New athlete recovery technologies and techniques “have revolutionized sports medicine, from surgical intervention to nutrition to mental health, even as some of these strategies feel more sci-fi than scientific,” according to Devin Gordon of the N.Y. TIMES. Partly what is driving the increase in recovery technologies “is the size of the fortunes at stake.” The “typical salary” for an NBA player is now close to $12M a year. When a member of Lakers F LeBron James’ inner circle claimed in 2018 that he was “spending about” $1.5M a year on “caring for his body, it accelerated an arms race across sports.” The emerging wave of high-end recovery technologies includes:
- The Ammortal Chamber: Rams coach Sean McVay described the chamber, which costs $159,500, as “a human-charging station that levels up the body and mind.” Gordon noted the recovery tech can “pack 48 hours of recovery” into a 24-hour day by “doing five things at once.” For athletes who “spend lots of time in high-stress, fight-or-flight situations, the Ammortal Chamber’s sensorial immersion is supposed to help the body return to a natural parasympathetic state.” Currently, about 15 pro athletes “have Ammortal Chambers at home.” The Seahawks “brought one to” Super Bowl LX.
- The Haelo: It is a $3,300 pulsed electromagnetic field therapy device “shaped like a vinyl record that you strap around your midsection before selecting a ‘frequency set’ to aid with digestion, inflammation and mental clarity.”
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: The hard-shell hyperbaric oxygen chamber “delivers oxygen at air-pressure levels significantly greater than normal, saturating the blood with oxygen, stimulating cell regeneration and reducing inflammation.” The evidence for this as a recovery tool “is mixed,” but the “lure is understandable:” James and tennis player Novak Djokovic are “among the athletes known to use them” (N.Y. TIMES, 5/6).
