If you train hard, you already know that the work happens in the gym, but the results happen during recovery. That’s the phase most people underinvest in, and it’s exactly where mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy (mHBOT) has been gaining ground with athletes, from weekend warriors to professionals in the NHL and NBA, and even top-level soccer players competing in FIFA-affiliated leagues who use hyperbaric sessions as part of their post-match recovery.
Here’s what mHBOT actually is, what the research says about it, and how to think about adding it to a training routine.
What Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Is
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy works by having you breathe oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. Under increased pressure, oxygen dissolves more efficiently into your blood plasma, not just the oxygen carried by red blood cells, so it can reach muscle tissue, joints, and organs more effectively than it would at normal atmospheric pressure.
“Mild” HBOT (mHBOT) refers specifically to lower-pressure chambers, typically around 1.3 ATA (about 4 psi above normal air pressure). This is meaningfully different from the higher-pressure hyperbaric chambers (2.0 ATA and above) used in hospital settings to treat conditions like decompression sickness or non-healing wounds, which require ASME-certified equipment and physician oversight under FDA clearance. mHBOT chambers used in wellness and recovery settings, like the ones at Oxy Performance, operate at this lower, milder pressure and are intended for general wellness use, not as a treatment for a diagnosed medical condition.
What the Research Shows
The interest from the athletic world isn’t just anecdotal. A growing body of research has looked at how increased oxygen availability affects training and recovery:
- Muscle recovery and soreness. Several studies on exercise-induced muscle damage have found that hyperbaric oxygen exposure can help preserve muscle strength and reduce soreness in the days following intense training, by supporting the body’s natural repair processes in fatigued tissue.
- Inflammation and tissue repair. Increased oxygen availability supports collagen production and blood flow to damaged tissue, which is part of why hyperbaric oxygen has drawn interest for soft tissue injuries like tendon strains, in addition to general post-workout micro-tears.
- Aerobic performance and oxygen uptake. Some research on endurance athletes points to improvements in oxygen uptake efficiency and cardiovascular recovery markers when hyperbaric sessions are added around training blocks.
- Sleep and overall recovery capacity. Because recovery is so closely tied to sleep quality, some athletes report better sleep and a faster return to baseline energy after consistent sessions, which compounds over a training cycle.
It’s worth being straightforward here: the research is promising but still developing, and results vary based on protocol, dose, and the individual. Not every study shows a significant effect, particularly for milder pressures used in wellness settings versus the higher, medically supervised pressures used in some clinical trials. mHBOT is best understood as a recovery tool that complements a solid training, nutrition, and sleep foundation, not a replacement for any of them.
How Athletes Are Using It
Most people incorporate mHBOT sessions in one of two ways:
- Pre-workout, to help prime the body with elevated oxygen levels before a demanding training session or competition.
- Post-workout, which is the more common approach, using a session in the hours after training to support muscle repair, reduce soreness, and speed the return to full output for the next session.
A typical session runs about 60 minutes in a pressurized chamber, and most people find it relaxing rather than strenuous. Consistency matters more than any single session, so many athletes build it into their weekly routine the same way they would a massage or a mobility day.
Worth Trying If You Train Seriously
Recovery is where fitness gains actually get locked in. If you’re already dialed in on training volume, sleep, and nutrition, oxygen therapy is a reasonable next tool to explore, especially if soreness or slow recovery between sessions is holding your training back.
Oxy Performance in Hermosa Beach offers mild hyperbaric sessions (1.3 ATA) built specifically for athletes and active people looking to train harder and recover faster. Our clients include athletes across a wide range of sports, from hockey players and MMA fighters to volleyball players and Olympians. Single sessions, multi-packs, and memberships are available for anyone who wants to make it a regular part of their routine.
Book a session or visit us at 200 Pier Ave, Suite 304, Hermosa Beach, CA to see what oxygen can do for your training.
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