Friday, March 25, 2022

KAATSU Exercises The Capillary System




















Dr. Hans Vinks, Ph.D. uses the illustration above in his Microvascular Health Solutions website (see here).

Dr. Vink is the Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Microvascular Health Solutions. He is a biomedical researcher and a pioneer in the study of the endothelial glycocalyx who developed the GlycoCheck technology system that allows the clinical assessment of the glycocalyx and has extensive knowledge of the vascular system. He has authored or contributed on more than 75 scholarly papers and reviews.

What is quite amazing is this illustration of Dr. Vinks is how KAATSU inventor Dr. Yoshiaki Sato views the human body - through the vascular system and, in particular, the capillary system.

You can see the difference in skin color of the two arms of a 56-year-old KAATSU female aesthetician. On one arm, the woman did consecutive KAATSU Cycle sets - on her other arm, she did not use KAATSU at all. The non-KAATSU arm shows her natural skin color. In contrast, the gentle KAATSU Cycle sets leads to the safe and effective engorgement of blood in her 10 billion microscopic capillaries. This engorgement of the vascular system creates the beefy red color of her skin - and is the catalyst for a number of healthful biochemical reactions in her body.

As an aesthetician, she uses her hands and forearms daily - hour after hour - and this caused tendinitis developed over the three decades of her career. She tried every treatment possible and physicians and therapists told me that the only way to address the tendinitis was to reduce or stop her line of work. She wanted to find another alternative - and she did three years ago. Her repeated KAATSU Cycle sets, performed daily, led to the complete elimination of tendinitis in her arms - and a continuation of her career that she enjoys very much.























































The reason why KAATSU Cycle sets are so invaluable as a recovery modality is because this microcapillary system is engorged with blood, then released with lower pressure so frequently - with the user is relaxing. With so much metabolic waste built up in the vascular system after an intense workout or competition, the compression and decompression of the microcapillary system is highly effective in disappating the waste.

Copyright © 2014 - 2022 by KAATSU Global

Thursday, March 24, 2022

The Confidence Journal by Laura Wilkinson

Olympic gold medalist and world champion diver Laura Wilkinson released her newest project this week: The Confidence Journal.

The mother of four who nearly made the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in platform diving at the age of 43 explains, "This started as a little PDF that I am proud to have turned into a full-blown beautiful and impactful journal.

Becoming a confident competitor begins and ends with your mindset. Not your parent's mindset, not your coach's mindset, not your team's mindset, but your mindset. Your attitude, perspective and responses come from you and you alone.

One of the things I'm passionate about is helping athletes learn how to understand and change their own circumstances. Many grow up being told what to do and handed all the tools. And that will get them to a certain point, but if they never learn along the way how to handle their emotions, attitude, perspective and difficult situations, it's nearly impossible to break through to that next level and in fact, could have very negative and long lasting impacts
."

For more information, visit The Confidence Journal.

And don't forget her Pursuit of Gold Podcast with so many inspirational, thought-provoking guests. Listen here to the Pursuit of Gold Podcast.

@la_la_the diver and @thepursuitofgold on Instagram.

Copyright © 2014 - 2022 by KAATSU Global

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

High-altitude Training and Recovery with KAATSU

How can KAATSU equipment and protocols be used to help athletes prepare for high-altitude sporting events, competitions or feats?

Three primary ways:

(1) Performance: increase the elasticity of their vascular issue

(2) Restoration or Rejuvenation: enhance and accelerate recovery from training and the event itself - whether it is a day of climbing to a summit, a competitive or recreational run at high altitude, or cycling through mountains

(3) Prehabilitation or Rehabilitation: rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries or muscle strains, prevention of shin splits, or various blisters or sores

What are the specific protocols for (1) Performance, (2) Restoration or Rejuvenation, and (3) Prehabilitation or Rehabilitation?

Performance
* Do 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets during 1-2 sessions per day while at rest (e.g., relaxing after a workout or while sitting at your office working or walking your dog after work).

This is in addition to and meant to augment your physical training and normal workouts, but is not meant to be intense.

* Do 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets starting at Low Pressure and then progressively to Medium Pressure and subsequently to High Pressure as you practice your sport or particular activity.

* Do KAATSU Constant sets starting at Low Pressure, then progressively to Medium Pressure, and subsequently to High Pressure as you practice your sport or particular activity.

* The top four photos on left show athletes performing different exercises and specific athletic movements at high altitude with their KAATSU Air Bands on.

Restoration or Rejuvenation
* Do 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets immediately after your physical training and intense workouts while you are sitting down and relaxing post-workout.

* Hydrate well before and during these sets.

* Some athletes prefer starting at Low Pressure, then progressively to Medium Pressure, and subsequently to High Pressure.

Other athletes prefer the opposite progression; that is, they start at High Pressure, then progress to Medium Pressure, and then to Low Pressure.

