Exercise With Oxygen Therapy (EWOT) - A Complete Guide with Benefits, Uses, Risks and More

What is Exercise with Oxygen Therapy (EWOT)?

Exercise with Oxygen Therapy is the practice of breathing higher concentrations of oxygen (93% or higher) while exercising. This approach is also known as Oxygen Enhanced Exercise or Exercise with Oxygen Training or Oxygen Multi-step Therapy.

Table of Contents

• Why EWOT?
• How Does EWOT Work?
• Why Exercise Demands More Oxygen?
• Key Benefits of EWOT
• Evolution of EWOT
• How Can EWOT Help You
• Who Can Benefit from EWOT?
• EWOT Dangers
• EWOT vs. HBOT
• Is EWOT a Treatment Option?

The process is simple:

It involves an EWOT System, which consists of an Oxygen Reservoir Bag filled with oxygen from an Oxygen Concentrator and a specialized mask attached to the bag. All you have to do is wear the mask and engage in your daily workout routine. Our Turbo Oxygen EWOT systems bundle all three components — concentrator, reservoir bag and patented mask — as one kit.

With the EWOT System, you inhale 4 times more oxygen than in the ambient air while working out and this increases the level of oxygen in your cells, tissues, muscles and blood plasma, potentially improving your energy, endurance and athletic performance, reducing inflammation, promoting detoxification, offering anti-aging benefits and much more. 

Why EWOT?

• Performance and endurance: Exercising while breathing oxygen-enriched air is known as hyperoxic training. A 2019 systematic review of seven studies — 97 participants training over three to six weeks — found large improvements in exercise performance and moderate improvements in oxygen uptake. Reported benefits across the research include gains in VO2 max, faster recovery between efforts, and reduced lactic acid build-up. The same review notes that the long-term effects of frequent high-oxygen exposure are not yet well established, which is part of why EWOT sessions are short by design.

• Oxygen delivery under exertion: Oxygen travels in the blood two ways: bound to red blood cells, which are close to fully saturated even at rest, and dissolved in plasma, which is not. Breathing oxygen-enriched air raises the dissolved fraction — the one with room to move. Plasma oxygen levels are reduced by inactivity, stress and prolonged illness (research on age-related changes in tissue oxygenation); the charts below, from von Ardenne's research institute, show the measured effect of specific stressors.

Many daily stressors such as physical inactivity, stress, prolonged illness etc. can reduce the plasma oxygen lavels in your blood, contributing to poor circulation in different body parts. Oxygen in your bloodstream is present in two primary forms: bound to red blood cells and dissolved in the fluid component of your blood, known as plasma.

The German researcher Dr. Manfred von Ardenne's research institute conducted extensive investigations into plasma oxygenation and its responses to various stressors. Dr. von Ardenne's research described how reduced plasma oxygen levels are associated with narrowing of the capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the body. 

Daily Stressors that reduce Plasma Oxygen Levels and Oxygen Consumption

Increased Oxygen uptake and Blood Circulation after EWOT

How Does EWOT Work?

During EWOT, an increased oxygen concentration in the lungs generates greater pressure, promoting the efficient transport of oxygen into pulmonary capillaries.

In a 1984 double-blind study, 20 healthy male volunteers completed two 15-minute oxygen-multistep sessions. Two weeks later, ergometric testing showed a mean 17% increase in physical endurance. The study was run by von Ardenne and colleagues, who developed the method.

von Ardenne M, Klemm W, Klinger J. Z Alternsforsch. 1984;39(1):17–30. PMID 6711017

Exercise also accelerates blood circulation, resulting in improved oxygen transport mechanism. Blood carries oxygen to capillaries located all over the body, where it gets diffused through the capillary endothelial membrane into interstitial fluid and reaches your cells. This oxygen diffusion process depends on the arterial pressure, which, unfortunately, shows a tendency to decline with age.

Aging and factors such as chronic stress, physical inactivity, sedentary behavior, smoking, exposure to air pollution, and oxidative stress can contribute to vascular dysfunction and impaired blood flow, potentially affecting the delivery of oxygen to tissues.

You might have observed that a wound rapidly heals in a child but may linger and take a long time to heal in an older person. This can be partly attributed to the age-related changes in arterial oxygen pressure.

Why Does Your Body Need More Oxygen When You Exercise?

When you exercise, your muscles are hard at work and require more energy than usual, and the demand for oxygen increases to meet this need. As a result, your breathing rate and heart rate increase to draw more oxygen into your bloodstream. Unlike at rest, the oxygen that reaches your muscles during exercise never leaves but is rather utilized to create ATP.

Now, what happens when the oxygen supply to your muscles becomes limited?

When your body runs low on oxygen, anaerobic metabolism takes over, and the muscles start generating energy without oxygen. This results in the production of lactic acid, leading to fatigue and performance drop. As the body continues to exercise, the oxygen demand of the muscles increases, and the anaerobic metabolism becomes unsustainable.

The body responds by increasing oxygen delivery to the muscles through increased breathing rate, heart rate, and blood flow. This allows aerobic metabolism to resume and the muscles to produce energy more efficiently with the help of oxygen.

As a result, the switch from anaerobic to aerobic metabolism during exercise is a gradual process, with the body adjusting its oxygen uptake and delivery to the muscles in response to the changing demands of the exercise.

How EWOT Helps Your Body Meet the Oxygen Demand?

