Posted by Marcell Jacobs on his Instagram profile on April 18th, at first glance the video is difficult to decode even for sports physiology experts: drenched in sweat, the champion sprinter from Brescia runs on a treadmill (at a moderate speed, apparently at 12/15 km /h) wearing a neoprene mask which covers the mouth and I hide and connected to a long mouthpiece. The most singular detail: the sprinter’s pelvis and legs are inserted into a sort of rigid rubber dinghy/doughnut (presumably the oxygen tank where the snorkel “fishes”) from which a transparent plastic curtain that touches the ground. A device never seen by many physiologists but identifiable in broad terms only by a logo on the mask: LiveO2.
LiveO2 identifies a series of patents from the American company Whole Health Network whose mantra is “improve your life, be smarter, sleep better and get better results”. The principle, according to the creators of the system, is to «use enriched oxygen to facilitate recovery after very intense exercises and maximize strength and resistance compared to normobaric conditions”.
A technique which, according to the producers, differs from the hyperbaric practices in tents used by many famous footballers such as Lukaku, Rashford or Salah but also in the past by Brozovic for the speed, effectiveness and duration of the treatment which would consist of a reduction of inflammation in the muscle tissues and a more rapid elimination of lactic acid. Known and appreciated in the medical field and in the recovery of those who have suffered accidents during decompression in underwater activity, hyperbaric practice does not currently enjoy great favor in scientific literature when it comes to sports performance.
«The results are contradictory and show positive or no ergogenic effects. The placebo effect is possible” is written after an extensive review of the literature in an article published in February 2023 on The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The producers of the system, for their part, are careful not to publish supporting scientific literature on a site full of promotional videos. Certainly, however, without taking into account the placebo effect, the system – very expensive – is legal and does not harm your health.
