A Surgeon’s Little-Known Secret to Biohacking Your Body With Oxygen Therapy

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You may remember Dr. Johnathan Edwards, MD: an endurance athlete, private practice anesthesiologist, physiologist and sports medicine physician based in Las Vegas, and a guy who consults with a huge number of professional athletes in many different disciplines in North America and Europe, including cyclists in the Tour de France, AMA motocross athletes and UFC fighters.

A few weeks ago, here at BenGreenfieldFitness.com, Dr. Edwards wrote The Ultimate Guide To Biohacking Exercise With Oxygen Therapy, Hypoxia, Elevation & Altitude Training, and in that article, Dr. Edwards touched on the surprising things you can do to enhance physical and mental performance if you know how to use oxygen the right way. In that article, you learned that if you want a shortcut to maximizing lung capacity and recovery you can (and should) increase the amount of oxygen available to your body via a protocol called “Exercise With Oxygen Therapy”, or “EWOT”.

Problem is, it can be incredibly difficult to figure out how to get an oxygen concentrator, how to “hack” it to be efficient enough for EWOT, and then what to do with it once you have your oxygen concentrator all setup. This stuff can be confusing and can be expensive if you don't know the exact parts you need. That’s probably why Dr. Edward’s original article received plenty of comments and questions about EWOT.

But it’s actually not that difficult and quite inexpensive to make yourself an oxygen concentrator that rivals what is used in fancy sports science and exercise physiology labs.

So now, without further ado, I present to you…

…a new article from Dr. Edwards that shows you exactly how to get, how to biohack, and how to use an oxygen concentrator.

If you’re one of the guys or girls who simply isn’t technically or engineer minded, but who wants all the biohacking benefits of exercise with oxygen therapy, I’d recommend you post this article to Craiglist to find someone to make it for you, or give this article to your closest friend who you know loves to do projects like this, and have them make it for you. You’re still going to literally save thousands and thousands of dollars.

Finally, please note that this is not medical advice or medical device, and the information you’re about to read is meant for educational purposes only.

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The popularity of oxygen therapy has skyrocketed in recent years.

Athletes are now using concentrated oxygen for recovery and to gain an athletic advantage. Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Mario Lemieux, Olympic athletes, multiple players in the NBA, NFL and professional baseball all use some type of oxygen therapy.

As an anesthesiologist, I have a unique perspective on oxygen, having spent much of my career providing oxygen to patients during surgery. I also use oxygen therapy outside the operating room for sports and medical applications such as healing diabetic wounds, treating firefighters with carbon monoxide poisoning and other ailments. And I have other patients who use it simply because they believe it will enhance their physical or mental performance. Supplemental oxygen has even been touted to improve sex!

But getting access to oxygen therapy can be an expensive and difficult endeavor. Your two main options are hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy or mask oxygen. These both produce an increase in tissue oxygen concentrations in your body. Hyperbaric therapy increases the oxygen via increases in atmospheric pressure in a sealed space. A mask system delivers oxygen with a tank or oxygen concentrator machine and increases oxygen via a sealed mask. The first option, hyperbaric oxygen therapy units, is a very expensive option. But the second option, an oxygen concentrator, is much less expensive and quite easy to use in your own home.

I am not going to delve into the micro details about the amazing things that happen to your body and tissues when you use supplemental oxygen. For that, please go back and read The Ultimate Guide To Biohacking Exercise With Oxygen Therapy, Hypoxia, Elevation & Altitude Training.

Instead, I want to dive into the nitty-gritty of how to hack your oxygen levels using an oxygen concentrator.

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So how can you optimize the amount of oxygen delivered to your body?

As stated above, you could use a hyperbaric setup or you could use an oxygen concentrator. An oxygen concentrator is a machine that basically pressurizes room air, separates the oxygen from the nitrogen, and delivers a high concentration of oxygen through one port and a hypoxic mixture of air through another port. You may recall that in the article I wrote for BenGreenfieldFitness a couple weeks ago, I mentioned:

“You can buy a refurbished oxygen concentrator online for as little as 300 dollars, but I suggest looking up an oxygen concentrator repair shop in your area and inquire about buying a new or refurbished oxygen concentrator. You’ll notice that many places require a doctor’s prescription for new oxygen concentrators, but not refurbished ones. This is because refurbished machines are considered as replacement parts and do not require a prescription. In any case, get one that puts out at least 5 liters per minute. My friend Andy Champagne from O2CRS, a local shop in Las Vegas, is very knowledgeable and has reasonably priced units. Mention this article and he'll give you a 5% discount.

So, let’s say you’ve got your oxygen concentrator. Often the oxygen port will be on the top of the machine. A hypoxic port is inside in the machine. Here’s what the average oxygen concentrator looks like:
Oxygen Concentrator

Figure 1. A typical oxygen concentrator. There is a dial for adjusting the flow of oxygen and the port is located on the upper right of the machine.

Most oxygen concentrators deliver about 5 liters per minute, and some as high as 20 liters per minute. To obtain high oxygen levels, a sealed mask system connected to a reservoir is essential. Regular mask systems allow too much of something called “air entrainment.” The volume of the reservoir is important and needs to be at least 100 liters.

