The ‘game-changing’ technology revolutionising sport: Hyperbaric chambers are helping stars like Vinicius Jnr recover quicker, sleep better and perform at their peak… it’s no wonder Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Ronaldo are taking advantage
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Fail to recover and the same is true in elite sport – which is why top stars like Vinicius Jnr are so eager to level up their game.
The Real Madrid star was pictured cooling down in his own personal treatment pod following his side’s Copa Del Rey final triumph over Osasuna on the weekend. He’ll spend 90 minutes inside the chamber after every match and it’s no surprise why.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) chambers – which can cost as much as £100,000 – increase air pressure inside the device, forcing the user’s lungs to collect up to 15 times more oxygen.
They’re mainly seen as a way to speed up recover from injury or swelling – but they also help to ensure a sports star is performing at the top of their game too.
Increased circulation and oxygenation of the blood can lead to enhanced physical performances, while the added oxygen levels in tissues and cells also brings heightened energy, with post-performance fatigue significantly reduced, as outlined by Rehab Mart.
Vinicius Junior became the latest sports star to show off their use of hyperbaric chambers
The technology has been described as a ‘game-changer’ that allows athletes to recover fasterIt can also boost white blood cell creation – warding off the threat of infection and illness. This is the body’s natural protective response and the influx of oxygen from the chamber will decrease the chance of an athlete hurting themselves, including reducing swelling, soreness and scarring.
That same increase of oxygen also benefits the brain – sparking energy production and waking up inactive neurons – allowing athletes to think faster and more clearly in pressurised situations.
And with concussion and brain injuries an increasing concern in top level sport such as football, NFL and rugby, research has found that HBOT is an effective treatment for concussion and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
On top of it all, athletes who use hyperbaric chambers are also more likely to get a better night’s sleep. It is believed the therapy helps the brain switch off at night and promote deep, restorative sleep. Better sleep leads to better recovery, which leads to better performance.
With better performances and less fatigue, it’s only natural that athletes are going to be reaping the benefits – which is why the likes of LeBron James, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Novak Djokovic are all believed to have taken advantage of them during their careers.
Top sporting stars like Tiger Woods are known to use hyperbaric chambers – as well as fitness nut Cristiano Ronaldo
Woods sung its praises at the 2010 Masters are crediting the technology for his remarkable comeback.
‘It [hyperbaric therapy] does help you heal faster,’ he said. ‘And I did everything possible to recover faster.’
Ronaldo – renowned as a fitness enthusiast and a health nut – has also invested in a chamber to keep him in peak physical condition.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is 38 but has been performing at the top level for a number of years and he owes it all to his fitness regime – which has also seen him purchase a £50,000 ice chamber.
While he was playing at United last year he reportedly had an oxygen chamber worth £15,000 installed at his England home in Cheshire.
A source told the Sun at the time: ‘Everyone knows Cristiano is a fitness fanatic and totally dedicated to being in the best shape he can be.
‘He’s used oxygen chambers before in his career but they are not as easy to find in the UK so he decided to buy one and have it installed at his house.
‘It means if he ever feels a twinge he can go and use it and get the benefits. These are the reasons why he misses so few games due to injury.’
Basketball sensation LeBron James has also shared videos and clips of him using a hyperbaric chamber – showing off his recovery in one on YouTube and even bragging about ‘taking a nap’ inside a chamber in an Instagram story.
Basketball sensation LeBron James has been an avid user of oxygen chambers in recent times
Swimming legend Michael Phelps said oxygen chambers were key to prolonging his career
It’s not a coincidence that some of the highest-profile stars in sport – and the best performing – have all made use of the chambers.
Ronaldo, Woods, Phelps, Djokovic and James have all been serial winners in their careers, which have seen consistent displays and longevity in their professions.
16-time Olympic medalist Phelps said a hyperbaric chamber was key to prolonging his career and said he slept in one ahead of the London games in 2012.
‘We’ve been able to realise so many times that it is something that helps me recover,’ he said in the same year. ‘That’s something that is so important to me now being older. I don’t recover as fast as I used to.
‘Imagine, like, a bed with a box around it. It’s kind of strange, but it’s good. I don’t mind it.’
The swimming icon went on to win four gold medals at the London Olympics – the 100m butterfly, the 200m medly, the 4x200m freestyle and the 4x100m medley.
Cited from DailyMail.UK