On the market, there are machines similar to those for making coffee that allow you to create oxygen-enriched (fruit or milk) cocktails.

Function

  As is well known, oxygen is essential for the production of chemical energy in the context of aerobic metabolism. For this reason, theoretically, the more oxygen supplied to cells, the more energy they should be able to produce, provided they are able to metabolise its molecules. Providing more oxygen to muscle cells, therefore, could improve the performance of aerobic (i.e. extensive endurance) metabolism. In practice, however, there is no evidence that oxygen ingested, rather than breathed in, can be absorbed like nutrient molecules in the digestive system.

Negative notes

    The greater the amount of oxygen in the blood, the greater the amount of highly reactive molecules of this element, the well-known free radicals. Well, these molecules, having the ability to alter the structural integrity of cell membranes, are recognised as a carcinogenic factor. In more detail, free radicals are atoms or molecules that possess an unpaired electron on the outer orbital. For this reason, they are highly unstable and reactive. In fact, they have a tendency to react with any molecule they come into contact with, including proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids in such a way as to alter its structure by damaging it. It is also very relevant that the target molecule of the free radical, once damaged, also becomes a free radical, so it can in turn damage other atoms and adjacent molecules. It is well known that free oxygen radicals attack the phospholipids on cell membranes in particular, so much so that the entire membrane can be compromised through the above-mentioned propagation mechanism to the point of cell death. Free radicals are also considered a cause for cellular ageing and degenerative diseases. Finally, an inverse correlation has been found between the concentration of free radicals in joints and the speed of cartilage regeneration (Heliovaara, 1994).

Form and posology

  Oxygen cocktails are normal fruit or milk cocktails, but, prepared with a special machine, they are enriched with oxygen (therefore usually have a foamy consistency). There are no special instructions regarding the quantity to be taken.