Friday, October 23, 2015

Using KAATSU In A Hotel












































































































































































Even though people of all ages and abilities can use their KAATSU Nano or KAATSU Cycle equipment in their own hotel rooms for athletic performance gains, rehabilitation or recovery, they can also always use the hotel fitness room for their more traditional - and perhaps - more intense KAATSU Training.

Every hotel fitness center is different. Users can use either their KAATSU Nano or KAATSU Cycle device with every machine and tools - except the large dumbbells and heavy weights with a barbell. Spinning bikes, treadmills, resistance bands, TRX ropes, yoga mats, Bosu balls, jump ropes, ab machines...they all can be incorporated into a KAATSU workout or for rehabilitation or recovery.

Users can spin on the stationary or recumbent exercise bikes with their KAATSU leg bands on - or they can jog or sprint on the treadmills. They can use the elliptical cross-trainers with their KAATSU arm bands on - or also do core work or stretch or swim in the hotel pool. Use resistance bands for range of motion exercises.

The workouts not only can become intense with the KAATSU arm or leg bands on, but the workouts also become very efficient which is always a good thing on a business trip or vacation.

Copyright © 2015 by KAATSU Global

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

How Do You Use The KAATSU Cycle?



























The new KAATSU Cycle unit enables blood flow moderation exercise that involves 8 cycles of a set amount of pressure.

The KAATSU Cycle can be used as (1) a warm-up for KAATSU performance training, (2) a part of rehabilitation, (3) a form of recovery, and/or (4) serve as an entire workout in itself.

It can be done anywhere – at the office, at school, in an airplane, at home, or before and after a hard workout.

There are two basic types of KAATSU Cycles: (1) the KAATSU Cycle function on the KAATSU Master unit and KAATSU Nano unit, and (2) the KAATSU Cycle functions on the KAATSU Cycle unit.

The KAATSU Full Cycle on the KAATSU Master unit and KAATSU Nano unit consist of 8 cycles of 20 seconds of pressure on followed by 5 seconds of no pressure. This KAATSU Full Cycle is 3 minutes and 20 seconds long. It can be repeated as the user wishes up to 20 minutes. The KAATSU Short Cycle on the KAATSU Master unit and KAATSU Nano unit consist of 4 cycles of 20 seconds of pressure on followed by 5 seconds of no pressure. This KAATSU Short Cycle is 1 minute and 40 seconds long. It can used as a warm-up before or as a cool-down after a traditional training session.

On both the KAATSU Full Cycle and KAATSU Short Cycle, the pressure starts at a low level and gradually increases by 10 SKUs on the arms - or by 20 SKUs on the legs until the optimal pressure is reached on the last cycle.



























The KAATSU Cycle is great for exercising in the office, exercising without the need to change out of your work clothes, exercising without the worry about perspiration, exercising in your airplane seat or on long rides in a car, bus, or train, reducing atrophy when injured or in a cast, sling, or brace, warming up for a traditional workout, cooling down from an intense workout or weight-training session.

During the KAATSU Cycle, users can simply sit still while reading, watching television, writing emails, playing games, stretching, yoga, doing isometric exercises or doing the standard KAATSU 3-point exercises. The KAATSU 3-point exercises on the arms includes 3 sets of hand grips, 3 sets of bicep curls, and 3 sets of tricep extensions. The KAATSU 3-point exercises on the legs includes 3 sets of toe curls, 3 sets of toe raises, and 3 sets of heel raises, or alteratively 3 sets of squats, leg extensions, or leg curls.







































On the KAATSU Master and on the KAATSU Nano, there is only one level of KAATSU Cycle. It is called CYCLE 20 or 20 seconds of pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off. The pressure gradually increases by 10 SKU on each subsequent cycle on the arms and the pressure gradually increases by 20 SKU on each subsequent cycle on the legs.

On the KAATSU Master, the KAATSU Specialist or the KAATSU user can select their preferred SKU pressure from 0 – 500 SKU. As the pressure increases, the amount of venous blood flow back to the heart decreases and the exercise becomes more difficult.

On the KAATSU Nano, the KAATSU Specialist or the KAATSU user can select the preferred SKU pressure from 0 – 500 SKU. As the pressure increases, the amount of venous blood flow back to the heart decreases and the exercise becomes more difficult.

