Just 30 minutes of HBOT helped support recovery after an intense workout.
In a study of 10 amateur football players, a low-pressure session after maximal exercise produced lower heart rate and lactate at the 30-minute recovery check. Heart rate was closer to its resting level, helping show how the body was settling after exertion. [1]
A second study examined blood markers after exercise in 18 men. Together, these papers make post-workout recovery a concrete area of interest for HBOT research. [2]
| No. | Article | Year |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | Park et al., Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation | 2018 |
| [2] | Woo et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | 2020 |
Two studies tested oxygen exposures after demanding treadmill exercise.
Park et al. (2018) tested 10 healthy male amateur football players on three occasions, at least a week apart. Each completed maximal treadmill exercise with no extra oxygen, or a 30-minute exposure to 30% oxygen at 1.3 ATA before or after exercise. Heart rate and lactate were measured before exercise, immediately afterwards, and after 30 minutes of recovery. [1]
Woo et al. (2020) assigned 18 healthy men to three groups of six. All ran for 60 minutes. One group exercised in normal air without HBOT; two received HBOT after exercise in normal air or simulated high altitude. HBOT involved 60 minutes of 100% oxygen at 2.5 ATA, plus air breaks and pressure changes. Blood samples tracked inflammation and muscle-damage markers. [2]
HBOT supports early cardiovascular recovery after exercise
In Park’s study, average heart rate at the recovery check was 86.5 beats per minute after post-exercise HBOT, compared with 97.8 without it. Lactate was also lower than with no HBOT or HBOT before exercise. Antioxidant capacity did not change significantly. [1]
Heart rate returning towards rest is one sign of cardiovascular recovery. Lactate reflects how the body handles the metabolic demands of intense exercise. Its level adds useful information about early recovery, rather than directly measuring next-day soreness.
Woo’s study found lower levels of some inflammation and muscle-damage markers after HBOT compared with immediately after exercise. The creatine-kinase reduction appeared only in the simulated-altitude group. With six men per group, this is early evidence about the body’s response to exercise. [2]
Just 30 minutes of HBOT helped support recovery after an intense workout.
The 30-minute study showed a heart rate closer to rest and lower lactate when the session followed exercise. Those are useful signs of early recovery, making HBOT an interesting topic for people who train hard.
An HBOT cocoon® is a wellness system. To explore sessions within your routine, compare formats and oxygen delivery with the conditions used in the research.
A linked DOI opens the original paper on the publisher site.
- S.-H. Park, S.-J. Park, M.-S. Shin, and C.-K. Kim, "The effects of low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen treatment before and after maximal exercise on lactate concentration, heart rate recovery, and antioxidant capacity," Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 980-984, 2018, doi: 10.12965/jer.1836468.234
- J. Woo, J.-H. Min, Y.-H. Lee, and H.-T. Roh, "Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on inflammation, oxidative/antioxidant balance, and muscle damage after acute exercise in normobaric, normoxic and hypobaric, hypoxic environments: A pilot study," International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, no. 20, Art. no. 7377, 2020, doi: 10.3390/ijerph17207377
