Hyperbaric Oxygen Environment Can Enhance Brain Activity and Multitasking Performance

The brain consumes 20% of the total oxygen supply utilized by the body. Even while just 10% of the brain is engaged at any given moment, it consumes nearly all of the oxygen delivered. The oxygen supply is moved from one brain region to another via blood perfusion modulation in order to complete complex tasks or more than one task (multitasking).

In a study published in 2017, by DorVadas, Leonid Kalichman, Amir Hadanny and Shai Efrati, called Hyperbaric Oxygen Environment Can Enhance Brain Activity and Multitasking Performance, the authors tried to evaluate whether a hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT) environment, with increased oxygen supply to the brain, will enhance the performance of complex and multiple activities.

These perfusion changes can be easily visualized by functional magnetic resonance tomography (fMRI) technology. Multiple studies have demonstrated that our ability to perform complex activities decreases under oxygen-depleted environments (Shukitt-Hale et al., 1998; Lieberman et al., 2005; Malle et al., 2013). However, the possible effect on brain performance by a single hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT) environmental exposure has not been studied in humans.

Brain performance is highly sensitive to any decrease in oxygen supply. A reduction of the plasma oxygen pressure to 65 mmHg will impair the brain’s ability to perform complex tasks, at 55 mmHg short-term memory will be impaired, while at <35 mmHg consciousness will be lost (Zauner, 2002).

The effects of a hyperbaric environment (decreased oxygen level) in individual motoric and cognitive performances were studied at high altitudes. At high altitudes or other oxygen-depleted environments, cognitive and motor performances are impaired while performing relatively simple tasks (Shukitt- Hale et al., 1998; West, 2002, 2003; Mortazavi et al., 2003; Lieberman et al., 2005; Malle et al., 2013). On the other hand, the elevation of oxygen levels, even under normobaric conditions, was found to facilitate cognition by decreasing the response time in the elderly (Choi et al., 2013). In a randomized control trial where memory consolidation (as a measure for cognition) was evaluated, increased oxygen supply at normobaric conditions (sea level) to healthy young participants, word memorization was more efficient compared to the control group (Moss and Scholey, 1996).

While multitasking at a normal environment (normal air at sea level), oxygen is required in multiple brain regions simultaneously. The relative deficiency of oxygen may explain the decrease in processing speed, accuracy and other neuro- cognitive performances (Spelke et al., 1976; Han and Marois, 2013). It is assumed that conscious attention to two different actions performed at the same time is possible only if the tasks are coordinated into a single, higher-order activity (Spelke et al., 1976) or that at least one of the activities is being done “automatically” without conscious awareness (Spelke et al., 1976; Han and Marois, 2013). Donohue et al. have found that the ability to perform more than one task is limited even in individuals who are very experienced in one of the given tasks (Donohue et al., 2012).

Hyperbaric Oxygen Environment Can Enhance Brain Activity and Multitasking Performance

Being a High-Performance CEO is quite similar to being a High-Performance Athlete.

Nowadays the gap between great athletes, leaders, and top business people is becoming increasingly narrow. They all want to be outstanding and perform at their best. They are all passionate about a certain craft that they wish to master, and they work tirelessly to achieve their goals. And everyone must perform cognitively and physically to the best of their abilities.

In business, there is no such thing as an offseason. The never-ending grind of travel, meetings, and email takes its toll on anyone’s health, mind, and business. According to a Harvard study, 96% of senior leaders are somewhat burned out.

Danny Green –  American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA)

The NBA, where the typical career lasts 8-10 years, is no different. Stress builds up before players ever make it to the big leagues, and it continues with each game, practice, and interview.

For years, Novak Djokovic, Marcus Rashford, Kyle Lowry, Michael Phelps, and many others have used hyperbaric therapy to aid in their recovery and performance. Nowadays, it is quite rare for a top athlete to not use or possess a hyperbaric chamber.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sports recovery is one of the most effective anti-inflammatories and wound-healing methods which can help athletes recover from sports-related injuries and facilitate performance.

So how do successful athletes and executives stay cool under pressure and achieve career longevity?

Whereas athletes heavily rely on their physical ability, executives rely on their psyche in order to attain excellence. Nonetheless, the two components complement each other considerably better. All brilliant boxers must have incredible boxing IQ, in addition to extraordinary physical strength, and this applies to all sports.