Simple math tells you that you will run out of oxygen pretty quickly without a large reservoir. Breathing normally, you inspire about a half a liter per breath, and this increases significantly during exercise. This is the reason for those high-capacity reservoirs from companies like LiveO2. I have found that at least 100 to 200-liter reservoir is needed for most 30-60 minute exercise with oxygen therapy (EWOT) sessions. The LiveO2 Adaptive Contrast System reservoir is 600 liters.

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OK, now, here are the instructions for biohacking your oxygen concentrator:

Step 1: Obtain an oxygen concentrator. Scroll up and read again, search the internet, or contact Andy at O2CRS. If possible, consider buying a 10-liter machine, but a 5-liter machine does the job just fine.

Step 2: Make the reservoir.

This step was amended on September 28, 2017. The original post outlined steps to make your own reservoir. Please read the amendment below, as we’ve gained more information since the original publication.

Primarily, the most readily available plastic films and sheets you can use to create your own reservoir will contain Vinyl Chloride, a known carcinogen, along with a long list of manufacturing agents that reactively contaminate the breathing air inside.

As you can imagine these types of materials used in reservoirs can very quickly create some serious adverse reactions.

That being said, we do not recommend making your own reservoir due to the danger of breathing contaminated air deeply into your body.

As mentioned you can buy reservoirs – I use LiveO2’s – and be confident your air is free of any harmful chemicals that you otherwise may expose yourself to in a DIY reservoir.

 

Step 3: Attach the oxygen tubing and fill the reservoir. Use oxygen tubing that will connect to the machine to the oxygen outlet on the CPAP adaptor. This is usually a thin, plastic tubing that should come with the oxygen concentrator. Also, cover the open end of the CPAP adaptor with the ½ inch PVC cap.

Step 4: After the reservoir is filled, connect the CPAP tubing to the CPAP adapter. You can buy CPAP tubing from most medical stores. Again, depending on your situation and how far your treadmill, exercise bike, etc. is from the actual oxygen concentrator, you will need at least 10 feet or more of CPAP tubing. At this point you may want to attach the reservoir to the wall (use double sided tape) or just leave it on the ground or perhaps under your bed. Be creative!

Step 5: Connect the CPAP tube to the mask. The mask is a dual one-way valve that is quite easy to get from a medical store. Be sure to connect the CPAP tubing to the intake port of the mask, you will exhale out of the out-take port.

dual valve oxygen mask

Figure 10. Dual valve oxygen mask.

Again, once everything is connected, simply turn the machine on and let it run. Be sure the reservoir is capped off. The oxygen concentrator has to fill the reservoir bag, so if you are filling at, say five liters per minute, this will take about sixty minutes for a 200-liter bag.

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OK, so now you’re probably wondering how to use this contraption. Here goes…

The mask should fit comfortably on your face. Adjust the straps until you have a good fit. If there is any pain or there are any leaks, then the mask is not fitted correctly. A good seal is very important and you should be able to breathe comfortably. If you have a 200-liter reservoir, breathing normally at sixteen times a minute will give you about thirty minutes of oxygen.

Using the mask oxygen system during exercise will deplete the reservoir much sooner, but it is still enough to do a good session.

One interval session that I use often on my bicycle trainer goes as follows:

-Be sure to fill the oxygen reservoir adequately before you start

-Warm up without oxygen until you reach your target pulse rate (usually 10-15 minutes)

-Put on the oxygen mask

-Sprint at 90 to 100% of your maximum power or heart rate for 30 seconds

-Rest about 1 to 1.5 minutes

-Repeat at least 8 to 10 times

-During the session, use a fingertip pulse oximeter to monitor your pulse rate and O2 saturation. You should see consistently high levels of oxygen saturation (96+). Ideally, you should feel that your recovery between intervals is quicker than you would experience without the oxygen, and your perceived exertion at any given intensity will be a less than normal. Note, that it generally does not improve your peak performance or power output.

I also like to use an oxygen concentrator for enhancing recovery by literally just sitting on the couch and wearing the mask after a really hard workout or a race. In fact, a recent article published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that supplemental oxygen quickened recovery and improved muscle contractility after exercise. It has also been shown to speed up muscle tissue metabolism and increases tissue blood circulation.

For more ideas on hyperoxia and exercise with oxygen therapy protocols, you can check out plenty of tips on the internet. One site I particularly like for this is LiveO2.com.

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Summary

So that’s it! Voila, you now have a system that will deliver oxygen at a high rate to your body during exercise, and in doing so, you’ll get all the performance-enhancing benefits I outline here.

And like I mentioned, if you need to get your hands on a used oxygen concentrator to build what you've just learned about, just look up my friend Andy Champagne from O2CRS.com, who is very knowledgeable and has reasonably priced units. Mention this article and he'll give you a 5% discount.

Do you plan on using any of these oxygen biohacks? Was any of this confusing for you or do you need clarification on the design of the oxygen concentrator or the exercise protocol? Leave your comments, thoughts and feedback below, and I promise to reply.

