I feel that 'recovery' not being defined or measured is the largest indicator that this was written by the marketing department with no input from anybody else.

yeah agree. Also the sort of blanket assertion that more oxygenation means "more recovery". Maybe this is true and maybe it's not, because the articles doesn't really provide any support.

I read that from the email Humon sent out and it seems pretty doubtful. I use the Hex pretty regularly even though I do not like the company. When recovery is good, my numbers are in their 70s after warming up. When my legs are shot, those numbers are low 60s. This is for steady state. From what I have experienced, those numbers do not change whether or not I use the boots, which I use on big mileage or heavy effort days. I also wouldn’t trust a study from Humon based on my interaction with them I don’t think they are too concerned with facts.

I know there is at least 1 unpublished masters thesis (at least last I checked with the author) in exercise physiology that have ~ 24-30 people in it broken into 2 groups. 1 group used compression boots after working out for ~ 2-3 weeks iirc, the other group did not. IIRC they looked at 5min peak power outputs on the bike. No difference

There was some other research I was allowed to read from a national team that found the best use of compression boots was pre race, something about NO saturation levels, but don't remember the whole of it


if I had to choose between an extra 20min sleep per night or normatec's or other recovery boots I'm choosing sleeping. ymmv

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

What, you are telling me you have never napped in your boots.. You don't know what you are missing pulling the double duty.

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Save: $50 on Speed Hound Recovery Boots | $20 on Air Relax| $100 on Normatec| 15% on Most Absorbable Magnesium

Blogs: Best CHEAP Zwift / Bike Trainer Desk | Theragun G3 vs $140 Bivi Percussive Massager | Normatec Pulse 2.0 vs Normatec Pulse | Speed Hound vs Normatec | Air Relax vs Normatec | Q1 2018 Blood Test Results | | Why HED JET+ Is The BEST value wheelset

IMHO we are not going to see a really good study to validate some of the benefits of boots. We need some seriously complicated and well controlled long-term studies which eventually I think would tease out that boot users perform better and have a reduced injury risk given the same amount of volume and intensity. Some of the arguments/anecdotes against boots are just ridiculous. I mean look at Usain Bolt. Guy ate two 20-piece boxes of Chicken McNuggets for dinner every night at the Olympics and still won. Reality is whether I eat a pound of spinach tonight, a pound of pop-tarts, or something in between and then you put me in some cycling study chances are I am I going to push the same watts regardless of the meal I ate the night before. Do that for 20 years and I don't think we have the same result.

Being deeply involved in this space and talking with people and getting feedback I see more and more how boots help people with OCD, ADHD, anxiety, food-issues. Use-cases I never knew even existed until I started to talk to people about them. Reality is that boots lock people down somewhere doing some sort of auxiliary activity that keeps them focused and relaxed. Timed appropriately they could IMHO help someone let go, sit still, relax, and not make a mad dash to the pantry. Boots are a tool, sometimes tools do more damage than good if used incorrectly. Each athlete, if interested in boots, needs to determine how to incorporate them into their recovery in a way that benefits them. If you like that boots make your legs feel lighter and fresher, maybe even just from positive endorphins, and as a result you get back out for another run when you are NOT fully recovered than yeah, they can cut the other way too.

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Save: $50 on Speed Hound Recovery Boots | $20 on Air Relax| $100 on Normatec| 15% on Most Absorbable Magnesium

Blogs: Best CHEAP Zwift / Bike Trainer Desk | Theragun G3 vs $140 Bivi Percussive Massager | Normatec Pulse 2.0 vs Normatec Pulse | Speed Hound vs Normatec | Air Relax vs Normatec | Q1 2018 Blood Test Results | | Why HED JET+ Is The BEST value wheelset

The industrial automation version:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w

Most of the studies done were looking at power output from groups that used the boots vs those that didn't. Personally, I haven't found the boots to improve my power output day to day so I don't doubt those studies.

But that's only one aspect of recovery. The biggest difference for me is that if I use the boots after long hard rides, my legs aren't as sore the next day. So basically, my legs feel better (compared to not using the boots) that day and they feel better the next day. It's worth it to me for that aspect alone when I have to walk up a ton of stairs.

I agree I wouldn't expect power output to change over the legnth of these studies. And, i'm not sure we'll ever see an experimental study that shows a performance increase, because i'd expect there is an upper limit on length of a study where you can realistically expect people to adhere to the protocol. For example, if it a year or even many months to see a difference between using a recovery method vs. not using it, i can't imagine ever seeing a study that long.

That said, I also believe in recovery and if i feel like something works, i'd use it even in the absence of clinically validated studies. The problem i have with the Humon study that was linked is them saying that hte increase in blood oxygen shows that you are recovering better with the device. Maybe that's true and maybe that's not, as there's no support for a link. As someone else said, looks like the marketing department wrote the post.

I've always thought NormaTec and the other variants was just another silly thing that triathletes were convinced would "make them faster". It's the equivalent of the altitude training mask for your legs.

Get some sleep and save your money.

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Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

YES, YES, YES! best use time for these is in between workout nap.

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New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com