Lifestyle & therapies

Therapies, graded.

Everything sold for longevity that is not food, training or a capsule: light panels, oxygen chambers, ice baths, electrode suits, compression boots. A few help in narrow ways. Most are priced well ahead of their proof.

The short version: 8 grade Weak — thin proof, still widely sold.

Jump to: Weak (8) · Emerging (1)

Grade

Weak evidence

The measured benefits are small, indirect or unproven. Fine because you enjoy it; not something to schedule your life or budget around.

01 Red-light therapy Red and near-infrared light panels promise skin rejuvenation, recovery and mitochondrial renewal. Weak 02 Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Hyperbaric oxygen therapy means breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber. Weak 03 Whole-body cryotherapy Stand in a chamber at minus 110°C for two to three minutes; pay by the session. Weak 04 Whole-body electrical stimulation (EMS) Electrode suits contract your muscles while you perform light movements, promising gym results in 20 minutes a week. Weak 05 Massage therapy Massage delivers what it promises on the day: muscles loosen and stress settles, for days at a stretch. Weak 06 Compression therapy (pneumatic boots) Compression boots squeeze your legs in waves, promising quicker recovery between hard training days. Weak 07 Grounding (earthing) Grounding, also called earthing, means bare skin on grass, sand or soil, or conductive mats sold for the same purpose indoors. Weak 08 Vibration plate training (whole-body vibration) A vibration plate shakes your whole body rapidly while you stand or hold poses, prompting reflexive muscle contractions. Weak

Grade

Emerging evidence

Interesting biology, real products on shelves, and no proper human outcome trials yet. Treat it as a self-funded experiment.

09 Hydrogen-rich water Hydrogen-rich water is plain water with extra hydrogen gas dissolved in, sold in cans or produced by countertop machines. Emerging

How to read these grades. They use the same four-step scale as our test reviews, and they answer a different question: whether doing this is worth your time and money, judged on the published evidence in people. A weak grade means the proof is thin, never that we found proof of harm. Read the methodology.

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