Update: I now own and use a “LiveO2” unit for hyperoxia/hypoxia training in my own home. You can get a free pulse oximeter and free shipping on this extremely easy-to-setup and easy-to-use unit with code GREENFIELD by clicking here. Getting an Adaptive Contrast system allowed me to skip all the complexity of buying every, single part on my own as well as remain confident I’m not putting anything harmful in my body.

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96 thoughts on “A Surgeon’s Little-Known Secret to Biohacking Your Body With Oxygen Therapy

  1. Lori Christian says:

    We have a unit to sell. I have given the info also to Live02. I have pictures I can send of our unit. Have the two basic masks and two upgraded masks. Selling our unit for $4,200 with everything. Please feel free to ask any questions and will be happy to respond.

    1. Dale says:

      Hi Lori, where are you located? Which LiveO2 model do you have?

    2. scott says:

      Hi Lori, I’m just seeing your post, have you sold your unit yet?

  2. Kelly Siebers says:

    I read in your article about hyperbaric oxygen chambers that inhaling extra oxygen is of no use if your SpO2 is already 95-100% and you’re not exercising. That you need pressure to get oxygen into the plasma. So is there any use for someone like me with normal SpO2 who can’t exercise due to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

  3. Tessa Mahardhika Sugiarto says:

    Hi sir. I just wondered what oxygen percentage to fill in the bag? Because in some research i’ve notice that more doesn’t necessary good. In fact 100% oxygen could harm our body. Thank you for your explanation in advance.

  4. Calator says:

    How To Use Exercise With Oxygen Therapy –
    There’s definately a great deal to know about this issue.
    I love all of the points you made.- calator.tel

  5. Adrian says:

    Hi. I tried the code “GREENFIELD” on the LiveO2 website using the link but it doesn’t work. I get the the following message: “The coupon code you entered has been disabled so it can’t be used.”

    Is there another coupon code that is currently active?

    Thanks

  6. Mike says:

    Will this EWOT help a elite level athlete with out altitude? Or is this s waste of time for a high level athlete?

  7. D says:

    If you are a doctor, I would consider the Total Brain and Body o2 from Ergo-Flex Technologies for your patients.

    1. James Smith says:

      Their systems seems very expensive – 02 is 02 – what makes their equipment worth 17 grand? I could buy 4 Live02 systems for that? Can you shed some light on what makes their system that expensive?

      Thanks

  8. Vince says:

    Airbed.

    Has anyone used an airbed as a reservoir?

    1. stukric says:

      Yes, the trouble is what the beds made out of so therefore polluted air and how to clear that.

  9. Brodie says:

    I get much better results when i have someone apply pressure to the bag to force more O2 into the mask. I’ve tried larger masks with good size tubes, and still run into this issue of having to work excessively hard for air with the mask on. But when someone pushes on the bag it’s fantastic. I have a 10 Lpm concentrator, with a 900 liter reservoir.

    I’m an athlete with strong lungs. This happens at medium to high intensities. It shouldn’t feel like a relief to take my mask off and get air in the middle of an EWOT session.

    1. Maarten says:

      I’m now using two tubes connected to the bag and connected to the mask with a T-piece. Got rid of all inlet valves and ridges in the mask and only use valves at the bag connection (which are hacked rebreather mask valves, which conveniently have an oxygen inlet), to reduce resistance as much as possible. Now I can empty the ~800 liter bag in ~ 14 minutes, with 10 l/min on.

    2. Constance says:

      Just an interesting thought: how about scuba diving in the deep sea with oxygen tank?

      1. David says:

        If you’re breathing pure oxygen when diving, don’t go deeper than about 20 feet. At that depth, the partial pressure of oxygen is 1.6 bar. Going deeper can lead to convulsions, collapse of alveoli in the lungs and retinal detachment. The severity of symptoms at1.6 bars can vary among individuals and some other factors including body temperature. Check out “oxygen toxicity” on wikipedia.

      2. Kevin says:

        I recently scuba dived with Nitrox (32% oxygen). Went down to about 60 feet under sea level. I felt much energized after 2 hours of diving and felt relief from my general fatigue (CFS). The relief lasted at least 1-2 weeks.

    3. Jason Tebeau says:

      Use Maxx o2 to resolve this problem. It incorporates positive pressure and the mask has no restrictions on flow. The only restriction is the hose everyone uses. CPAP hoses.

  10. Siggy says:

    I’m fascinated with this kind o “threatment”. But I am a practical man and like to keep things simple. What if instead of using a large plastic bag one uses a certain lenght of PEAD Spiral pipe of 4″. To my knowledge, PEAD is one of the safest plastic (if such thing exist) around. The flexible pipe can be easely sealed in both ends with the proper cap, and the very same cap provide a solid wall on wich one can attach the oxigen condensator or cylinder. On top of that, cleansing can be easely done by removing the cap. In the flexible PEAD reservoire is an enlarged version of the very condensator’s tube.

    1. Lynn says:

      An 8ft length of 4″ pipe holds only 20 liters. Where as a twin mattress cover holds 575liters. It would take quite a lot of pipe to be equivalent. 230 ft of pipe = 1 twin mattress bag.

