5 Reasons Why Sports Clubs Should Invest in Hyperbaric Chamber
What’s common between basketball legends LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, or star American footballers Steve Weatherford and Terrell Owens? They all are super athletes, performing at their best in peak tension situations. And, they all undergo oxygen therapy inside a hyperbaric chamber for athletes.
Why do legendary sports clubs such as LA Lakers, or Boston Celtics keep featuring high on league tables? They understand that investing in player recovery from burnout or injury, and natural performance-enhancing tools such as hyperbaric chambers for athletes have become vital.
These recovery and performance enhancer tools give the athletes an edge while performing for their teams during a crucial duel.
If you are a sports club owner, patron, manager, employee, player or any way associated with any sports club and you want your club to do well in tournaments and leagues, this article might be for you.
But, first the basics.
What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
It is a treatment therapy where a person is induced with higher and concentrated levels of oxygen. The person receiving the therapy should sit inside a specialized hyperbaric chamber in which 100% pure oxygen is available for breathing.
The atmospheric pressure level inside the chamber is raised to around 1.5 to 3.0 ATA. The raised atmospheric pressure helps the oxygen to penetrate deeper into the bloodstream.
Since oxygen is the fuel for the body to function well the body heals, recovers, and functions better with the additional supply of oxygen.
How Hyperbaric Chambers can benefit athletes, sportspersons and clubs?
Every sports club knows the value of its athletes and sportsperson. Providing enough and adequate support to the athletes to train well and recover fully before and after their performance ensures the peak performance of the players on the field. When a player performs well, the sports club will benefit. We will go through 5 major reasons why any sports club should have a hyperbaric chamber.
1. Recovery
Every sportsperson knows that recovery is as vital as training. During training, the muscles and tissues tear and break down. These muscles enlarge during the recovery phase. Bigger muscles and stronger tissues give the body the much-needed strength to perform well at competitions.
Brazilian soccer star Neymar and Manchester United’s forward Marcus Rashford use oxygen therapy inside a hyperbaric chamber for athletes for recovery.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides the muscle tissues with an extra surge of oxygen that quickens the muscle-rebuilding process, thereby reducing the recovery time.
2. Sharper Mental Focus
Any athlete requires physical strength, endurance, and stamina. However, there is one thing that is as important as physical fitness for any sports person – ie., mental fitness.
The cognitive function of the brain requires a tremendous amount of oxygen. The extra supply of oxygen deep inside the neurological cells and tissues rejuvenates and reactivates the microcells of the brain.
Scientific studies including brain scans report the lighting up of specific areas of the brain that receives extra oxygen. These are vital for mental clarity, quick decision-making in the field, mental alertness, etc.
A focused mind is also calm and does not panic in grave situations. That is why the world’s most decorated Olympian and star swimmer Michael Phelps spends time inside a hyperbaric chamber before every swim.
3. Reflexive Agility
Playing any sport involves a tremendous amount of energy burning due to great physical exertion. It may result in physical fatigue, which again may transform into mental fatigue.
Whenever fatigue occurs, the body starts accumulating fatigue substances such as lactic acids. Furthermore, metabolism dysfunction happens because the energy sources start diminishing.
In such a situation, the body starts using oxygen to combat fatigue and compensate for diminishing energy sources. Hyperbaric therapy for athletes can accelerate the recovery process and make the body tap on the extra oxygen as an energy source.
Regular usage of oxygen therapy can make the body immune to fatigue symptoms for athletes. The result is that the peak performance enhances on the field, and the athletes will feel energized during the entire playing time.
Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and Serbian Tennis maestro Novak Djokovic use hyperbaric therapies to stay agile and reflexive on their respective playing fields.
4. Better Pain Management
Good or bad, extreme or little, pain can lead anyone to extreme distress – both, mentally and physically. Some people simply cannot bear any pain.
Whenever an injury happens, administering the sportsmen with HBOT treatment will enable them to handle pain better. Their ability to bear sudden, shooting, and sharp pains increases. As a result, their composure during distressing situations becomes calmer, helping the body heal on its own.
Due to the high atmospheric pressure inside the hyperbaric chambers of athletes, the oxygen received during an HBOT session penetrates deep into the bloodstream and activates the satellite cell inside the neuro-cognitive area.
The extra supply of oxygen reaching the far-flung corners of the brain enables the body to raise its pain threshold.
5. Reduced Swelling
Whenever any injury takes place, the body’s natural response is to protect it from getting any further damage. Hence, white blood cells and fluids are released in large quantities, and they gather near the injury site. The injury site swells as a result of extra fluid and blood cells.
However, excessive swelling can occur at times and it can cause a hindrance during the recovery process. Studies have shown that an extra surge of oxygen reduces swelling fluids and proteins in the area. Therefore, hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps an athlete combat swelling and recover faster during an injury.
Final Thoughts
Having seen the benefits of HBOT on player performance should encourage every sports club to invest in hyperbaric chambers for athletes.
