Biohacking Secrets: Mark Squibb on Oxygen Training and the 29% VO2 Max Breakthrough
Anthony DiClementi came to Mark’s home, did his first LiveO2 workout, and then sat down for two hours of conversation about oxygen, brain performance, and how adaptive contrast works.
The VO2 Max Test Results
Tom Butler volunteered for an 11-week controlled VO2 Max test using LiveO2 Adaptive Contrast. The results:
VO2 Max is the gold standard for cardiovascular fitness. Most athletes spend months of hard training to improve it by 5%. A 29% gain in 11 weeks is extraordinary — and it came from the oxygen side of the equation, not from training volume.
Tom also reported:
- Increased alcohol tolerance and no hangovers
- Better high-altitude endurance
- Avoided colds and flu during the test period
- Heightened cognitive endurance and mental clarity
The 24x Oxygen Math
Mark explains why adaptive contrast creates such a massive oxygen surge:
“When you flip to 75% plus oxygen, you get about 4x more oxygen in the air you’re breathing. Because your heart’s beating really fast, you get about 6x increase in oxygen in the blood plasma. Four times more blood flow times six times more plasma oxygen — that’s 24x more oxygen than normal. And it’s getting slammed through the whole circuit.”
— Mark Squibb, LiveO2 founderThe plasma — the water part of blood — can hold dissolved oxygen beyond hemoglobin saturation. This supersaturation is what carries oxygen into tissue that hemoglobin-bound oxygen can’t reach. That’s the mechanism behind rapid brain and nerve repair.
What Anthony Experienced on His First Session
Anthony DiClementi assembled Mark’s Rogue Echo bike, did a high-oxygen warm-up, then all-out 90–100% sprints at low oxygen, then recovered on high oxygen. He recorded his reaction immediately after.
“I had just finished my first all-out workout on the LiveO2 machine. I had not felt like that in a long time. I’m feeling fantastic right now.”
— Anthony DiClementi, Biohacking Secrets podcastThe feeling Anthony describes is common first-session feedback: a sharp post-workout clarity that lasts for hours. The mechanism is simple — more oxygen in the brain means more ATP for neurons, which means faster thinking, better mood, and longer mental stamina.
Cognitive Performance and Brain Oxygen
Mark has used the CNSVS cognitive assessment with LiveO2 users for 6–7 years. It measures reaction time, processing speed, memory, and executive function — the same test used in TBI clinics.
The brain uses oxygen to make ATP. Every neural firing costs energy. When brain oxygen is limited, processing slows, mood drops, and mental stamina collapses. That’s why brain fog feels like brain fog — it’s a literal energy shortage.
The 27% gain in brain oxygen utilization seen in the VO2 test subjects isn’t abstract. It maps to real function: better focus, faster reaction time, and resistance to cognitive fatigue under pressure.
Research confirms the mechanism: studies on normobaric oxygen therapy show measurable improvements in cognitive function following oxygen-enriched training, particularly in tasks requiring sustained attention.
Common Questions
Adaptive contrast means switching between low-oxygen air (~9–10% O2) and high-oxygen air (75%+ O2) during exercise. The low phase triggers the body’s hypoxic response — EPO production, vascular expansion, cellular stress adaptation. The high phase supersaturates the blood with oxygen, pushing it into tissue that hasn’t been oxygenated in years.
Tom Butler gained 29% in VO2 Max over 11 weeks. At week 13 his absolute VO2 Max was up 24% and relative VO2 Max gains were also tracked. These are elite-level improvements — typical training programs produce 5–10% VO2 Max gains in the same timeframe.
During peak exercise your heart is pumping 4x more blood than at rest. When you switch to 75%+ oxygen air at that peak, your plasma absorbs 6x more oxygen than normal (plasma can hold dissolved oxygen beyond hemoglobin saturation). Multiply those two: 4 × 6 = 24x more oxygen than your baseline. This surge reaches tissue that normal exercise can’t oxygenate.
Anthony DiClementi is the host of Biohacking Secrets, a podcast about performance optimization, nutrition, and health technology. He interviews scientists, athletes, and entrepreneurs about evidence-based approaches to human performance. He has worked with thousands of clients on personalized performance protocols.
Many users report significant improvement in mental clarity after consistent LiveO2 training. The mechanism is direct: the brain runs on oxygen. When oxygen delivery improves, cognitive function improves. The 27% gain in brain oxygen utilization seen in the VO2 test subjects corresponds to better focus, faster reaction time, and longer sustained attention.
The VO2 Max test used standard metabolic testing equipment. Tom Butler trained on a stationary bike with a LiveO2 Adaptive Contrast system. Anthony DiClementi used a Rogue Echo bike. Cognitive function was measured with the CNSVS (Central Nervous System Vital Signs) assessment, a clinical-grade cognitive testing tool.