  11. Patricia Summers, RN, CM BSN says:

    Would the author share with us where he got the plastic for the reservoir bag? And could he let us know what kind of plastic he recommends (food safe LDPE?) vs vinyl.

    1. Lynn says:

      Actually, vinyl is “food-safe” if under 175 degrees. The main environmental concern of vinyl is that toxins are released upon burning it. If allowed to outgass the residues of manufacture, vinyl is particularly safe and stable. It is so safe and stable that you are probably surrounded by it right now – upholstery that you’re sitting on, floors, window frames, the pipes that the glass of water you have on your desk came through, and even the clear tubing that goes from your concentrator to your reservoir bag.

    2. Dennis says:

      Dont use plastic.

      I recommend using TPU Coated Nylon.

      Thermal Polyurathane bonds to itself when heated, is super strong and will retain the gas.

      Oh yeah……TPU is non toxic!

  12. Patricia S says:

    For a 15-16 minute high intensity workout, how big should the reservoir bag be in dimensions and volume?

    Is do-it-yourself LDPE better than the queen vinyl Walmart mattress bag option?

    If deciding to make the reservoir with the LDPE (low density poly ethelene), when ironing the seams, do you have to put something between the plastic and iron to prevent the plastic from melting onto the surface of the iron?

    Thanks much

    1. Lynn says:

      I tried ironing the LDPE and found that getting an airtight seal is quite a challenge. Fortunately, I discovered that making a bag is not necessary. Walmart has done the hard work for you for only $12. The inexpensive Walmart mattress bag turns out to be perfect for EWOT. It is very durable, easy to work with and seal, and is light so hanging it up is no problem. I use the queen size, but, for a 15 minute session, the twin should be more than adequate.

      1. The oxygen breaks down most substances. Best to use medical grade materials that can even be kept inside the human body like in our bags. www.breathing.com.bag.htm
        Includes a discount for Ben’s readers. And wait til you see our new Turbo Mega-Flow mask.

    2. Maarten says:

      Hi Patricia,

      500-800 liters, depending on how much power you are able to exert. I first made a LDPE bag with dimensions of 2,40 m x 1,10 m from a sheet of thinnish LDPE, which turned out to be 500 liters. That was too small once I had a proper mask which didn’t leak too much, because I ran out of air in 12 minutes, even with my 10 l/min concentrators on. Then I made generation 2, slightly larger, which has a volume of 800 liters. 2,50 m x 1,40 m approximately. This never runs out (so far). The sealing of thin LDPE is a pain. Either your iron doesn’t seal (too cold) or you burn through and create holes (too hot). I struggled though though, folded the seams together first before ironing helped a bit. Afterwards I sealed everything off with cellotape as well. And finally duct tape. I wanted to prevent the high O2 getting in touch with the tapes as much as possible, therefore I went through sealing. Don’t worry about making a hole for the tube first, you can do that later on. I think Lynn’s solution is faster, but I don’t want to use vinyl (maybe I’m over-cautious) or a plastic that might have antibacterial substances in it. I didn’t use anything in between the iron and the plastic, and yes, some plastic deposited on the iron, which I carefully cleaned afterwards to prevent the wrath of other users in the household :-)

      1. we offer stress free inexpensive reservoir bags and a discount for Ben’s referrals. www.breathing.com/bag.htm

        1. Vince says:

          Inexpensive. $500.00 + you are having a laugh.

          1. ThatWasFun says:

            Agree! $50 bag for $500

    3. Lynn says:

      I, also, tried to make a bag for LDPE. It was an unsuccessful pain. Very fortunately, the hard work has already been done for just $12. The vinyl mattress cover at Walmart is free from any harmful chemicals as these are commonly used for children to sleep on. Been using one for months with no odor or any problems – very clean material.

      Save yourself the unnecessary hassle and let the hard work and get one of these clean, safe, durable, light bags. Also, important, the vinyl is quite forgiving if your concentrator runs too long. It won’t pop like LDPE would. The Walmart bag is the perfect answer.

      1. Vince says:

        Do you know of any bags here in the UK?

    4. al says:

      How do you make all the connections for the breathing unit?

      1. For the LiveO2 unit? They send you instructions and what you need…

      2. Lynn says:

        I have a video on Youtube that describes how to connect the CPAP adapter to the bag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkeHjHdnRYQ

  13. Felipe Righetti says:

    Hi all,

    I’m struggling to find the plastic. Could you put a link so I can try to find the same here in UK?

    Also, 4mm is quite thick isn’t? I assume he means 4mil instead, right?

    Thanks!

    1. Maarten says:

      Couldn’t find thick LDPE foil, therefore used an LDPE ground cover (4x6m) which is 0.05mm and sealing is a pain (see above). Try to find “pure” LDPE, not reinforced with unknown layers or mixed with plastisizer or mixed with antifungal stuff. For example: https://www.asadventure.nl/p/bo-camp-grondzeil-4x…

  14. Lynn says:

    Sorry, wrong link. Here is the Youtube video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkeHjHdnRYQ

  15. Lynn says:

    I’ve just made a short video that I posted on Youtube of building the EWOT hack that I’ve been describing:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ewot-Mask-Exercise-with-O…

  16. candi says:

    Hi to everyone, and thanks for all the great info here…..I’m still trying to find the dual valve mask….I’m in the UK and trying to find one here is a nightmare….I’ve found the valve on it’s own without the mask part but the cost is ridiculous at $60.

