Hyperbaric oxygen (HBo) treatment promotes early recovery from muscle injury. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) upregulation is a key mechanism of HBO, which produces high O 2 content in tissues through increased dissolution of oxygen at high pressure. Nitric oxide (NO), a type of ROS, generally stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1α and stimulates secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) from endothelial cells and macrophages, which then induces angiogenesis. the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether HBo could promote angiogenesis via induction of no and induce muscle regeneration in contused rat skeletal muscles. The HBO protocol consisted of 2.5 atmospheres absolute (ATA) 100% oxygen for 120 minutes, once a day for 5 consecutive days. We also evaluated the effects of a ROS inhibitor (NAC) or NOS-specific inhibitor (L-NAME) on HBO. HBO significantly increased NO 3 − , VEGF, and bFGF levels and stabilized HIF1α within 1 day. HBO promoted blood vessel formation at 3-7 days and muscle healing at 5-7 days after contusion. Administration of both NAC and L-NAME before HBO suppressed angiogenesis and muscle regeneration even after HBo. HBo thus promoted angiogenesis and muscle regeneration mainly through generation of no in the early phase after muscle contusion injury. Muscle contusion injury is one of the common injuries in sports medicine 1. Among muscle injuries, 90% are caused by contusions 2 produced by high-energy blunt trauma from a non-penetrating object, or by excessive strain of the muscle 3. Such injuries are usually treated non-operatively following the RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) protocol and a short period of immobilization, followed by active and passive range-of-motion exercises 3. In severe cases, muscle contusions cause vascular disruption 4,5. Acute ischemia induces gradual deterioration of energy metabolism in muscle, followed by cell death or adaptation 6. Delayed vascular repair can delay muscle regeneration, which may lead to increased fibrosis in skeletal muscle. It has been reported that decreased blood supply caused by delayed vascular repair delays the regeneration of soft tissue 7. Thus, muscle regeneration, collateral formation, and angiogenesis are likely related, and blood vessel formation after injury is also essential for muscle regeneration 2,8. Early and efficient recovery of blood vessels may be important for recovery of motor function, especially with regard to muscle tensile strength, and may enable an early return to sports for athletes. Thus, early and appropriate treatment strategies for severe muscle injury focusing on angiogenesis are required. After injury, among the factors associated angiogenesis, upregulation of VEGF 9-11 , basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) 6,11 , hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) 6 , and angiopoietin 2 11 activates migration and proliferation of endothelial cells, and promotes angiogenesis 12,13 Moreover, it has been reported that stabilization of hypoxia-induc...