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Bryan Johnson uses a hyperbaric chamber as part of his Blueprint longevity protocol, which costs over $2 million per year to maintain. He has publicly documented HBOT sessions in his anti-aging regimen, alongside dozens of other interventions. Here is what he uses, why, and what the science actually says about HBOT for longevity.
Among his toolkit of interventions, Johnson has spoken about the use of a hyperbaric chamber, adding it to his routine as part of his quest for longevity. But what does his experience actually mean? Is it backed by science, or is it another high-profile biohacking experiment without proven ground?
In this article, we examine Bryan Johnson’s hyperbaric chamber use, the benefits he claims, what the clinical evidence says, and the safety and regulatory framework that governs HBOT.
Table of Contents
Bryan Johnson’s Longevity Experiments
Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint protocol is one of the most documented self-optimization projects in history. His team measures dozens of biomarkers monthly, adjusting every variable from diet and sleep timing to exercise protocols and medical interventions. HBOT features as one element in a stack that also includes plasma exchange, red light therapy, and dozens of medications and supplements.
Johnson uses a hard-shell hyperbaric chamber at his home, typically running sessions at 2.0 ATA (atmospheres absolute) with 100% oxygen. He has reported using it multiple times per week and tracks any measurable changes against his biomarker baseline. He views it as a potential tool for slowing or reversing cellular aging, citing research on telomere length and cerebral blood flow.
Upfront context: Johnson is a single person conducting an uncontrolled self-experiment. His outcomes, whatever they may be, cannot be separated from the dozens of other simultaneous interventions he uses. HBOT may be doing something, nothing, or something harmful. There is no way to know from one person’s n=1 experience.
What the Clinical Evidence Actually Shows
The research on HBOT for longevity and cognitive aging is more developed than most people realize, though it remains far from conclusive. The most relevant work comes from a research group at Tel Aviv University led by Dr. Shai Efrati.
A 2020 randomized controlled trial enrolled 63 healthy adults over age 64 and assigned them to either 60 HBOT sessions or a control group.1 The HBOT group received 90-minute sessions at 2.0 ATA with 5-minute air breaks every 20 minutes. At the end of the 3-month protocol, the HBOT group showed significant improvements in global cognitive function (p=0.0017) with large effect sizes for attention (0.745) and information processing speed (0.788). Perfusion MRI confirmed increased cerebral blood flow to prefrontal and parietal regions.
In healthy adults over 64, 60 sessions of HBOT produced large effect sizes for attention and information processing speed, with MRI confirming increased cerebral blood flow to key brain regions.
Hadanny et al., 2020, Aging
A separate trial from the same group published in 2020 measured telomere length in 35 healthy adults over 64 before, during, and after 60 HBOT sessions.2 They found that telomere length increased by more than 20% across multiple immune cell types. B cells showed the most dramatic change, with a 29% increase by session 60 (p=0.0001). Senescent T helper cells decreased by 37.3% (p<0.0001). These are recognized biomarkers of cellular aging, and the magnitude of change was notable.
A 2024 RCT from the same group found that 60 sessions of HBOT improved VO2 max by 1.91 ml/kg/min (net effect size 0.455, p=0.0034) and significantly increased cardiac perfusion in older adults.3 This suggests that Johnson’s interest in HBOT for physical performance alongside cognitive health has some grounding in peer-reviewed data.
Increase in telomere length after 60 HBOT sessions in adults over 64 (Hachmo et al., 2020)
These results are promising. They are also preliminary. All of the longevity and cognitive enhancement data comes from a single research group. The telomere study had no sham control. Independent replication of these findings has not yet been published. The FDA has not approved HBOT for anti-aging or cognitive enhancement. These are off-label uses being studied in exploratory trials, and they should be understood as such.
Celebrity Use Is Not Evidence
The media attention around Bryan Johnson’s HBOT use has driven a wave of consumer interest. This is worth examining honestly. Johnson is not a clinical researcher. His experience is not a controlled study. The fact that a wealthy entrepreneur uses a technology is not, by itself, evidence that the technology works.
Celebrity adoption of a medical technology generates awareness, but it is not a substitute for peer-reviewed clinical evidence. Johnson’s n=1 experience cannot be separated from the dozens of other simultaneous interventions in his protocol.
BaricBoost editorial note
Johnson’s biomarkers may improve while he uses HBOT. They may improve because of something else entirely. They may improve due to regression to the mean, placebo effect, or statistical noise. Without a sham-controlled trial, no one, including Johnson, can attribute outcomes to HBOT specifically.
This is not a reason to dismiss HBOT. The clinical evidence summarized above is legitimately interesting. It is a reason to read celebrity endorsements as marketing context, not scientific data.
Safety, Risks and Regulatory Compliance
HBOT has a well-established safety profile when administered in properly maintained hard chambers under clinical supervision. The FDA has cleared HBOT for 14 indications including decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, diabetic foot ulcers, and delayed radiation injury. Anti-aging and cognitive enhancement are not among them.