    Any help on this would be very much appreciated

    Cheers

    1. Lynn says:

      Here’s one on Ebay for $40 that looks like it will ship to the UK:

      http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ewot-Mask-Exercise-with-O…

      1. candi says:

        Thanks….I will probably buy that one

    2. Maarten says:

      I got an Optimask set, originally meant for O2 cluster headache relief, but found the flow capacity a bit too low with the T-piece and valves attached. However, this may be different per person. Therefore I’m using it without an inlet valve (in my set-up that one is at the bag) and perforated outlet holes in the mask loosely covered with plastic film on the outside, as an outlet valve.

      http://webshop.vivisol.nl/optimask-voor-gebruik-b…

      It’s a pricy as well for pieces of plastic (€47), but you can use some of it’s bits and pieces to puzzle your setup together.

  17. Lynn says:

    Something I’ve found that makes the system really convenient is to plug the oxygen concentrator into a mechanical countdown timer. When you’re through exercising, just set the timer for the amount of time needed to fill your oxygen reservoir, walk off and forget it. The timer will shut down the concentrator at the right time to fill the bag but not over-fill and, then, you’re immediately ready for tomorrow’s workout. I have a 10 l/min concentrator which delivers the amount needed for a 15 min workout in about a hour. Finish exercising. Set the timer for one hour. You’re done.

    1. Jeramy says:

      Hi Lynn, now you have been doing this for some time, as a pioneer, what do you notice it does for you? Any good effects? Any side effects?

      1. Lynn says:

        I’ve been doing EWOT 15 minutes a day on a Stairmaster for about 2 months. I’m 70 yrs old, go to the gym regularly, and am in pretty good condition but I almost immediately experienced a difference with EWOT.

        My initial plan was to do EWOT 3 times/wk. However, I felt so good after the first sessions that I haven’t missed a day since I started. The first couple of weeks I experienced what felt like hitting a “reset” button on my body – much more energy, flexibility and a general feeling of well-being. I’m used to it all now and have a hard time remembering how I used to feel. Set up the equipment and go for it. You’ll probably love the new you.

  18. Lynn says:

    I have found that a Stairmaster stepper is the perfect equipment for EWOT. A stepper delivers much higher intensity than a treadmill or stationary bike which will get your heart rate and blood pressure higher faster and longer than the other equipment. Also, because the stepper exercise is weight bearing, the bones are strengthened along with the muscles.

    Here is an article comparing the stepper with a stationary bike: http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/exercise-bike-…

  19. Lynn says:

    Well… the air mattress proved to be too small. Even with the concentrator on 10l/min, I ran out of oxygen in about 5 min. So I went back to Walmart and bought this vinyl, zippered mattress cover – Queen size.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Waterproof-Z…

    I cut a small hole and squeezed a small piece of 1/2″ PVC through it. Shoved a 1/2″ coupler over the pipe and fabic and put a couple of rounds of white electric tape around it to make sure no leaks. Then coated the long, small zipper with some good GE silicone caulk to seal the deal. It all now works perfectly with plenty of oxygen for at least a good 15 min workout.

    1. Maarten says:

      Hi Lynn, that is a good idea. However, I would not be completely happy with using vinyl (PVC), because of this.

      http://www.eco-novice.com/2013/09/whats-so-bad-ab…

      However, I must admit some of the components I’m using, such as the masks, are probably also made from PVC.

      Also, in general, be very careful about materials which directly contact the 95% O2, because of the sparking and combustion risk. Patients that undergo HBOT are for example not allowed to wear synthetic clothes (sparking) or lip balm, hair spray (combustion). Thinking about your silicone caulk.

      https://www.lahyperbaricoxygencenter.com/patient-…

      Some mattress protectors have an “anti-bacterial” substance mixed in, which you probably don’t want to inhale.

      That’s why I prefer polyethylene film and seal it in such a way that nothing else contacts the high O2. Instead of sealing one could probably also wrap it around a stick.

    2. Lynn says:

      Yes. There is some concern about chemicals in any reservoir material. However, with the mattress cover, there is very little material involved given the volume it contains. Also, after I took the cover out of the package, I opened it up for a couple of hours and then pulled it inside out for a couple of hours. By the time I was ready to make the bag, there was no odor at all. The silicone seal, once it is cured, is extremely non-reactive. In fact, silicone is so non-reactive that it is one of the very few materials used to contain ozone.

      1. Maarten says:

        Ok, that is good to know, thanks! By the way, I saw a Facebook post of someone using an emergency tent made from mylar for the reservoir, which also struck me as inventive.

