Frequently Asked Questions

Why not just exercise or eat a high-quality diet?  Is this training really that different?
It is that different. Exercise and a healthy diet are both good ways to increase oxygen. But the special system of oxygen training we use has a much bigger impact on health – both physical and mental.

You benefit by increasing the amount of oxygen carried by your red blood cells to the tissues of the body and the brain. This has a huge impact on improving metabolic function, from gut to brain to overall circulation.

To learn more about the fundamental concepts of this unique oxygen training and how getting more oxygen to the body and brain is important, we recommend you watch this eight-minute video by Robert Rowen, MD.

How long does it take to notice effects?
Five to eight sessions are typical for full benefits to appear, but people frequently tell us they notice improvement after one session. By the way, we review your progress prior to every session and continuously revise your training protocol accordingly.

What is intermittent hypoxic training?
Our exercise program—sometimes referred to as intermittent hypoxic training—uses a proprietary system that alternates between high-intensity oxygen (86%) and low-intensity/high-altitude oxygen (14%). Exercising causes your body to accept, disburse and absorb oxygen more readily. (The air we breathe at sea level is comprised of 21% oxygen.) This is similar to the way we might strengthen a bicep with curling weights by stressing, relaxing, stressing, etc. There’s an excellent article that discusses this concept and its health impact by Michael Kummer that you may want to read. In addition, there’s a great deal of research on the benefits of high-altitude (intermittent hypoxic) training.

Can I do intermittent hypoxic training if I rarely exercise?
Yes! We adjust your training protocol to your fitness level and increase it as your fitness level improves. We even have oxygen training options for clients who can’t train with their legs because of injury or disability.

How long does a session last?
Exercise sessions usually start at 15 minutes.  Subsequent sessions may be extended to 20 minutes.

In addition to oxygen exercise, we have other tools and technologies to enhance your workout once you’ve finished. Using them generally adds 10-15 minutes to your time at the gym.

Click here to learn more about those tools.

Is intermittent hypoxic training similar to hyperbaric or ozone therapy?
No. intermittent hypoxic training alternates high-intensity oxygen (86%) and high-altitude training (14%) while pedaling on a recumbent bike. Alternating your oxygen intake while exercising elevates your heart rate, which results in your body taking in far more oxygen than normal. When your red blood cells carry more oxygen, it helps increase your energy, detoxifies, reduces inflammation, upregulates your immune system, and supports repair.

Hyperbaric therapy involves reclining or sitting in a pressurized, hard-shell chamber at 1.5 to 3.0 atmospheres of pressure (normal sea level is 1.0 atmospheres) while receiving high-intensity oxygen (up to 100%). It’s most commonly used in hospitals and rehab centers to aid with healing wounds and other conditions.  It’s used in non-hospital centers for concussions, neurological conditions, and more.

Ozone therapy generally involves taking a vial of blood from your arm. Ozone is then dissolved into the blood and returned to you via an intravenous line. It’s used to treat chronic conditions.

Click here to read about these therapies in more detail.

Is there published research on the benefits of intermittent hypoxic training such as cognitive function and performance, neurological issues, learning, inflammatory markers, asthma and more?
Yes. Contact us if you’d like us to send you a link to a number of research studies and articles that we’ve gathered from the internet.

How was this technology created?
In the 1960s Dr. Manfred von Ardenne, a German inventor and medical researcher, met with Dr. Otto Warburg to discuss Dr. Warburg’s research related to the impact of aerobic changes (low oxygen) on cells and mitochondrial function. Dr. Warburg was a biochemist and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

Dr. von Ardenne was looking for a way to improve the cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems of patients undergoing experimental cancer treatments. Inspired by Dr. Warberg’s work, Dr. von Ardenne developed what he called “multi-step oxygen.”

The culmination of this work was a book he wrote in 1990 detailing the model and the years of research providing the basis for multi-step oxygen. The book was called: Oxygen Multistep Therapy Physiological and Technical Foundations.

The technology we use at Gym for the Brain is based on Dr. von Ardenne’s work.

More about Dr. von Ardenne: Dr. von Ardenne’s research center made many pioneering contributions in television technology, electron microscopy, scanning microscopy, isotope separation, and electron and ion beam technology. He accomplished the first completely electronic television transmission in the world