Golfers with Sleep Apnea Can Use Oxygen to Improve Their Game
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James_Thomas_Photo/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Golfers are always looking for ways to improve their game, whether it be a new set of irons or golf balls that claim to get greater distance. But a just-released study shows players with the sleep breathing disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea can lower their golf handicap simply by getting more oxygen at night.
Sleep apnea is a condition that often causes those affected to stop breathing while they sleep. It is a known risk factor for high blood pressure, cardiac disease, stroke and death. OSA also has negative effects on memory, concentration, and executive function.
A new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine compared 12 middle-aged golfers with OSA with 12 golfers without the condition through 20 rounds of golf over a six-month period. During that time, those with sleep apnea used a facemask while sleeping to push oxygen into their lungs via a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP.
For average golfers with OSA who got treatment, the average decrease in golf handicap was 11.3 percent. For those who were higher-skilled golfers — those with a handicap lower than 12 — the average decrease in golf handicap after treatment was 31.5 percent.
The study has no implications for golfers without OSA.
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