      2. Lynn says:

        Mylar would be a great material. However, you would have to be very careful when filling it. Since it won’t stretch at all, it would easily pop if you forgot to turn off the oxygen in the nick of time. The mattress cover expands nicely under pressure without danger of popping. I know because I have forgotten and left the concentrator on too long. It was stretched out big, but safe. Whew!!

  20. Lynn says:

    An easy, cheap hack for the reservoir is a twin air mattress at Walmart – https://www.walmart.com/ip/Intex-Twin-Classic-Dow…

    The mattress filler opening is just the right size to screw in a 3/4in threaded male to 1/2 in smooth female PVC adapter. Just screw the male thread into the port and job done!!

    I, also, bought an air mattress patch kit at Walmart to make and glue hanger tabs to the mattress. It will have to be hung for it to be easily filled by the oxygen concentrator.

    1. Maarten says:

      I agree the reservoir is the most difficult part. However, I would choose a material of which I was 100% certain of the composition, and non-toxic and non-combustable in high O2. Such as polyethylene film. I.e., you don’t want to inhale toxic components of the reservoir and you don’t want the material in contact with the high oxygen concentration to spontaneously combust. That would be bad.

  21. Maarten says:

    A better mask: it’s true, the rebreather mask is leaky. Better get hold of a single outflow face mask, even without valve, which connects to the CPAP tube. The valve at the bag connection will prevent exhale going into the bag. Make an exhale valve into the mask by melting out four holes of about 1/4 inch at bottom of the mask with a hot iron rod. Cover on the outside with plastic PE foil, taped at one side. Works perfectly. Having a non-leaky mask, the bag (recalibrated at 550 liters) becomes a bit small for a 15 minute work out for me. Need to make a 700-800 liter bag, which will cost me just about nothing.

  22. Maarten says:

    After some experimentation I got my system set up. 1. Bag: approx. 350 liters using low density polyethylene extra strong floor cover. Sealed on all four sides and taped with cellotape for extra strength and leakproofness. 2. Connection to bag: non-rebreather mask valve. Just remove it from the rebreather mask and bag. Cut hole in corner of big bag and attach valve (original bag site to big bag) using cellotape. 3. Connection to oxygen concentrator: to oxygen inlet of non-rebreather mask valve. 4. Tube connection to bag valve: 1.8 m CPAP tube. Fits loosely around mask valve ending so make airtight using cellotape. 5. Mask: non-rebreather mask with bag removed and outflow perforations widened (just cut away into the plastic). The outflow perforations are protected by a rubber washer on the outside so are actually valves. Plug oxygen inlet with tape. Rubber CPAP tube end fits nicely around mask valve. No need for tape. Cork fits in nicely as well when inflating bag with mask removed. Hang bag using 4 duct tape extensions to rail or cord using clips. Also use a cord to suspend CPAP tube. Total costs (besides oxygen generator and spinner): $50.

    1. Dan McKee says:

      Hi Carl
      Wonderful DIY post. Can we correspond by email. I would love to put together what you have done with your EWOT system. I am a retired American living in the Philippines. Thanks. Dan

    2. Deb says:

      Maarten,
      Where could one acquire the polyethylene film?
      Deb

  23. Carl says:

    I am age 75 and in good health. Started doing EWOT 3 weeks ago. I use a rebounder for 15 min. a session then go into a far infrared sauna for 25 min at 130 deg. F. I chant and meditate in the sauna.

    I use two TOTAL non breathing masks with 1/4″ tubing, one in the sauna, one on the rebounder, CACP tubing is not necessary because I don’t work hard. I use a 55 gal food grade tank as a reservoir, and pump it up to 5 psi with a 5 lpm Everflow concentrator. I takes 15 min with the outlets valved off, only 3 psi is needed for at rest in the sauna.

    Over all results: excellent! More energy, mental clarity, stamina, losing 2 lb. per week. Persistent cough almost gone. Frequent erections are a bother. Yesterday I danced 8 hours missing few numbers. Polkas, two steps, waltzes, swing, many were fast numbers. I wore out several partners.

    1. brenda says:

      Carl, this is cool. what does the infrared sauna do?..or do you feel it makes the oxygen simply work better. Do you feel the oxygen even at the low impact would give as much benefit without the sauna? thanks

  24. Scott Sanitate says:

    Ideas where to purchase dual outlet mask?

  25. Joshua Hanna says:

    Hey guys-

    I have been thinking about a DIY setup like this for 6 months, and yet to create it. Happy to find this article :)

    2 Questions:

    1) Does anyone have a recommended CPAP mask that is preferable for this? I am also curious about the outtake. I have not been able to find a mask that has a built in outtake valve- they seem to have small air holes I assume to help release the out breath- and are not designed to for rapid respiration. Is this why you need to purchase a dual port adaptor?

    2) Some commenters on here don’t seem to be concerned with using VOC rich plastics for reservoir bags and hosing– any thoughts?

  26. Roger Bird says:

    I finished with the U-Haul mattress bag version of the EWOT oxygen bag yesterday, and I got it up hanging from the ceiling this morning. The entire operation cost less than $25 and was as easy as low carb pie.

