Few expected Austria to make waves at the 2024 European Handball Championship. Simply qualifying felt like a victory. But they shocked everyone by eliminating Spain, a finalist in the last four tournaments, in the group stage—and kept climbing.

After impressive results against top-tier teams like Croatia, Hungary, Spain, and Germany, Austria ultimately finished in 6th place—made even more remarkable by the fact that they relied on almost the same 7 players in their starting lineup throughout the entire tournament.

One factor behind their sustained performance? Rapid recovery.

Patrick Ehrenberger, the team's physiotherapist, introduced CO2 Therapy to the squad. He explains:

"One key to our continued performance has been the players’ ability to recover quickly between games. I truly believe the Cardisuit CO₂ suit played a big part in that.

We used the CO₂ bath throughout the tournament, and the effects were profound. Personally, I’ve never experienced such deep relaxation in such a short time. For the players, the benefits were just as clear: after high-adrenaline matches—often in front of 20,000 spectators—they would normally struggle to fall asleep, sometimes not until 4 or 5 a.m. But with the suit, most of them drifted off within minutes. The calming effect is powerful and fast.

The science supports what we’ve seen in practice. Our bodies rely on carbon dioxide to help oxygen reach our cells. Immersing the body in 100% CO₂ improves oxygen delivery and speeds up cellular regeneration. That means faster recovery—both physically and mentally.

I’m incredibly grateful for this tool and excited to keep using it—not just to boost elite performance, but also with everyday patients recovering from injuries or high stress."