as a reliable, non-invasive, and effective treatment that can help the body recover from numerous health challenges, such as severe anemia, gas gangrene, reduced blood flow to the arteries, crush injuries, chronic pain, burns, etc.
Its efficiency has attracted the attention of many pro athletes, making it a part of their post-training recovery routine.
If you’re looking for treatments that can accelerate your body’s natural healing abilities and aid faster recovery, HBOT can be an excellent treatment. While HBOT is safe, it is recommended to consult a licensed and reliable healthcare professional to determine your eligibility for these sessions.
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