    I learned that it might not be so great to use 2.25 mil (vs. 4 mil or bigger) plastic. I filled the bag up with air after very, very, very^4 carefully cleaning the vacuum cleaner and temporarily removing the filter (which I also cleaned, but I didn’t need to). Our ShopVac did a super job filling the bag. The problem is that the bag is so light that there isn’t enough gravity pressure to force any air out, not enough to see even coming through the open in/outlet (very carefully using incense smoke). The only way I can figure out to see if there is any holes is to observe how much it has ballooned out today vs. when I look at it tomorrow.

    By my calculation the bag can hold 1315 liters. The seems like a lot. It very well could be for some people. I live with my wife and son, and they both like to work out real hard. When they discover how amazing and wonderful EWOT is { http://drsircus.com/medicine/oxygen-defeats-death… }, they will be using it every day. So 1315 just became 438.3 per person, which is sort of too little for vigorous and healthy people (who want to stay that way and are willing to do weird things). But if we space the work-outs out, it should be enough every day. It would take 4 hours and 23 minutes to fill it up with a 5 LPM oxygen concentrator. So running the OC 6 hours per day would give each of us 600 liters per day. Seems just perfect to me.

    I will probably put some very light weights on the bottom of the bag so that it will force some air out of any holes, if there are any holes.

  27. Roger Bird says:

    I bought this from my local U-Haul and worked it into a bag with the in/outlet: https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Covers-Bags/… It was really much easier than just plain ol’ clear plastic sheeting. Three side are already made for you. The size is 63x14x91 inches, which equals 1315 liters, which should be sufficient for even 3 people who may want to exercise really hard one after the other. I accidentally burned holes into the bag where such holes don’t belong, but it is easy to seal such holes with clear plastic scotch tape.

    A couple of thoughts learned from my mistakes: Don’t put the in/outlet close to where you are going to fuse/iron the plastic. The plastic scrunched between the two pieces will get sort of distorted and will be difficult to lay evenly with the plastic below it when you want to iron them together.

    When you push the two pieces of the in/outlet together, it may be difficult to get them apart. Since one of my pieces was an elbow, I accidentally set it pointing up rather than pointing down. Be careful to think through which direction that you want to point it, because you may not be able to change the direction.

    Don’t freak out if you make a mistake. It is not that difficult to fix. This bag is so ginormous that you could actually scissor your mistake away and start fresh and still have plenty of bag left. For most mistakes scotch tape will be sufficient.

    Once you hang your bag, fill it with your vacuum cleaner set on blow (rather than suck) and fill it up. Then use your cheek to feel if there are any holes. And/or, close all your windows, turn off all of your fans, turn off the furnace, and use the smoke from incense to try to find any holes.

    (:->)

  28. Roger Bird says:

    As far as I can tell, when it comes to DIY super-EWOT, we are it. I couldn’t find any other website or youtube describing how to do this. So we need to help each other if we have any good ideas.

    I am not finished building my super-EWOT equipment yet but I have four points to make:

    1. There is no guarantee that the two PVC fittings as described in the article are going to fit together properly as shown in the picture. I looked and looked at Lowe’s and Home Depot and did not find that they fit. But I did find two other pieces at Home Depot, one an elbow of some sort and the other I forget, that did fit. I am not mentioning the pieces because I forget which one’s I found that fit, and anyway they would have to come from the same company to fit, and there is no guarantee of that. So finding two pieces that fit is all trial and error. The one “rule” is the the outside fitting’s inner diameter should be 1/2 inch and the inside fitting’s inner diameter should be equal to or greater than 1/2 inch.

    2. Don’t just start with creating the bag itself. I guarantee that you will make mistakes, some of which will be unfixable. Start practicing on patches. It is unlikely that you will be able to buy exactly the amount of clear plastic sheeting that you want anyway, and even if you could, don’t. Your savings will be quite minimal. You want to practice doing this. With the patches try to make a mini-bag that is air tight. When you have sealed two sides, put some bunched up paper in the last side before you seal it. This will give you some air inside after you have sealed the last side. Now take your hopefully completely sealed mini-bag with air (and crumpled paper) inside and put it under water and with good light try to see if the air tries to escapes in a stream of bubbles. You should be able to push down on the mini-bag without bubbles flowing through some hole that you couldn’t otherwise see. If you see no bubbles, you have no holes, so congratulate yourself; show it to your spouse. If you see bubbles, take that mini-bag and use it as practice for fixing mistakes, which I guarantee will happen with your ginormous bag, so you want to get good at it.

    3. I found that holding my iron down hard on the stack of construction paper, plastic sheeting, plastic sheeting, and then construction paper rather than “ironing” the same back and forth worked better for me. If I did a count of “Mississippi one, Mississippi two” etc. up to six, that worked perfect, but counting up to seven and I ended up with melted and torn plastic and sometimes torn paper.

    4. The sleeve of fused clear plastic sheeting that is opposite to the folded (no melted clear plastic sheeting) should be much thicker than along the other two sides, perhaps even 6 inches. This is how I intend to connect my bag to my ceiling. I can think of no other way. If someone has a better idea, please let us know.

