Does nitrox make you feel good?

[Charlie59]

I think the problem is that nitrox is touted by many to be a fatigue reducer and there is just no objective data to show that such is the case. I do not think we should promote a potentially (even though very marginally so) dangerous gas for misinformed reasons.

If you want to use it, great, but don't make it some mystical substance. It is what it is. It was developed to increase bottom time without inducing DCS.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I think a lot depends on the diver. If someone feels good after diving Nitrox vs Air, then great. Does it matter whether it may be a placebo effect or not?

 

[fisherdvm]

The research, medical, and scientific community has been consistantly wrong in the past - despite "controlled" studies...

First, high cholesterol is good, then its bad, now some type is good, and some type is bad.

First, it was good to feed solid food to infants at an early age, now it is not due to gluten hypersensitivity, and due to peanut allergies.

First, we encourage woman to take hormones after menapause, now we did a reversal, because it was causing heart attacks and breast cancers.



The trend I see in this little survey is -- eventually, curious minds will design a larger study showing that nitrox is beneficial for diving fatigue.

I just can not, absolutely can not, explain the nearly 57 to 43 ratio favoring nitrox as a reducer of fatigue, and the sample size here is 133 (much larger than the 11 in the singular blinded study quoted earlier).

 

[Charlie59]

I just can not, absolutely can not, explain the nearly 57 to 43 ratio favoring nitrox as a reducer of fatigue

And on the vitamin board they say vitamin e makes their libido stronger and that vitamin c cures colds (even though those damned rational scientists keep showing no such benefit).

People believe what they want and people have been told that this is an effect of nitrox. I can explain it, its called marketing.

 

[HowardE]

I think a lot depends on the diver. If someone feels good after diving Nitrox vs Air, then great. Does it matter whether it may be a placebo effect or not?

I agree... and I am pretty sure I said almost the same exact thing a few pages back

@ Charlie - why are you so against nitrox? Are you a representative for the air diver's board or something?

 

[bperrybap]

I think the problem is that nitrox is touted by many to be a fatigue reducer and there is just no objective data to show that such is the case. I do not think we should promote a potentially (even though very marginally so) dangerous gas for misinformed reasons.

If you want to use it, great, but don't make it some mystical substance. It is what it is. It was developed to increase bottom time without inducing DCS.

While I do agree with you,
since the only study done was incomplete as to conditions that
people say it makes them feel better, there is no data that
proves whether nitrox does not does not reduce fatigue
under those or other conditions.

And that is the problem....
In the absence of real data, people will simply continue to
argue the benefit based on their personal beliefs and experiences
and there will never be a resolution.

--- bill

 

[Charlie59]

I dive nitrox almost all the time. It makes me feel safe from the boogey man.

 

[Charlie59]

In abscence of data to support your conclusion, you should relent that there is MORE published data supporting that nitrox does not make people feel better. To fail to yield on this subject shows lack of insight (maybe mine).

 

[Charlie59]

Why when you write "real data" do you do so with the thought this is an oxy-moron?

 

[HowardE]

I dive nitrox almost all the time. It makes me feel safe from the boogey man.

so you dive nitrox almost all the time, but you don't think it's worth the extra cost, and you don't think it makes you feel better, and you also think the difference in NDL times are negligible? Are you interested in buying this bridge that I own?