I know at least 1 person on ST is currently doing a research study on these.

iirc there is some research showing they may be better pre event than post event. Probably worth digging up before purchasing.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I got a poor man's version too. http://www.revitapump.com/..._Package_1P-OTL.html

I've used normatec a couple of times and it seems to be on par without breaking the bank.

What if you just train less hard. Then you don't have to take away the inflammatory response that you need the recovery aid for? Would it not make sense that my training optimally hard frequently, you are not just training your muscles and cardio to work, but after every workout your organs get stronger to deal with recovery. Seems like you might want to train your own recovery mechanisms to do more on their own without outside assistance. I can see the benefit of recovery aids after traumatic scenarios like a really hard race or in stage racing, but for day in day our training, perhaps better food and more sleep are far better overall than any machine or mechanical external aid.

I had a set, sold them. I didn't find any recovery benefit over regular compression socks/tights (CEP) after steady use over 8 months. "Speaking" with Rapp and Simon Whitfield on Twitter they both mentioned having better results using them before a hard workout/race rather than after.

My vote is save your money, there are better things to spend it on.

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Rodney
TrainingPeaks | Altra Running | RAD Roller
http://www.goinglong.ca

Money quote!

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Rodney
TrainingPeaks | Altra Running | RAD Roller
http://www.goinglong.ca

I have the cheaper "Sports Pump" or something like that. I decided to buy them after using a set of Normatecs during a stage race. They do make me feel better after a really hard workout. I really notice the difference after doing Plyometrics because my butt muscles, that don't get covered by the boots, feel more sore the next day. Whether the inflammatory affect is a factor or not I couldn't tell you. I suppose we will know they aren't beneficial when Sky, Garmin and the rest of the ProTour teams are selling theirs on Ebay

I haven't read much research on them but they definitely feel nice?

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Robert Dao
ATC Racing - Austin, TX
Gold's Gym Triathlon Coach
@speedao1
@daotraining

Have you tried elevating your legs immediately after your session? It's important to make sure your legs are above your heart so gravity can do its job. Just FYI, it much cheaper and what most athletes actually use. Your body already pumps the blood, you just use a little gravity to help.

well, the newest research would say that you are doing your body a disservice with ice baths by preventing proper recovery. So you could start by changing that aspect.

I think the science on recovery with these products will be shaky at best. it will be debatable. iirc, there are positive studies from the medical community regarding compression and circulation. That's where most of this originates from.

N=1: I borrowed Normatecs from a friend and used them frequently during a 5-week IM build with the attitude "why not?"

After the 5-weeks, I concluded the only benefit was to my wife...who laughed every time I put them on. I'd score the Normatecs a 0 out of 5 stars.

That would most likely be the exact experience I would have. Not sure if anyone has tried (no affiliation) the 110% stuff, but that really seems to work. I only break it out when the volume gets nuts and I have back to back ridiculous training days, the "knickers" pretty much get your entire legs, and hips and the ice packs are great because they are not wet. I bought the knickers and the calf compression. I have tried the Normatec's a few times at an expo, and they do feel nice....I am just not sure what good they do, which is what brought me to this thread.

are "better food" and "more sleep" mutually exclusive with using a product like the normatec?

kind of reminds me when someone asks about a lighter bike and people say "lose some weight from your gut."

not saying the normatec does or does not have benefit, just that the above argument does not grab me as an effective one.

as for our bodies being optimal vs any machine or mechanical external aid.... well, sometimes external aids speed things along. these products (compression socks, recovery boots/pumps, etc.) do serve a purpose in medical scenarios and do improve circulation. n=1 but in scenarios where i have had swelling that reduced mobility (e.g. post-op, after breaking a femur), these types of products helped me to move with greater ROM, which is hard to argue against for recovery purposes.

for a healthy athlete??? not sure where we draw the line.

all i know is there are plenty of products that aid the body in some way. what about running shoes? :)

Ice baths decrease the adaption to exercise.

To answer you question: nope.

"Ice baths decrease the adaption to exercise."

good, because meb swears that ice baths are the secret to his longevity, and i really didn't want to have to adopt these for my longevity.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman