Following a growing trend in professional sports, the Philadelphia Phillies are now the first Major League Baseball team to use Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to improve their players’ recovery and performance.
HBOT is a medical treatment in which patients breathe 100% oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. The treatment is used to increase oxygen delivery, improve healing and fight infections.
“This is unique because it’s a medical grade Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy,” Paul Buchheit, the Head Athletic Trainer of the Phillies, said. “So, it is an official treatment and it’s much different than anything else we have.”
The move is part of a multi-year agreement with NexGen Hyperbaric, a clinical HBOT company that uses mobile hyperbaric chambers to deliver the treatment.
According to the Phillies, HBOT has helped players improve their recovery, performance, and overall readiness.
“Anytime I do the oxygen therapy, my sleep scores just skyrocket for like three or four days,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto told NBC10. “And no matter how the game’s going, even if we have a hard game that night, I’ll do it early in the day and by the time I lay down at night, I sleep so much better. I recover faster.”
In addition to the Phillies, the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, and Olympic athletes such as alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, use the oxygen therapy.
“Our solution is purpose-built for teams like the Phillies who are committed to innovation in player care,” Jonathan Rotella, President and CEO of NexGen Hyperbaric, said. “It’s efficient, scalable, and designed to meet the rigorous demands of professional sports. We’re proud to set a precedent in Major League Baseball and honored to work with such a forward-thinking medical team.”
The Phillies’ mobile hyperbaric chamber is currently in Florida during spring training and will travel north when the Phillies begin their season in March.