Kobe Bryant was exceptional inside and outside the basketball field. Cristiano Ronaldo besides being the best player in the history of football, he’s also an excellent businessman and self-promoter.

In the same way, the most talented chief executives in the world work out every day, they manage performance and health with equal rigor.

Today’s executives’ jobs are best described as tough. Many demands, including physical ones, confront them. The international economic drive of many organizations today has increased the amount of travel necessary by CEOs to create and sustain their companies’ global presence.

Another significant physical strain is caused by the stress of being responsible for numerous people, their well-being, and the company’s performance. Executives are accustomed to endless meetings and exceedingly long working hours.

We know that CEOs who are physically fit can handle these demands more successfully and hence perform better in their daily activities.

In this video, we reflect on a talk given by Rick Tiedemann, who draws an important connection between CEOs and athletes. As a business leader, it’s crucial for you to take these steps to live more like an athlete in order to enjoy your work life and personal life. #CEO #CorporateAthlete

How can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy help with brain performance?

Several research have been conducted over the last few decades to investigate the potential contribution of HBOT to cognitive performance in both young and elderly populations. HBOT was found to improve cognitive performance in older patients with cognitive abnormalities in one of the earliest trials exploring its effects on the elderly.

It is obvious that the HBOT environment increases cognitive function in and of itself, and that this may be attributed directly to the raised oxygen levels, implying that oxygen is a rate-limiting element for brain activity. However, prolonged exposure to HBOT is required to induce long-term effects that result in alterations in vascular, neural, and cellular activity.

This is why portable hyperbaric chambers like ours have become a part of some of the world’s executives’ everyday routines. The demand for soft-sided portable hyperbaric chambers has skyrocketed in the last decade, and executives make up a sizable portion of this market.

Portable hyperbaric chamber

The Hyperbaric Oxygen Environment Can Enhance Brain Activity and Multitasking Performance study’s findings indicate that even for healthy individuals, oxygen under normal conditions is a limiting factor for brain activity. The ability to perform cognitive and motor tasks as a single or a combined task (multitask) was evaluated in a normal air/oxygen environment and at HBOT, a hyperbaric oxygen-enriched environment. Increasing oxygenation using an HBOT environment significantly enhanced both cognitive and motor performance. Significant improvements were found for both single tasks as well as simultaneous multiple tasks.

HBOT IS A FOUNDATIONAL TREATMENT TO STIMULATE THE BRAIN TO REPAIR ITSELF

HBOT’s primary mechanism is to hyper-oxygenate tissues and the pressure (1.3 or 1.5 ATA) will increase the dissolved oxygen into the plasma. This triggers multiple healing processes without overwhelming the body’s anti-oxidant system.

The working mechanism of oxygen under pressure can help improve cerebral blood flow through micro-vessels and target injured areas in order to decrease inflammation.

This powerful non-invasive anti-inflammatory effect is one of the major advantages of HBOT, which in turn, clears the way for natural healing.

HBOT IS DOCUMENTED TO:

  • Increase oxygen saturation to the brain
  • Reduce cerebral edema and neuroinflammation
  • Grow new blood vessels (Angiogenesis)
  • Increase stem cell production (of brain cells)
  • Repair gray matter (which contains nerve cell bodies)
  • Repair white matter (which are the filaments that connect cell bodies and carry messages between nerve cells)
  • Reach all oxygen-deficient areas of the brain to reactivate neurons
  • Stimulate the immune system

Making Hyperbaric oxygen Therapy (HBOT) technology accessible to optimize brain performance

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has gained ground as a complementary treatment to bring relief to people affected by various forms of head trauma or cognitive decline, people which need to sustain accessible and long-term mHBOT brain care sessions in the comfort of their homes.

Your health is one of the best investments you’ll ever make.

Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (mHBOT) is a safe noninvasive way to promote healing and recovery for users of all ages by saturating the body’s cells with pure oxygen through the use of a pressurized hyperbaric chamber.

There are multiple studies about the benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and owning a private portable hyperbaric chamber is a must-have for every home.

Contact us, to access clinical, technical support, and product information to find out what type of Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber better suits your needs.

We are business partners with many wellness clinics and sports centers, including international companies and private business owners that resell our technology on regional markets. We offer reliable and easy delivery to over 130 countries.