OZONOTHERAPY IN ATHLETE HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT
Of course, there are many treatment methods used for athlete health. But in our country, ozonotherapy, which is a method that is not well known and used in the field of sports, opens new horizons in athlete health and performance enhancement. Ozone therapy can be used for the treatment of many diseases, as well as increasing the oxygen utilization capacity of healthy and healthy people, providing plenty of oxygen to the body. There is an increase in ATP production that provides energy in our cells. Blood circulation increases. The immune system is strengthened and moved to its optimum (ideal) level. Anti-oxidant capacity increases, making people feel extremely dynamic, vigorous and energetic. Ozonotherapy will make a very good contribution to the performance of the athlete, but not to his/her strength. Especially in some performance sports that require long-term endurance (football, basketball, marathon, cycling etc.), the most urgent need of the athlete during the competition is to provide sufficient oxygen supply to the cells.
Since ozone and oxygen are natural substances with no side effects, we can also call it legal and natural doping. Bayern-Munich and some European teams are known to have 3-5 sessions of ozonotherapy for their athletes before important matches in order to increase performance and endurance. Two methods stand out in the use of ozonotherapy for athletes.
Major autohemotherapy (blood therapy) and ozone sauna method.
Major Autohemotherapy is the process of taking about 100 cc of blood from the athlete, mixing it with ozone-oxygen gas mixture and then returning it in the same session. In the ozone sauna, the person sits in a small cabin for 30 minutes, where the head stays outside and ozone gas circulates inside. It may be more understandable to classify the benefits of ozonotherapy for athletes as follows:
Before the competition
1-It ensures that the athlete is ready for competitions by quickly correcting conditions such as colds, flu, food poisoning, malaise.
2-It prevents diseases by increasing the immune system.
3-It increases the body's natural steroid production towards the desired ideal levels. By accelerating muscle development, the desired body structure and shape is more easily achieved.
4-Gains condition, gives confidence to the athlete and takes away the tension of the next day's competition.
5- By providing a quality sleep, it ensures that the athlete is rested on the day of the competition.
During the competition
1-By increasing the oxygen utilization capacity, it provides continuous and abundant oxygen to the muscles that need more oxygen during the competition.
2-It makes the athlete more energetic and high performance by increasing the production of ATP, which is the energy substance in the body, so that the athlete does not get tired easily and continues to play as if he was in the first minutes of the competition.
3-Because it reduces the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles, which causes fatigue and decreased power, fatigue starts very late or does not develop at all in short competitions.
After the competition
1-Reduces pain the next day.
2-Halves the healing time of swelling (edema or hematoma), bruises, bruises, abrasions or wounds.
3-Relaxes and rests the muscles by reducing the adrenaline hormone that causes muscle tension in the body.
4-Reduces degenerative damage to bones and joints in the long term.
5- Reduces toxins accumulated in the body by breaking them down. The desired effects are not seen immediately with a single session of ozonotherapy.
A few days of time is required for physical adaptation to begin. It is recommended to apply a few sessions just before important encounters. I do not think there is any other method that can effectively provide the above-mentioned effects alone.
For example, is there anything more comforting for a coach before an important match than knowing that his athletes are at peak physical performance?
We know that some sports physicians who work with professional athletes are actively using ozonotherapy for some understandable reasons, although they do not disclose their working strategies.
Now that we are using ozonotherapy in athlete health in Turkey, it will open new horizons for the sports community.
