I Did The Same Workout in 2024 Five Days in a Row: Here is How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Made That Possible
My name is Dr. Walker Porterfield and sometimes I have a hard time trusting science. Anyone else?
The Research
During our research into hyperbaric oxygen therapy, we came across several articles associated with sport performance and muscle endurance. According to the research, you can tackle a workout with high intensity, utilize a hyperbaric chamber after, and be fully recovered 24 hours later. This to me sounded too good to be true, so we did a little experiment, naturally using my own body as our guinea pig.
The Plan
In order to get the best results possible, I have attempted to institute certain controls within my life. These controls are associated with sleep, nutrition, supplementation, and timing. If you need help setting health goals for yourself, contact our office today to get pointed in the right direction
For nutrition: I have fasted from 9pm until 2pm each day, and when I do break my fast, it is with the same meal. Lentil pasta, ground beef, tomato sauce and added coconut oil. I also took a protein shake after my workout.
For Sleep: Every night I was in bed by 10:30 and woke up before 7 each day.
For Supplementation: Normally I consume several supplements during the day, but I cut them down for this test to Cardio Miracle (a nitric oxide/heart health supplement), Creatine, Vitamin D3 (10,000 IU a day), and added salt into my water
For Timing: I started my workout at 5:30-6pm everyday and my workout took exactly 48 minutes. After each lift, I took a mandatory 2 minute break to allow my heart rate to come back down.
For Recovery: Immediately following my workout, I administered a 45 minute hyperbaric oxygen therapy session near me. I also received an adjustment monday and wednesday this week.
The Workout
To understand the intensity of the workout, you have to understand my limits. I am an average athlete. I workout 4-5 times per week at CrossFit Merle Hay. For this test, we are going isolate the quads. My 1 rep max front squat is around 235 lbs, so my workout is built around a percentage of that.
Here is my workout:
5x7 front squat at 65% of my 1 rep max
3x11 close stance back squat @115 lbs.
3x11 cyclist squat with a 53lb kettlebell
3x17 bulgarian split squats at bodyweight, per leg
2 set of 30 reps, bodyweight walking lunge.
In between each set, I took a 2 min break and the workout took a total of 48 minutes each day.
Day 1: March 6th
Wake Time: 7:00 am
Nutrition: Fasted until 2 pm, ate 2 bowls of lentil pasta for lunch and two bowls for dinner. Added shredded dubliner cheese for flavor. Consumed my protein shake after my workout.
Supplementation: I took my Vitamin D with lunch. I utilized my cardio miracle and creatine right before my workout. I added a heavy pinch of redmans salt to my water of which I drank (3) 40 0z. servings of.
Timing: I started my workout at 5:45, and completed it at 6:33 pm.
Recovery: At 1 pm, I received a specific chiropractic adjustment from Clarity Chiropractic. 20 minutes after the end of my workout, I entered the bariatric chamber and underwent a session lasting 45 minutes.
Reflection: During my time in the chamber, I noticed some of the immediate soreness dissipate. Generally after a heavy quad day like this, it is difficult to get out of a chair or off the couch without soreness, but none of that was noticed that night. The next morning, minimal soreness was noticed when getting out of bed, but after walking the dogs, most of the soreness or stiffness had dissipated.
Day 2: March 7th
Wake Time: 7:15 am
Nutrition: Fasted until 2 pm, ate 2 bowls of lentil pasta for lunch and two bowls for dinner. Consumed my protein shake 1 hour after my workout.
Supplementation: I took my Vitamin D with lunch. I utilized my cardio miracle and creatine right before my workout. I added a heavy pinch of redmans salt to my water of which I drank (3) 40 0z. servings of.
Timing: I started my workout at 5:30, and completed it at 6:18 pm.
Recovery: 20 minutes after the end of my workout, I entered the hyperbaric chamber and underwent a session lasting 45 minutes.
Reflection: After my workout, I noticed a considerable amount of soreness and stiffness in my quads, and going up and down stairs was difficult. I got in the chamber at 6:30 pm. After about 20 minutes in the chamber a lot of my stiffness started to ease, and by the end of my session, I could feel no pain or discomfort in my quads at all. Once I exited the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber, I noticed some stiffness return, but most of the soreness did not return. The next morning, I did have a return of soreness, but after the morning walk with the dogs, most of it had dissipated. All in all, The workout felt good, and I didnt feel hindered or slowed down by the previous day's workout.