For example, if a KAATSU user selects 200 SKU in the KAATSU Cycle mode on their arms, the KAATSU user will experience the following protocol that continues for a total of 3 minutes 40 seconds:

Cycle #1: 20 seconds of 130 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #2: 20 seconds of 140 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #3: 20 seconds of 150 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #4: 20 seconds of 160 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #5: 20 seconds of 170 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #6: 20 seconds of 180 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #7: 20 seconds of 190 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #8: 20 seconds of 120 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)

If a KAATSU user selects 300 SKU in the KAATSU Cycle mode on their legs, the KAATSU user will experience the following protocol that continues for a total of 3 minutes 40 seconds:

Cycle #1: 20 seconds of 160 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #2: 20 seconds of 180 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #3: 20 seconds of 200 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #4: 20 seconds of 220 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #5: 20 seconds of 240 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #6: 20 seconds of 260 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #7: 20 seconds of 280 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #8: 20 seconds of 300 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)




























In the new specialty KAATSU Cycle unit, there are 3 levels of KAATSU Cycle:

o Low or CYCLE 20 for older users or individuals with the lowest level of fitness: 20 seconds on + 5 seconds off
o Medium or CYCLE 40 for middle-age users or individuals with an average level of fitness: 40 seconds on + 20 seconds off
o High or CYCLE 60 for younger users or individuals with the lowest level of fitness: 60 seconds on + 20 seconds off

CYCLE 20 provides the lowest and shortest amount of pressure and is meant for older KAATSU users (i.e., those over the age of 50) or those individuals with the lowest level of general fitness. CYCLE 20 can be done more than once and repeated up to 15 minutes in total.

CYCLE 40 provides the medium amount of pressure and is meant for middle-age KAATSU users (i.e., those over the age of 30) or those individuals with an average level of general fitness. CYCLE 40 can be done more than once and repeated up to 15 minutes in total.

CYCLE 60 provides the highest amount of pressure and is meant for younger KAATSU users (i.e., those younger than 30 years) or those individuals with the highest level of general fitness. CYCLE 60 can be done more than once and repeated up to 15 minutes in total.

If you or the users are in any doubt, it is always better to start conservatively with lower pressures than recommended above. Once the user becomes accustomed to KAATSU - which will be very quickly - then higher pressures can be used.

The Base and Optimal pressure for each KAATSU Cycle is shown above in a chart and summarized below:

o CYCLE 20: 8 cycles @ 15 SKU Base pressure + increasing to 100 SKU Optimal pressure
o CYCLE 40: 8 cycles @ 20 SKU Base pressure + increasing to 150 SKU Optimal pressure
o CYCLE 60: 8 cycles @ 25 SKU Base pressure + increasing to 200 SKU Optimal pressure

The duration for each KAATSU Cycle is below:

o CYCLE 20: 3 minutes 20 seconds
o CYCLE 40: 6 minutes 40 seconds
o CYCLE 60: 10 minutes 40 seconds

In summary, pressures during a CYCLE 20 session are shown below:

Cycle #1: 20 seconds of 30 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #2: 20 seconds of 40 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #3: 20 seconds of 50 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #4: 20 seconds of 60 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #5: 20 seconds of 70 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #6: 20 seconds of 80 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #7: 20 seconds of 90 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #8: 20 seconds of 100 SKU pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)

Pressures during a CYCLE 40 session are shown below:

Cycle #1: 40 seconds of 80 SKU pressure on followed by 10 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #2: 40 seconds of 90 SKU pressure on followed by 10 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #3: 40 seconds of 100 SKU pressure on followed by 10 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #4: 40 seconds of 110 SKU pressure on followed by 10 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #5: 40 seconds of 120 SKU pressure on followed by 10 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #6: 40 seconds of 130 SKU pressure on followed by 10 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #7: 40 seconds of 140 SKU pressure on followed by 10 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #8: 40 seconds of 150 SKU pressure on followed by 10 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)

Pressures during a CYCLE 60 session are shown below:

Cycle #1: 60 seconds of 130 SKU pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #2: 60 seconds of 140 SKU pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #3: 60 seconds of 150 SKU pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #4: 60 seconds of 160 SKU pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #5: 60 seconds of 170 SKU pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #6: 60 seconds of 180 SKU pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #7: 60 seconds of 190 SKU pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)
Cycle #8: 60 seconds of 200 SKU pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off (0 SKU)

In summary, there are some important points to remember:

* The KAATSU Cycle has pre-set pressures and time durations. * The higher the Base SKU, the more challenging the Optimal SKU will feel. * The lower the Base SKU, the easier the Optimal SKU will fee. * The critical pressure is the combination of the Base SKU and the Optimal SKU.

