This article is part of the HBOT Radar series, where we summarize the latest published hyperbaric oxygen therapy research.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It summarizes published medical research conducted in clinical settings and does not evaluate Brain Spa Hyperbaric products. The hyperbaric chambers offered on this website are non-medical wellness devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Do not make medical decisions based on this article — consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Title:
Scoping review finds HBOT improves insulin sensitivity, lowers fasting glucose, and reduces inflammation — with effects beginning after the first treatment
What this review examined
Insulin resistance is the core driver behind:
- type 2 diabetes
- metabolic syndrome
- weight gain
- chronic inflammation
- cardiovascular disease
It develops long before diabetes is diagnosed, making it one of the most important early targets for intervention.
Because diabetes is one of the most common conditions seen in patients undergoing HBOT, clinicians have long noticed metabolic improvements — but until now, no review had organized the data.
This 2025 scoping review examined all available evidence on how HBOT affects insulin resistance.
What was included
- 230 studies screened
- 17 eligible studies
- Included human and animal data
- Focused specifically on insulin, insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity
- Excluded normobaric oxygen and non-English/Spanish/Portuguese articles
One thing to hold on to while reading the findings below: this review pooled human and animal studies together. Where a result is described without specifying the population, it may rest on either.
The human studies in this review were conducted in clinical settings under medical supervision. Results from clinical research cannot be directly applied to other settings or devices — always consult a healthcare professional.
Key findings
1. HBOT improves fasting glucose
Multiple studies showed lower fasting glycaemia after HBOT.
2. HBOT decreases insulin resistance
Consistent across studies:
- increased insulin sensitivity
- reduced markers of insulin resistance
This was seen in both diabetic and non-diabetic groups.
3. Effects begin after a single HBOT session
One of the most striking findings:
Measurable metabolic improvements appeared after just one HBOT session.
This suggests a strong physiological effect that begins immediately.
4. HBOT reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines
Chronic inflammation is a major cause of insulin resistance.
HBOT lowered inflammatory mediators linked to:
- impaired insulin signaling
- mitochondrial dysfunction
- metabolic rigidity
5. Mechanisms likely involve mitochondrial efficiency + oxygen-dependent pathways
Although the exact molecular pathways remain unclear, the review highlights oxygen’s role in:
- boosting mitochondrial ATP production
- reducing hypoxia-driven inflammation
- improving GLUT4 glucose transporter function
- increasing tissue oxygenation in insulin-resistant cells
6. Duration of improvement remains unknown
The review notes that we do not yet know:
- how long insulin sensitivity stays improved
- whether a full HBOT protocol leads to long-term metabolic changes
More research is needed.
Why this matters
This review reinforces a growing body of evidence:
The metabolic side of hyperbaric research is getting more attention
Insulin resistance is one of the most damaging early metabolic shifts in the modern world.
If HBOT can:
- improve insulin sensitivity
- reduce inflammation
- lower fasting glucose
- quickly shift metabolic function
…it has enormous implications for:
- prediabetes
- metabolic syndrome
- PCOS
- long COVID-related metabolic dysfunction
- obesity driven by insulin resistance
- mitochondrial disorders
Insulin resistance often goes undetected, including in people who are not overweight, which is part of why researchers find this line of enquiry interesting. A scoping review maps what has been studied — it does not establish that hyperbaric oxygen is an effective intervention for any of these conditions.
Takeaway for the community
This 2025 scoping review shows that:
- HBOT improves fasting glucose
- HBOT enhances insulin sensitivity
- effects begin after the first session
- inflammation related to insulin resistance decreases
- the review maps an area worth studying properly — it does not show that hyperbaric oxygen prevents or reverses metabolic dysfunction
However, the authors emphasize the need for large, rigorous randomized trials before HBOT can be widely recommended for insulin resistance in clinical guidelines.
Study link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41322229/
HBOT Radar continues to follow new research on HBOT’s metabolic effects, including glucose regulation, mitochondrial function and long-term insulin sensitivity.
Educational disclaimer
This content summarizes findings from published medical research for educational purposes only.
The hyperbaric chambers sold on this website are non-medical wellness devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
The studies discussed here were conducted in clinical medical settings using medical-grade interventions. The inclusion of research summaries does not imply that similar outcomes can be achieved using non-medical wellness devices.
