What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted an RCT randomizing healthy adults to perform sprint interval training either in a hyperbaric oxygen environment or under ambient pressure conditions over two weeks to assess cardiorespiratory fitness changes.
What They Found
Of 58 randomized participants, 49 completed the study. Both the hyperbaric oxygen and ambient air groups showed an increase in peak oxygen consumption (V̇O2) by 8.1% and 7.1% respectively, but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.50).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study suggests that adding hyperbaric oxygen to sprint interval training may not offer additional benefits for improving cardiorespiratory fitness. Patients seeking to improve fitness through sprint interval training may not need to consider hyperbaric oxygen exposure for enhanced results.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study involved a relatively small sample size of healthy, intermediate-altitude residents over a short two-week period, which may limit generalizability.