From professional basketball and tennis to Olympic skiing, elite athletes have increasingly turned to hyperbaric chambers as part of sophisticated recovery routines designed to help them withstand demanding training, competition, injuries, and long careers.
LeBron James is famous for the extraordinary investment he makes in maintaining his body, and his longtime trainer has discussed hyperbaric chamber use as part of his recovery routine. Lindsey Vonn, the American Olympic ski champion, has also incorporated hyperbaric treatment into her intensive rehabilitation, with a recent profile describing daily sessions in a hyperbaric chamber. And Novak Djokovic, whose remarkable longevity in professional tennis has made his recovery methods a subject of considerable interest, has included hyperbaric chambers among the recovery technologies he uses.
That interest is no longer limited to professional athletes. People are increasingly exploring Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for wellness, recovery, performance, and longevity, whether they are recovering from demanding exercise, navigating heavy travel or work schedules, or simply looking for another way to support how their body recovers and functions.
At The One Plastic Surgery in Newport Beach, wellness Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is approached separately from treatment surrounding surgery. Recommendations are individualized according to each person’s goals, health history, tolerance, and treatment plan rather than applying the same protocol to everyone.
During Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, increased pressure allows more oxygen to dissolve into plasma, the liquid portion of the blood, making more oxygen available throughout the body and its tissues. This increased oxygen availability is why Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has attracted interest not only for medical and surgical recovery, but also for broader wellness, recovery, and performance goals.
At The One Plastic Surgery, wellness Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is approached differently from treatment surrounding surgery. Recommendations are based on the individual’s goals, health history, tolerance, and overall treatment plan.
For athletes and active adults, recovery is part of performance. Training places repeated demands on muscles, energy systems, and the body’s ability to adapt between workouts. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has attracted interest because it increases oxygen availability during treatment and may influence some of the same processes involved in exercise capacity, cellular energy production, and physical recovery.
Human research supports that interest. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy master athletes reported improvements in aerobic capacity, power, and how efficiently muscle cells used oxygen to produce energy after a repeated course of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. For wellness patients, that research helps explain why HBOT has become part of the broader conversation around recovery, conditioning, and maintaining physical performance over time.
An injury changes the recovery conversation. Instead of simply bouncing back from a hard workout, the body may be dealing with swelling, inflammation, bruising, and tissue repair while the athlete is also trying to maintain strength, mobility, and conditioning. Some athletes therefore incorporate Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy alongside medical care, physical therapy, and rehabilitation as an additional way to support the recovery environment.
A very visible example is Lindsey Vonn, the American Olympic ski champion. After suffering severe injuries surrounding the 2026 Winter Olympics and undergoing multiple surgeries, Vonn began an intensive rehabilitation program. A Vanity Fair profile of her recovery reported that her daily schedule included two hours of physical therapy, followed later in the day by two hours inside a hyperbaric chamber, before returning home for additional gym work.
Her experience does not tell us how every athlete will respond to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, but it shows how the technology is being incorporated into sophisticated recovery programs where healing, rehabilitation, conditioning, and returning to activity all have to work together.
Periods of intense exercise, frequent travel, long workdays, disrupted sleep, and unusually demanding schedules can leave people feeling physically depleted and slower to recover. This is one reason some people become interested in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as part of a broader wellness routine focused on energy, recovery, and maintaining physical performance.
Oxygen plays a fundamental role in how our cells produce the energy they need to function. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy temporarily increases the amount of oxygen available in the bloodstream and tissues, giving cells greater access to one of the basic ingredients required for energy production and repair. That does not mean Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy acts like a stimulant or provides an instant energy boost, but it helps explain why researchers have studied it in connection with exercise recovery, physical performance, and fatigue.
For example, a blinded study examining fatigue after prolonged exercise found that participants reported a greater reduction in whole-body fatigue after a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy session than those in the comparison group. The researchers did not find matching changes in most objective blood markers, however, so the results are better viewed as promising evidence about perceived recovery rather than proof that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treats fatigue.
For wellness patients, the practical goal is therefore broader: supporting the body during periods of high physical demand and giving recovery another tool alongside adequate sleep, hydration, nutrition, movement, and appropriate medical care. Persistent or unexplained fatigue should still be evaluated medically rather than assumed to be the result of a demanding schedule.
Surgical treatment is coordinated around the procedure and the patient’s healing progress, with timing and number of sessions determined by the clinical team. Learn more about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Plastic Surgery Recovery.
Longevity-focused treatment explores research involving biological aging, telomeres, cellular aging, cognition, performance, and biohacking. Explore Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Longevity and Anti-Aging.
At The One Plastic Surgery, treatments take place in a chamber that reaches up to 2.0 ATA, with appropriate screening and an individualized treatment plan. Learn about preparation, ear pressure, safety, and the treatment experience in What to Expect During Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
For a broader overview of the therapy and its different applications, visit our Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Newport Beach overview.
Yes. The One Plastic Surgery may discuss Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for general wellness, recovery and performance goals. The treatment plan should still be based on health history, goals and clinical screening.
Research has explored both injury recovery and performance. A randomized placebo-controlled study in master athletes reported improvements in several performance and mitochondrial-related measures after a repeated treatment course. Results should not be generalized to every athlete or every protocol.
It may be discussed as part of a recovery-oriented wellness plan, but it should not be used to mask persistent or unexplained fatigue that warrants medical evaluation.
No. Surgical timing and frequency are coordinated around the procedure and healing course. Wellness plans are based on goals, health history, tolerance and clinical recommendation.
Yes. The reason for treatment may be elective, but pressure-related risks and contraindications still matter. Patients should disclose relevant ear, sinus, lung, neurological and medical issues before treatment.
Yes. Some patients choose Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as part of their recovery routine after long flights, frequent travel, or demanding schedules. Travel can disrupt sleep, hydration, activity levels, and normal routines, all of which can leave you feeling tired or physically depleted.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is not an established treatment for jet lag itself, but patients interested in wellness may use a session as part of a broader approach to recovery, energy, and getting back to their normal routine after travel.
Sources and further reading:
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Overview
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Plastic Surgery
How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Works
What to Expect of Your Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treatment
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Longevity and Anti-Aging
Hadanny et al. — Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Physical Performance in Master Athletes — Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of performance and mitochondrial outcomes.
Camporesi & Bosco — Mechanisms of Action of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy — Physiologic basis for oxygen delivery and tissue effects.
FDA — Safe Use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Devices — Safety expectations apply to wellness treatment as well as medical treatment.
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