Regarding age, the highest pressures generally occur between ages 20-30 and decrease for older individuals. Dr Jim Stray-Gundersen, the Chief Medical Officer of KAATSU Global, explains, "There is an overlay of 'physiologic' age that modifies the chronological age. That is, for elderly users who may have stiff, damaged arteries, use relatively low pressures."

Regarding relative fitness, the fitter the subject is, the higher the pressures can be. That is, a more fit individuals or those who have been doing KAATSU for some time can increase from the Cycle 20 to the Cycle 40 to the Cycle 60.

Copyright © 2015 by KAATSU Global

Who Can Do KAATSU?






















































Traditional KAATSU training is done by hundreds of thousands of people around the world on a daily basis. This number is forecasted to explode with the new KAATSU Cycle product.

Who can safely and effectively use KAATSU? The simple answer is that when KAATSU is done properly and according to the standard KAATSU protocols as established by its inventor Dr Sato, it is a safe exercise for nearly everyone (see exceptions below).

The KAATSU Cycle or the KAATSU Master or the KAATSU Nano can be used by any of the following individuals:

• Athletes and non-athletes
• Males and females
• Teenagers and retirees
• Injured and healthy individuals

Those who should not do KAATSU include pregnant women, heart rehabilitation patients or those individuals with the following conditions:

• Acute myocardial infarction
• Unstable angina
• Ventricular tachycardia or severe arrhythmia
• Serious case of cardiac insufficiency (NYHA class IV)
• Serious aortic stenosis
• Acute pulmonary embolism or lung infarction
• Acute myocarditis or pericarditis
• Acute vena cava dissociation































Although there is no limit on the maximum age of those who can use KAATSU (with the oldest person being 104 years), it is recommended that KAATSU training is limited used to those who at least 14 years of age.

This recommendation is unrelated to the effects or safety of KAATSU; rather, it is a recommendation based on observations that a small number of overly ambitious coaches can push young children too much or too far with a new training modality. As children grow and develop in their teenage years, KAATSU can be prudently incorporated into their training regimens - without the pressure of performing at maximal levels before they reach puberty.

Copyright © 2014 - 2015 by KAATSU Global

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

KAATSU Research Activities















































Research on KAATSU has ranged from equine subjects to human athletes and has included mice, rats, goats and people of various ages. Research has been conducted at the University of Tokyo Hospital and Osaka University in Japan, at Peking University and Jilin University in China, at the Harvard Medical School and University of Missouri in the United States, at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in São Paulo, Brazil, and many other universities and academic research institutions.

The photos above show Chinese scientists attaching regular KAATSU Air Bands on the hind legs of goats in northern China under the auspices of China's State General Administration of Sports, the government agency responsible for sports in China that also administers the Chinese Olympic Committee.

In the United States, Dr. James Stray-Gundersen, Chief Medical Officer of KAATSU Global, is leading the research direction and activities of KAATSU in a variety of applications and areas.

At the SG Performance Medicine Center and Sport Technologies in the United States Ski & Snowboard Association's Center of Excellence in Park City, Dr. Stray-Gundersen first used a variety of equipment to monitor the effects of KAATSU on athletes.

His tools included the First Beat Body Guard (heart rate monitor and accelerometer), MOXY Near Infrared Spectroscopy (SmO2 and muscle oxygen saturation), Sonosite MicroMaxx Doppler Ultrasound (arterial and venous blood flow), and Nelcor Pulse Oximeter (SpO2 and arterial oxygen saturation) [shown on left].

He first presented his findings in Tokyo, Japan at the 10th KAATSU International Symposium at the University of Tokyo.

He then presented his work and recommendations in London, England at the Elite Sports Expo.

Dr. Stray-Gundersen will present his latest findings and mechanism of KAATSU at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at the Harvard Medical School on November 5th - 6th at the KAATSU Symposium in Boston.