The main risks of HBOT are ear and sinus barotrauma (the most common adverse effect), temporary myopia, oxygen toxicity seizures (rare, estimated at 1 in 10,000 sessions at standard pressures), and fire risk in oxygen-enriched environments. A 2024 review in the National Library of Medicine confirmed that hyperbaric therapy is safe when delivered by trained personnel following established protocols, with serious adverse events being uncommon.4
Johnson uses a clinical-grade hard chamber. Many consumers who follow his lead purchase soft-shell portable chambers that operate at 1.3 ATA, significantly below the 2.0 ATA used in the longevity research. These soft chambers cannot replicate the pressures used in the published studies. Anyone considering HBOT for off-label purposes should consult a physician and seek treatment at a facility using hard-shell chambers with trained supervision.
For those interested in exploring home or clinic-based options, see our guides on hyperbaric chamber rental and what to know about DIY hyperbaric chambers.
Criticism and Skepticism
The scientific community has two distinct lines of criticism about HBOT’s emerging role in longevity and biohacking.
The first is methodological. The most-cited longevity studies come from a single group in Israel. The telomere study had no placebo control, a small sample (n=35), and measured blood cell biomarkers rather than clinical outcomes like disease incidence or lifespan. Telomere length in isolated blood cells is a surrogate marker, not a direct measure of health. It is not known whether the observed changes translate to any meaningful clinical benefit.
The second is commercial. Bryan Johnson’s public profile drives significant traffic to companies selling HBOT equipment and sessions. His financial interests, documented or not, are worth factoring into how his endorsements are received. This is not a criticism unique to Johnson, it applies to all celebrity health advocates, but it is relevant context.
Broader Implications for Longevity Enthusiasts
The interest Bryan Johnson has generated around HBOT has a useful side effect: it is pushing researchers to take longevity applications more seriously. Clinical trials on HBOT for aging, cognitive decline, and long COVID have expanded substantially since 2020. The global HBOT market, valued at approximately $4 billion in 2025, is projected to grow to $6.7 billion by 2034 according to Precedence Research, partly driven by this expanding research agenda.
For the average person inspired by Johnson’s approach, the practical question is what evidence-based path looks like. That means working with a physician, not copying a protocol from social media. It means using a hard-shell chamber at a clinic that operates at therapeutic pressures (1.5 to 2.4 ATA), not a soft portable unit. And it means tracking outcomes systematically, not relying on subjective self-report.
Conclusion
Bryan Johnson’s hyperbaric chamber use reflects genuine curiosity about an emerging area of clinical research. The underlying science, particularly from the Efrati group’s RCTs on cognitive function, telomere biology, and physical performance in aging adults, is more developed than the biohacking narrative suggests.
What it is not is proof. Johnson’s n=1 experience tells us nothing about what HBOT does for anyone else. The clinical evidence for anti-aging applications remains preliminary, limited to a single research group, and not yet FDA-approved. For those inspired to explore HBOT, the path forward is through a physician and a properly supervised clinical setting, not through celebrity mimicry.
References
- Hadanny A, Daniel-Kotovsky M, Suzin G, et al. Cognitive enhancement of healthy older adults using hyperbaric oxygen: a randomized controlled trial. Aging. 2020;12(13):13740-13761. DOI: 10.18632/aging.103571
- Hachmo Y, Hadanny A, Abu Hamed R, et al. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: a prospective trial. Aging. 2020;12(22):22445-22456. DOI: 10.18632/aging.202188
- Hadanny A, Sasson E, Copel L, et al. Physical enhancement of older adults using hyperbaric oxygen: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatrics. 2024;24:537. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-05146-3
- Mago V. Safety of hyperbaric medicine in clinical scenarios. National Library of Medicine. 2024. PMC10922184
- Gottfried I, Schottlender N, Ashery U. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment: from mechanisms to cognitive improvement. Biomolecules. 2021;11(10):1520. DOI: 10.3390/biom11101520
Medical Disclaimer
The content on BaricBoost.com is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
Author
Seph Fontane Pennock is the founder of BaricBoost.com and Regenerated.com, a clinic directory for regenerative medicine serving 10,000+ providers across the United States. He previously built and sold PositivePsychology.com, which grew to 19 million users and became the largest evidence-based positive psychology resource on the web. Seph brings direct experience as an HBOT patient, having completed protocols at clinics across three continents while navigating mold illness, systemic inflammation, and autoimmune conditions. His treatment journey includes hyperbaric oxygen therapy, peptide protocols, NAD+ therapy, and consultations with specialists from Dubai to Cape Town to Mexico. This combination of entrepreneurial track record and lived patient experience shapes everything published on BaricBoost.com. Every article is grounded in peer-reviewed research, informed by real clinical encounters, and written for patients making high-stakes treatment decisions. Seph's focus is on bringing transparency, scientific rigor, and practical guidance to the hyperbaric oxygen therapy space.
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