Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for high performance athletes: a narrative review

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Physiology
• Rehabilitative Therapies

Background:

• Elite athletes face significant challenges from severe injuries, impacting physical, psychological, and financial well-being.
• Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO₂) is explored for injury prevention and treatment in athletes.
• Existing research includes human and animal studies on HBO₂ applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the applications of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO₂) relevant to elite athletes.
• To evaluate the evidence for HBO₂ in treating soft tissue injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and concussions in athletes.
• To assess HBO₂'s role in post-exercise recovery and fatigue reduction.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of human and animal literature.
• Analysis of studies on HBO₂ for soft tissue injuries, traumatic brain injury sequelae, and concussions.
• Examination of HBO₂ for athletic recovery and performance enhancement.

Main Results:

• Animal studies indicate HBO₂ improves muscle healing after soft tissue injury.
• Human data on soft tissue injuries suggest HBO₂ may reduce pain and speed return to play, but findings are inconclusive.
• Limited data suggest HBO₂ may improve neurobehavioral symptoms in traumatic brain injury patients; athlete concussion studies are scarce.
• Mild HBO₂ is used for post-exercise recovery, but safety and regulatory concerns exist for non-approved uses.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence is limited regarding HBO₂'s efficacy for musculoskeletal and mild traumatic brain injury recovery in athletes.
• Further research is needed to determine optimal HBO₂ protocols for elite athletes.
• Safety and regulatory issues surround the use of mild HBO₂ devices for athletic recovery.