Oxygen bar effectiveness: a randomized quantitative study.

Annually, thousands of individuals purchase oxygen (O2) by the minute or use an O2 device for recreation. Manufacturers state the benefits as a decrease in stress and increase in relaxation and energy. The purpose was to determine if increased O2 administered via O2 bars had an effect on energy, relaxation, and stress levels. This study was a quantitative experimental design and subjects were randomized in two groups. All subjects completed a Likert scale questionnaire that measured their energy, relaxation and stress levels. Baseline O2 saturation and heart rate were obtained using a pulse oximeter. Group 1 (n=15) received O2 via nasal cannula for the first 10 minutes and then again completed the questionnaire. During the following 10 minutes, the O2 bar remained on without O2 being administered to the subject. Afterwards, the same questionnaire was administered to the participants. Group 2 (n=15) followed the same protocol as above, except the experimental protocol was reversed. Using a repeated measures analyses of variance there were no significant differences between and within groups at each time period for all variables. The use of O2 bars was found not to have an effect on subject’s energy, relaxation or stress levels.