Dr. Walker from Clarity Hyperbarics competing at a local CrossFit Event
Day 3: March 8th
Wake Time: 7:00 am
Nutrition: Fasted until 2 pm, ate 2 bowls of lentil pasta for lunch and two bowls for dinner. Added Milton GF crackers for salt and crunch with my meal. Consumed my protein shake 1 hour after my workout.
Supplementation: I took my Vitamin D with lunch. I utilized my cardio miracle and creatine right before my workout. I added a heavy pinch of redmans salt to my water of which I drank (3) 40 0z. servings of.
Timing: I started my workout at 5:30, and completed it at 6:18 pm.
Recovery: 30 minutes after the end of my workout, I entered the hyperbaric oxygen chamber and underwent a session lasting 45 minutes.
Reflection: Today it took a bit longer to get into the chamber following my workout due to scheduling conflicts. My workout felt the best it has felt all week, and the weights were feeling lighter than normal. After 20 minutes under pressure, my stiffness and soreness had completely gone away. Upon exiting, some stiffness returned, but overall, I'm feeling recovered. Thursday morning I woke up soreness free, and am honestly feeling really good.
Day 4: March 9th
Wake Time: 7:45 am
Nutrition: Fasted until 2 pm, ate 2 bowls of lentil pasta for lunch and two bowls for dinner. Consumed my protein shake 1 hour after my workout.
Supplementation: I took my Vitamin D with lunch. I utilized my cardio miracle and creatine right before my workout. I added a heavy pinch of redmans salt to my water of which I drank (3) 40 0z. servings of.
Timing: I started my workout at 5:30, and completed it at 6:18 pm.
Recovery: 20 minutes after the end of my workout, I entered the hyperbaric oxygen chamber and underwent a session lasting 45 minutes.
Reflection: Woke up this morning feeling soreness free and I am honestly feeling really good. If I sit for a long time, I notice a twinge of stiffness getting up, but overall really good. At my workout today the weights felt good. I think as the week goes on, I'm moving better. It could be an increase in strength, or perhaps I am getting used to the movements. Either way, I am impressed at my body's recovery state this late into the week. Looking forward to tomorrow's workout.
Heart rate variability scan following 4 days of workouts. Activity level is high. Scan was taken immediately following workout, so I am still in fight or flight from the lifts. My interpretation from this scan is that my body is recovering well.
Day 5: March 10th
Wake Time: 7:00 am
Nutrition: Fasted until 2 pm, ate 2 bowls of lentil pasta for lunch and two bowls for dinner. Consumed my protein shake 1 hour after my workout.
Supplementation: I took my Vitamin D with lunch. I utilized my cardio miracle and creatine right before my workout. I added a heavy pinch of redmans salt to my water of which I drank (3) 40 0z. servings of.
Timing: I started my workout at 11:30, and completed it at 12:18 pm.
Recovery: Immediately after the end of my workout, I entered the hyperbaric oxygen chamber and underwent a session lasting 45 minutes.
Reflection: Woke up feeling great. Little to no soreness upon waking, and honestly, I feel recovered. My workout was a little early today due to some scheduling conflicts, but it went well. I feel as if either the weights are getting lighter, or I am just getting used to the movements. Bulgarian split squats are traditionally the most strenuous, and I was able to complete all 17 without slowing on both legs in the first round.
Conclusion:
All in all, I would say this was a successful experiment. My initial hope was that I would feel no soreness whatsoever, but that was a lofty goal. Of the soreness I did experience, I felt as if it was super minimal and it in no way impacted my ability to perform. It is my opinion that I either got stronger throughout the week, or became more accustomed with the movements, so they felt easier. I think additional testing is needed to know for sure. Without HBOT or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, I don’t think I would have been able to continue past day two due to muscle fatigue. I also think I would have started to experience quite a bit of pain in my knees/IT bands had I not been getting regularly adjusted and recovering my body with HBOT and proper supplementation.
Possible changes/flaws
If I were to do this exact experiment again, there are some things I would change.
I would have measured my front squat 1 rep max the friday before beginning so I could post test after the week of training.
I would have measured the circumference of my thigh to see if any hypertrophy was noted
I would have taken pre and post HRV scans on myself to see where I was at in my physiological recovery.
Future Plans
I have plans to run this test again on different parts of my body. I’m thinking Biceps next, then maybe back after that. My goal is to be the healthiest version of myself so I can in good conscious make the best recommendations for my patients. I look forward for what the future holds!