I can't imagine why any athlete would want one of these. I don't see any potential benefit. I guess that physical therapists are having some success with it after massive injuries that involve some loss of motor function but for a healthy athlete? I can think of many, many better ways to spend your money!

Mike

My chiro has used this on me as part of an overall treatment. Treatment protocol would go something like this: electrostimulation and heat for 15 min to loosen up the lower back and hip flexor, then ART, stretching, adjustment of lower back, then ice for 15 min. I can't say that the electrostim fixed my issues- it was the overall protocol, but when I saw the device advertised in Triathlete I was intrigued and thought of maybe incorporating it as part of my overall stretching routine. But at $900 I think I'll pass for now :-)

I was given a demo at exterra by the compex guys...they put it on workout mode vs. recovery mode. My legs were sore for 2 weeks, i have never done so little and felt like I had done so much in my life....just wonder if it can really simulate squats like they say....sure felt like it.

I have had a Compex Sport and Sport400 for several years. I use it mainly for active recovery, "massage", and pain relief. Works quite well for that. I haven't used it much for building strength but it is capable of producing greater than a normal maximal contraction so it could certainly work for that if you wanted to strap yourself down and let it rip. I have used it on a weight machine to make my legs do the work without me telling them to and it was mentally easier to do but not really worth the effort of hooking myself up.

If you get one get it from the UK. They are cheaper and have TENS/pain relief functions that the US models don't since the FDA won't allow them without Rx in the US.

if anyone is interested, I have a compex sport 400 for sale at $300+shipping
it is in great condition, plenty of electrodes, works
perfectly well.

Mike, you are way off in presuming that stim is only used on people that have had massive injuries. I know for a fact that it is one of the most commonly used rehab and strengthening tools that PT's use for everything from torn muscles to tendonitis, chondromalacia, etc. I unfortunately have spent a lot of time at the PT over the last couple of years for a blown disc in my back and I have seen stim used for a ton of diagnoses. And my PT office is Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, one of the most highly regarded sports medicine offices in the world, and I think they know what they are doing.

Francois,

Can you give us some impressions of using the thing? It's easy to dismiss as nonsense, especially after we all saw those 'ab-belt' commercials, but this post got me surfing and doing some research. As usual, these things are long on rhetoric and short on facts. A deja news(Google Groups) search shows up with mostly European posts. Are these units more popular on the other side of the pond? Compex is Swiss and Cefar is Swedish.

Intuitively(whatever that's worth) I'm not really sold on improving maximal strength or even stregth endurance directly using the units. There are guys who shoot horse tranquilizers to squeeze out 10 extra lbs squatting, so if this worked, I'm guessing they'd be all over it already.

But, where I might be convinced is in the areas of recuperation, pain/swelling relief, and flexibility. As I get a little older, I'm inevitably finding that I take longer to recover. If a unit like this could help alleviate some of the heaviness, it might be well worth it. Kind of like a massage.

Flexbility applications really intrigue me too. One of the Web sites talked about using the device to help while stretching by flexing the opposing muscle, help stretch the hamstring by contracting the quads. This can be hard to do by yourself. It also looks like something that could be really useful for doing isometric stretching, 4-5 seconds of contraction followed by relaxation.

Anyway, just thinking out loud. Putting aside all the other, more significant, factors in training, rest/diet/etc...(since when did that supercede gadgetery?, carbon rings for #@*!'s sake), I'd love to get more info from those who know something about these devices.

Taku? Anyone?

--ashayk

OK, I'll try to summarize as best as possible. However, bear in mind that none of this is scientific and merely anecdotal...
However I received a new one and don't need to machines.

I used it essentially as a recovery tool. After long runs, long rides, or on some occasions when I had stiff calves etc...I have also been having achille problems and to relax the calves. I think as far as recovery is concerned, it is a great tool, it really enhanced my recovery. Also as a pain management tool, I am sure it works.
I can't say for flexibility...I was not really interested in this so can't answer in all honesty. I couldn't tell.

My wife however used it for strength specific sessions like maximal strength. She did see some improvements on the calves, thighs, not much on the arms, but somehow was able to use paddles without shoulder problems...that hadn't happened for years.

To summarize, I think that it works well. I least it did have positive effects for both my wife and I for what we used it for.