Has anyone out there done any research into recovery systems such as normatec boots? I am in the process of piecing together my masters thesis and we are discussing the possibility of getting some boots from normatec to do some research on. Obviously I have looked at the normatec website and seen any pieces of literature that have been cited by the company and their sources but I was wondering more if anyone has done any studies more on the boots themselves, or the muscle pump system in general and how it related to recovery that may or may not have been published. Thanks.
Actually I have a question about all these recovery aids.
There was a study that was done in Japan on compression and ice baths and what they did was have athletes go through a protocol where one leg got the recovery “assist” and the other did not. In time, the leg that did not aparently got stronger to the body building back from its normal inflammation cycle. The outside assist seemed to have taken away some of the adaptations that the body make in the recovery process. I wish I could find it, but to some degree, it makes sense that the physiological gains come from building back from being torn down…maybe wihtout the outside recovery assist we end up in more of a torn down state from which we build back (in other words, the training load does not end the moment the training stops and if you take it away, you lose some of the benefits.
Can anyone find this study…I can’t seem to find it anymore.
Now if you are in a stage race and you need to race tomorrow after today’s hard stage, then use all the recovery aids…if you don’t have a stage race, maybe it is better to let the body run through its full recovery process naturally.
Dev
Isn’t compression the general “science” behind this? There’s quite a bit of “research”, mostly inconclusive, that you’ll find in various Physiology publications. Most of it is centered around “compression wear” which is compression socks.
Check out the references on this article.
The idea behind normatec boots is a sequential pulse in order to aid venous return. The venous and lymphatic systems have reverse valves that prevent the back flow of fluid while the muscles act as a pump to move the fluid back toward the heart. The idea is to aid with this muscle pump and the theory is that this is what aids with recovery and why people pay the money.
Oh and I have seen this study, maybe I can find it if I do some digging
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If you are successful finding that study, that would be great. In theory if you keep moving your toes around, you’ll achieve the same effect as compression socks or these boots in terms of aiding veinous return. In practice, I understand that you can’t keep moving your toes continuously (certainly not on a 10 hour flight). But in any case, I am not sure that outside “assisting” in recovery is actually useful in making physiological adaptations as least not according to that Japanese study that I can’t find. I think you want to be recovered to the point that you can do your next workout, but if you take the natural recovery process, then maybe you don’t get as much benefit out of the last workout which kinda defeats some of the purpose of the last workout (I say this as I sit in my office with compression socks on my legs, which I find allows me to have better quality runs after work because of less pooling in the lower limbs).
I can put you in touch with the folks at NormaTec. It’s important to note that the NormaTec is fundamentally different than every other pump out there in terms of how it works. NormaTec has a patented design that makes it function differently and which - according to the studies they’ve done and had done - make quite a difference in terms of how it actually works.
But if you are looking at every other pump out there besides NormaTec, they are just OTC versions of lymphadema pumps, which were developed around WWII.
If you want more info on the studies done on the NormaTec, PM me.
FWIW, the theory now on the NormaTec is that the peristaltic pumping stimulates production & release of nitric oxide, which is a vasodilator (among other things).
It would interest me to see any INDEPENDENT Normatec studies done side by side to the gradient pumps. I have been in the medical compression field for 12 years and have used and trailed every pump on the market. Normatec is a lymphedema medical device just like the others. Gradient pumps have modified since WW2 they are quicker have more chambers and have many different settings. Just because Normatec has a patented design doesnt mean it works better. You will get the same results with a gradient pump at third of the cost to purchase and maintain . SportPump covers the sleeves and machine for 3 years. Sportpump is the most durable cost effective way to recover. One reason for Normatec became so dominant in the sports market was the simple fact that gradient pumps were being prescribed more by doctors and hospitals because of the results and cost which made normatec search out other avenues. Yes Sportpump is a gradient sequential medical device made by Biocompression. The fact that thousands of doctors,clinics,vein centers,oncology,vascular surgeons each year use this device for all sorts of circulation issues should prove the effectiveness of the equipment more than a sponsored athlete. Doctors have had the choice over the last decade to use gradient or peristaltic and the choice has been obvious. Everyone has personal preferences on recovery and what is best for them. SportPump is just as effective as Normatec in the recovery process(i feel more effective). SportPump device has been tested and trialed by thousands of patients and athletes. Athletes are realizing you dont need to break the bank for the same results. SportPump provides a durable product at a FAIR price that is made in the USA. Thank You
Please call Sportpump.com with any questions
Actually I have a question about all these recovery aids.
There was a study that was done in Japan on compression and ice baths and what they did was have athletes go through a protocol where one leg got the recovery “assist” and the other did not. In time, the leg that did not aparently got stronger to the body building back from its normal inflammation cycle. The outside assist seemed to have taken away some of the adaptations that the body make in the recovery process. I wish I could find it, but to some degree, it makes sense that the physiological gains come from building back from being torn down…maybe wihtout the outside recovery assist we end up in more of a torn down state from which we build back (in other words, the training load does not end the moment the training stops and if you take it away, you lose some of the benefits.
Can anyone find this study…I can’t seem to find it anymore.
Now if you are in a stage race and you need to race tomorrow after today’s hard stage, then use all the recovery aids…if you don’t have a stage race, maybe it is better to let the body run through its full recovery process naturally.
Dev
There’s a bulk of studies showing the same thing. Really its any “recovery” aid, from anti-oxidents to ice baths to compression.
I think your last line nailed it, but as I see it, understanding that is the hardest concept to grasp.
Everything we do is a tool. What we eat, different workouts (intervals, steady state, high and low intensity etc), strength training, recovery aids. We need to use them all appropriately. Often individuals have just enough knowledge to know that something can be beneficial and so they apply it to everything, when that is far from the more effective method.