Harrison
Hyperbaric oxygenation did not improve recovery from exercise-induced muscle injury
| Clinical Bottom Line: 1. No significant improvement in recovery from exercise-induced muscle injury with HBOT2. No apparent effect of either immediate or 1 day delayed therapy. |
Citation/s:1. Harrison BC, Robinson D, Davison BJ, Foley B, Seda E, Byrnes WC. Treatment of exercise-induced muscle injury via hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 2001; 33(1):36-42. Lead author's name and fax: Harrison BC [| bcharrison@earthlink.net]
Three-part Clinical Question: For patients with exercise-induced muscle injury, does the application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy result in a reduction in pain or an increase in the rate of recovery? Search Terms: Athletic injury, exercise, muscle injury
The Study:Single-blinded randomised controlled trial without intention-to-treat. The Study Patients: Healthy young male volunteers. Subjects who trained regularly were excluded. All subjects underwent a standard non-dominant arm exercise designed to produce injury. Control group (N = 7; 5 analysed): No specific therapy. Experimental group (N = 14; 13 analysed): 100% oxygen at 2.5ATA for 100 minutes. Two active groups - immediate and delayed HBOT. Sham treatments on air at minimal pressure maintained blinding between groups. Immediate group had treatments immediately post-injury and 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours; delayed HBOT group had immediate sham, followed by the same schedule.
The evidence:
| Outcome | Control Group | HBOT Groups | Difference | 95% CI | ||
| ^ | Mean | SD | Mean | SD | ^ | ^ |
| Forearm cross-sectional area day 2 (% baseline) | 11.0 | 15.7 | 26.7 | 29.1 | 15.7 | 45.147 to -13.747 |
| Isometric strength day 2 (% baseline) | 49.7 | 12.3 | 65.7 | 31.4 | -16.0 | -47.103 to 15.103 |
Comments: 1. Personal communication with author confirms random allocation and partial blinding (between HBO groups but not including controls). 2. Paper also reports no significant effect of HBOT for muscle relaxation times, serum creatine phosphate or pain.
Appraised by: Mike BennettPOWH, Sydney ; Saturday, 31 July 2004 Email: [| m.bennett@unsw.edu.au]
Kill or Update By: March 2021