Oxygen plays a vital role in the post-workout recovery process by aiding in the restoration of pre-exercise ATP levels and assisting the liver in converting lactic acid into carbohydrates. The amount of oxygen in your body during and after exercise directly impacts your performance and recovery rate. In simple terms, the more oxygen you have in your body, the better your performance and recovery rate will be.

Key Benefits of EWOT

The benefits people report cluster around three mechanisms: 

Improves Oxygen Circulation

EWOT transports oxygen into the blood vessels. This indicates the increase in the flow of Oxygen into arteries, veins, and even to the capillaries that link arteries to veins. Improvement in oxygen circulation results in the smooth processing of numerous day-to-day biochemical activities undergone by the cells as they are receiving enough oxygen.

Supports Blood Flow

As oxygen circulation in the body improves, the oxygenated blood has the capability to transport O2 to the tissues, blood vessels, and organs for the proper functioning of physiological processes. 

Boosts ATP Synthesis

EWOT permits every cell to receive an adequate O2 level. This enhances the production of Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP), the energy currency of the cell. Blood cells separate when ATP levels rise, allowing them to absorb more oxygen because they are no longer stuck together. Low ATP can lead to a delayed healing process.

Other Benefits of EWOT

• Increases energy during and after sessions
  
• Promotes rapid recovery post-workout
• Enhances athletic performance
  

Related Reading : 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Exercise With Oxygen Therapy (EWOT)

Evolution of EWOT: A Journey Through History

In the late 1960s, German researcher and applied physicist Manfred von Ardenne developed Oxygen Multistep Therapy to help cancer patients. The aim was to aid the function of the cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular systems by delivering oxygen-enriched air. As exercise increases oxygen utilization, he combined exercise with Oxygen Multistep Therapy.

What carried forward into modern EWOT is the combination itself: exercise and supplemental oxygen together, rather than either on its own. Contemporary practice keeps that structure — short sessions, elevated oxygen concentration, physical exertion — and today's equipment simply makes it practical at home. A concentrator produces the oxygen, a reservoir bag stores enough of it to draw at high flow, and a mask delivers it while you work.

How Can EWOT Help You Improve Your Workout Routine?

If you are someone who regularly does strenuous workouts, your body will require a fair amount of oxygen to get adequate support. Yes, doing physical exercises is good for you, but EWOT will give your body that extra boost that it seeks. It helps you get the most out of your exercise by maximizing the oxygen levels. 

Breathing oxygen-enriched air causes a mild narrowing of blood vessels — a well-documented response to hyperoxia. Whether that meaningfully affects exercise-related inflammation hasn't been established.

If you want to try it alongside your current training, the complete EWOT systems include everything needed to start.

Who Can Benefit from EWOT?

Anyone who is able to exercise, regardless of age or fitness level, can do Oxygen Enhanced Exercise. EWOT is used by athletes, people who train regularly, and anyone looking to get more out of their exercise.

Athletes

Athletes can leverage Exercise With Oxygen Therapy (EWOT) to enhance their physical performance, endurance gains and VO2 max. Engaging in EWOT workout sessions helps you improve your recovery rate, reduce fatigue, and potentially gain a competitive edge. The exercise-oxygen duo could increase your oxygen utilization, helping your body meet the demands of intense training and helping your body reach peak athletic performance.

Related Reading : EWOT for Optimal Athletic Performance

Fitness Enthusiasts

Are you someone who prioritizes fitness? Then EWOT is worth considering to enhance your endurance, boost your performance, and recover faster, reducing muscle fatigue and soreness. Achieve your fitness goals and follow a healthy workout routine with EWOT.

Wellness Seekers

Seeking wellness? EWOT can help! Oxygen Enhanced Exercise can boost your energy, reduce stress, and promote relaxation, fostering a sense of well-being and contributing to a healthier lifestyle and a healthier, happier you.

EWOT Dangers - Is EWOT Safe?

EWOT combines two ordinary things: exercise, and breathing oxygen-enriched air. The usual precautions for starting any exercise programme apply — check with your doctor first, particularly if you have a heart or lung condition, are on medication, or haven't exercised in a while. Start with short sessions and build up.

Research on hyperoxic training is still limited. A 2019 systematic review of seven studies found clear performance benefits, while noting that the long-term effects of frequent high-oxygen exposure are not yet well understood. Sessions are short by design, and we'd suggest treating that as the sensible approach rather than assuming more is better.

The most common side effect is some minor drying of the sinuses and throat from the oxygen air, which can be remedied by drinking more water and staying well hydrated.

At the oxygen concentrations a concentrator produces (93–96%) and over sessions of 15 minutes or less, exposure is far below the levels and durations associated with oxygen toxicity in the clinical literature. Longer or more frequent sessions have not been well studied, which is why we recommend keeping sessions short.

Related Reading : Risks Associated with EWOT

EWOT vs. HBOT

We often get the question of whether Exercise with Oxygen Therapy (EWOT) can provide similar benefits as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and which therapy is more suitable for individual needs. It's important to note that oxygen, in all its forms, can benefit the body, and both EWOT and HBOT offer potential advantages.

EWOT and HBOT use hyperoxia as the basic block of their system. Inhaling excess oxygen is the key factor, and this extra oxygen is delivered to the body to enhance oxygen absorption in the tissues.

Here’s the comparison in a nutshell: