Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Combined with Lycopene on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Collegiate Badminton Players After High-Intensity Training.

Objectives: This study aims to compare the effects of three interventions, namely hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy, HBO combined with lycopene (LYC) supplementation, and natural recovery, on oxidative stress and inflammatory responses following high-intensity exercise. The goal is to provide a theoretical foundation and methodological reference for strategies that help reduce fatigue after intense physical activity. Methods: Collegiate badminton players (n = 45) were randomly assigned to control, HBO, and HBO+LYC groups. Each group completed a 4-week intervention in accordance with its assigned protocol. The levels of oxidative stress, inflammation-related markers, and exercise-induced fatigue indicators were assessed before and after the intervention. Changes in these markers following high-intensity exercise were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA to evaluate the effects of HBO and HBO+LYC. Results: Following the intervention, the control group showed significant increases in malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase (CK), blood urea (BU), and heart rate (HR), along with a significant decrease in testosterone (T) (all p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, both intervention groups had significantly lower MDA, IL-6, TNF, CRP, CK, BU, and HR and higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (all p < 0.05). Compared with the HBO group, the HBO+LYC group showed significantly higher CAT and lower IL-6 and CK levels (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Both HBO alone and HBO+LYC effectively reduced oxidative stress, inflammation, and exercise-induced fatigue, as evidenced by decreased MDA, IL-6, TNF, CRP, CK, BU, and HR, along with increased SOD and CAT, T-AOC, and T. Moreover, HBO+LYC demonstrated superior efficacy over HBO alone for selected outcomes, particularly by further enhancing glutathione peroxidase 3 activity. These findings suggest that HBO, especially when combined with LYC, may be an effective strategy to attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation and promote recovery following high-intensity exercise.