Who am I?

Hey everyone! I’m Jordan, and I’m an elite badminton player currently ranked 15th in Scotland however I have expectations to reach that top spot! I train full time in between working my clinic hours at Sports Therapy Scotland.

I have, at the time of writing this,  just completed my 20th Hyperbaric Chamber session!

This blog post will serve as my experience of the chamber and also try to give you the best information that will show you why this will or won’t be a good addition to your training schedule.

Before we go any further I want to make the following things clear:

1. I won’t promote something I either don’t believe in or don’t do myself.
2. This is MY experience.

So first of all what is it?

HBOT is a state of the art oxygen chamber in which the client will be provided with their own new oxygen mask (what you’ve always wanted!)  before they can relax by sitting or lying comfortably in the chamber in sessions that can last up to 2 hours breathing in rich oxygen.

This extra oxygen is carried by your blood throughout your body infusing to the injured tissues that need more oxygen so they can begin to heal.

Benefits include

• Formation of new collagen.

• Swelling Reduction

• Injury healing

• Strengthening the Immune System

• Increased Cognitive Function

Potential Side Effects

• Ears may feel plugged like when you are on a plane or going high in the mountains. Simply swallowing or chewing gum will “pop” your ears back to normal hearing levels.

• Claustrophobia

• Fatigue

• Headaches

Okay now that the brochure has been copied… onto the main event!

If I was to describe the chamber and what it does I would say it’s like watching Luke Skywalker healing in the bacta tank in Starwars Episode 5 the Empire Strikes back (Yes, I’m a massive Star Wars nerd).

Similarly what happens in cinema also happens in real life however just not as fast as both a bacta tank and the hyperbaric chamber do the same thing! Heal.

My experience

 After I got past the ear-popping at the beginning each session got better and better. On my first dive I didn’t expect much as I’m a very suspicious athlete on these types of treatments and how beneficial they are.

If I am to waste an hour of my Sports Career not on the court it had better do something good otherwise my time is better spent on Mobility Sessions, Sauna sessions, Sports Massage, or Physio appointments. What I’m trying to say is I’m meticulous about becoming the best and if something doesn’t fit in it won’t be pursued.

As I said previously I have now had 20 chamber sessions. So it’s definitely doing something good! Want to know why?

I felt calm and collected

When emerging from the chamber I felt extremely calm and collected and something else… but it’s hard to describe the great feeling that I feel each time. It’s unlike when after a good treatment session with my muscles/joints feeling good. However after HBOT I now just feel great in general. Like when you wake up and know you’re going to have a great day. If you get what I mean?

As the day progressed and I got to training the level of focus and concentration I had was unlike anything it had ever been before! I was so alert to what was going on on court. My performance level sky rocketed and I played the best I had in some time. I kept up with regular sessions 3x per week then started experimenting with my strength and conditioning to see what would happen if I primed my muscles the day before a match session then used the chamber for recovery.

Switched on Mentally

The result was out of this world. Not only was I switched on mentally, I felt so primed and explosive with no DOMS from the activation session the previous day that I was definitely playing above my level as my coach would say.

The positive impact it had both physically and mentally meant that I knew this was something to include in my training schedule to make regular use of. My next aim is to use it daily for a month to see how much more it can affect me as with 3 sessions a week I’m playing my best, with 5, I hope it helps elevate me higher.

This is definitely up there with one of the best recovery and performance tools I have used.

HBOT is a game-changer

In sport at the elite level, and for those below as well, we’re all chasing getting 1% better daily in order to go up. I feel HBOT is a game-changer in Sport, but it can also be in the business world. One of my patients said to me recently that they wish they had known about this when in University.

Imagine sitting your exams with the level of focus and improved cognitive function you get from an HBOT session.  Game Changer. Possibilities are endless.

Now I’m not saying this is a magic miracle machine that will turn you into an Olympic gold medalist unless you are at the level of being an Olympic gold medalist!  However, if you are chasing that 1% and want something that no one else is doing then this could be what works for you.

If it’s something you’re curious about and want to try or if my experience has convinced you…or if you want more information on my experience as I could be here all day typing and have only included some of the benefits I found the highlights then call and ask!

How to contact Sports Therapy Scotland

Call 0141 334 1223 or email enquiries@sportstherapyscotland.co.uk  to book in and start working on improving that one per cent!

Hope to see you soon!

Team STS