  29. Ally says:

    Can a O2 Concentrator be simply connected to an Camping Air Bed to be used instead of an Air Bag?

    1. Roger Bird says:

      Good idea, Ally. I didn’t think of that. My only concern is not knowing what they may have put into the air bed.

      I did happen upon bags for storing mattresses. I don’t recall exactly why I didn’t use that, but it could be that they were too thin. But if that were the case, then one could use several bags that did match the 4 mils thickness requirement or more. I know that part of my decision to not use mattress protecting bags was because I would have to buy lots and lots of them, like hundreds, and that was much more expensive. Perhaps one could go to a mattress store and offer to buy 5 mattress protectors for $10. You would still have to seal the one end, but it would be a heck of a lot easier than clear plastic sheeting. See my comment below. Sealing clear plastic sheeting is fraught with mistakes, unless you are very practiced at it, and even then not all clear plastic sheeting or mattress protecting bags are going to be the same, so practice and experimentation is necessary.

      Good luck.

  30. Brad says:

    Is the sheeting 4mm or is it 4 mils? I can find 4 mil and 6 mil plastic at hardware store. I called Joanna fabric and they do not carry a 4 mm plastic sheeting

    1. Roger Bird says:

      Brad, did you complete the project and if so, what clear plastic sheeting did you use.

  31. BRAD says:

    I can’t seem to locate a dual valve mask. Where do I find them?

    1. Roger Bird says:

      Brad, did you find a dual valve mask and where did you get it. I think that they may call those things “non-rebreathers”. We are used to hearing “rebreather” in the context of a very fancy-shmancy scuba gear with no tanks, like the kind that James Bond gets to play with, so we think “rebreather” is a cool thing. But, for our purposes, we don’t want to re-breathe our own exhalation, so they are called “non-rebreathers”. There may be other words that they use.

  32. Ed Harrold says:

    Great article on the power of oxygen in performance. The only difference I have philosophically is that taking in the oxygen through nasal breathing is a much more efficient way to leverage oxygen and carbon dioxide and strengthen the diaphragm muscle for performance. Nasal breathing is a great IMT training and simulates high altitude training at ground level.

    When we nasal breathe, not only are we strengthen respiratory muscles, we’re maintaining healthy heart rates, increasing heart rate variability, balancing autonomic function, reducing inflammation and so much more!

    I’ve got some research on my website that reveals some of the ways nasal breathing is the way to go!

    Go BE Great

  33. G says:

    Cool stuff. Would it also be possible to adjust the machine so you can use the hypoxic port and put on it a switch so that you could manually switch between O2 and hypoxic? Just like the liveO2 dynamic contrast unit, but than a DIY version?

    1. Roger Bird says:

      G, in my opinion, the equipment used to create an hypoxic breathing session is completely unnecessary. Just hold your breath. Yesterday I held my breath for 2:05, my personal best. Several hours later when I was completely recovered from doing my personal best, I tried holding my breath on my rebounder, which is not really difficult aerobically, and I could not get past 30 seconds. Until I hear a good reason why hypoxic (13% oxygen) is better than 0% oxygen, I’m not going to worry about the fact that my DIY super-EWOT unit doesn’t have an hypoxic switch. It just seems like just another reason for money to leave my bank account and travel to someone else’s bank account, something I generally try to avoid.

  34. Johnathan says:

    The reservoir that I made is 3×5 feet. Design the size to what you need. The material is relatively cheap so you can easily change the size as needed.

    1. Roger Bird says:

      Johnathan, is your 3×5 feet design big enough for you and just how hard do your exercise on it and just how long does the reservoir remain non-empty? I am working at 10×6 feet, and it is daunting. Perhaps I could change my plans and make a reservoir much smaller.

  35. Mitch Mitchell says:

    I thought that breathing pure o2 like that is actually bad for you? No? Please reply, thanks

    Mitch

    1. Roger Bird says:

      Mitch, turns out that it is very healthy. Breathing pure ozone like these super-EWOT sessions under exercise would surely kill a person within minutes. Their lungs would be wasted.

  36. Johnathan says:

    Hi Anthony. Thanks for reading. The CPAP adaptor piece can be hard to find, but the guys at O2CRS have it.
    They could also give you the dimensions of the reservoir. Their contact info is 702-252-4186.
    Doc Edwards

  37. Brad says:

    You didn’t mention how big the plastic bag needs to be?

  38. Anthony says:

    Can’t seem to find that exact mask. Anyone have a link to the mask and the adaptor for CPAP??

    Thanks

    1. Justin says:

      https://www.doctorschierling.com/blog/the-straight-scoop-on-ewot-exercise-with-oxygen-therapy-and-what-it-takes-to-hack-your-own-diy-ewot-system

      Check out this hack Written by Dr. great stuff

      1. David says:

        Thank you so much for this reference. What a detailed article.

      2. Michael Sparrow says:

        Read my comments on his post from around 2 weeks ago and today. There is nasty stuff in those air mattresses.

        1. Michael Sparrow says:

          Dr Schierling’s post that is.

  39. Anthony says:

    Anyone know the dimensions of the reservoir bag?

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