For more information on the KAATSU Symposium, visit the KAATSU website.

Since 2013, Dr. Stray-Gundersen has gained experience from thousands of sessions in hundreds of clients encompassing people of both genders, from 9-90 years of age, levels of fitness from Olympians to sedentary, with a wide variety of musculo-skeletal problems that are aided by KAATSU Training.

Dr. Stray-Gundersen received his Board Certification in General Surgery in 1985. He then completed Post Doctoral Fellowships in Cardiovascular Physiology and Human Nutrition at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (UTSW) where he received appointments as Assistant Professor in the Departments of Orthopedic Surgery, and Cardiology. While on faculty, over 20 years at UTSW, Dr. Stray-Gundersen conducted research and built and directed two World Class Human Performance Centers associated with leading hospitals, St. Paul and Baylor. Dr. Stray-Gundersen’s primary interest and area of research is human performance, the physiology of health and fitness/wellness through exercise prescription, markers of overtraining, nutrition as it applies to performance and health, altitude acclimatization and training (pioneered Live Hi/Train Low), and anti doping (developed anti doping test SAFE – Safe and Fair Events).

Since 1984, Dr Stray-Gundersen has worked with numerous Olympians in various sport disciplines advising on training for Maximal Human Performance and has an ongoing relationship with the great runner and director of the NIKE Oregon Project, Alberto Salazar. Dr. Stray-Gundersen has been active in the fight against doping, particularly, blood doping.

He, along with colleagues Dr. Tapio Videman and Dr. Ingaard Lereim, they performed the the first non-invasive anti-blood doping testing at the 1989 World Championships in Lahti, Finland and his work continued with the development and implementation of the SAFE Test — Safe and Fair Events — which was the precursor for the Hematologic passport, considered by some to have minimized the extent and magnitude of blood doping in International Sport.

He has been an official physician/consultant/staff of United States, Norwegian, and Canadian Olympic Teams, and an official staff member of numerous World Championships in the sports of cross country skiing, nordic combined, ski jumping, alpine skiing, speed skating, biathlon, track and field, road cycling and swimming.

Dr Stray-Gundersen has served and consulted for many International Medical Committees that include the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Football Federation (FIFA), International Biathlon Committee (IBU), International Ski Federation (FIS), and the International Skating Union (ISU). He has worked with the World Anti Doping Association (WADA) and the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA). Dr. Stray-Gundersen is the Sports Science Advisor for the US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), and continues to lead Human Performance and Altitude Camps for Olympic Athletes, Masters Athletes, as well as Navy SEALs to optimize performance.

Copyright © 2015 by KAATSU Global

Sunday, October 18, 2015

KAATSU Described And Explained On Super Human Radio







































"Most people believe the adage, 'Work smarter, not harder', when it comes to building muscle. Could KAATSU Training be the holy grail of muscle gains? Are there do's and don'ts that you should know about?" asks Super Human Radio host Carl Lanore.

Dr. James Stray-Gundersen, Chief Medical Officer of KAATSU Global, goes into depth on Super Human Radio with Lanore on KAATSU and its implications and applications in sports performance, wellness and rehabilitation.

Listen to the archived broadcast here.

Super Human Radio is a popular radio broadcast show headquartered from Louisville, Kentucky dedicated to improving all aspects of human performance through physical culture, ancestral nutrition and effective supplementation.

Copyright © 2014 - 2015 by KAATSU Global

Monday, October 12, 2015

Dr James Stray-Gundersen Live On Super Human Radio

Dr. James Stray-Gundersen, Chief Medical Officer of KAATSU Global, will be heard live on Super Human Radio on Monday, October 12th from 1-2 pm (New York time) with host Carl Lanore [shown on left].

Carl and Dr. Jim will discuss KAATSU training and its implications in sports performance, wellness and rehabilitation.

Listen live at Shoutcast (search for the Super Human Channel).

Rebroadcasts can be heard in the Archive section of Super Human Radio.com.

What is the aim of Super Human Radio? Super Human Radio is a popular radio broadcast show headquartered from Louisville, Kentucky dedicated to improving all aspects of human performance through physical culture, ancestral nutrition and effective supplementation.






Copyright © 2015 by KAATSU Global