Meanwhile, other athletes prefer to stay at the same pressure, whether it is Low, Medium, High, or a Customized Pressure.

These customized individual preferences can be experimented and decided upon each athlete.

* The bottom three photos on the left show different types of athletes - from cross-country skiers to ultramarathon runners - sitting down post-workout or post-competition doing KAATSU Recovery Cycle sets.

Prehabilitation or Rehabilitation
* Similar to athletes who compete at or closer to sea level, the typical KAATSU prehab or rehabilitation protocols should be used by athletes who perform at high altitude.

* However, in general, the pressures used in the KAATSU Air Bands at high altitude are somewhat or significantly lower than at sea level. This will depend on the athlete and their level of fitness and experience with KAATSU - or any type of BFR (Blood Flow Restriction).

That is, the more fit and the more experience with KAATSU an athlete is, the greater the pressure can be. Similarly, the more intense and longer the KAATSU sessions can be for fitter, more experienced athletes.

Conversely, the less fit and the less experienced with KAATSU an athlete is, the lower the pressure should be. Similarly, the less intense and shorter the KAATSU sessions should be for less fit, less experienced athletes.

In particular, horizontal exercises - like push-ups or swimming freestyle in a pool - should use significantly lower pressure at high altitude compared to at sea level.

Athletes should also and always be well hydrated while doing KAATSU, either at sea level, but especially at high altitudes.

For those athletes will blisters or sores on their hands or feet can do KAATSU Cycle sets before and after their workouts.

There are other tips and hints that experienced KAATSU Master Specialists know from decades of experience and observations garnered from long-time Japanese KAATSU Specialists that were used since the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games:

* If the blisters or sores are only one one side of the body, then the athlete should put the KAATSU Air Bands on the injured side only - and proceed with the progressive KAATSU Cycle sets on that side.

* If the athletes are competing in a multi-day extreme sporting event (e.g., a long-distance ride, a multi-day run or multi-stage swim or triathlon, a mountain summit, or kayaking across a high-altitude lake), then doing a nighttime session of KAATSU Cycle sets is critically important. This session should be performed within an hour of going to bed, and will help improve sleep quality.

* After a bout of exercise, an intense workout, or competition is completed at high altitude, the sooner Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets are started, the better.

* Rehdyration after a workout or competition should be done gradually; that is, take repeated small sips of water or replacement fluids in order to help augment the benefits of Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets.

Copyright © 2014 - 2022 by KAATSU Global

Monday, March 21, 2022

Joe Lowrey, U.S. Army Green Beret & Purple Heart Recipient, Uses KAATSU To Help Start Driving Again



Joe Lowrey, U.S. Army Green Beret Sergeant 1st Class and Purple Heart Recipient, does KAATSU Cycle sets every morning and evening. Before his physical therapy appointment at the Long Beach Veterans Administration Hospital, he explains his physical improvements over time - that has enabled him to finally obtain his California driver's license.

Lowrey was an ice hockey goalie who graduated from Long Beach Wilson High School in Southern California. An extraordinarily fit and driven individual, Lowrey enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman during his senior year in high school as his immediate response to the 9-11 attacks.

Lowrey attended basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and spent 6 years serving in various locations until he became a Staff Sergeant and qualified for the Special Forces assessment and selection process. He completed Basic Airborne Training at Fort Benning and Special Forces training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he earned his green beret and was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group.

Lowrey was deployed twice to Colombia and Afghanistan where he was wounded by a PKM machine gun round during an intense firefight against Taliban insurgents on July 7th 2014. A bullet pierced his Kevlar helmet, entered his skull and exited his brain on the other side. His fellow Green Berets rescued him from the firefight and were told that Joe would not live long as part of his brain was removed.

Lowrey remained in a coma for a month and then began his recovery initially at Walter Reed Hospital, and then at the Palo Alto Polytrauma Rehabilitation Unit, California Casa Colina, and Centre For Neuro Skills in California. Ultimately, he was medically retired from active duty, but his injuries left him without movement on the left side of his body and limited movement on his right side.

This Purple Heart recipient and retired U.S. Army Green Beret Sergeant 1st Class lives in Ontario, California. Lowrey use the KAATSU C3 model to improve his blood circulation and improve muscle tone. Lowrey religiously does two KAATSU sessions per day, every day: a KAATSU Walking session in the morning and a KAATSU Nighttime Protocol in the evening before bed.

The KAATSU C3 is the third generation KAATSU Cycle device.

Invented in Japan, with products engineered and designed in Southern California, KAATSU Global is the pioneer and remains the gold standard in the emerging BFR market. The carefully controlled, easy-to-use pneumatic KAATSU bands automatically and safely optimizes blood circulation for muscle tone, strength, mobility, rehabilitation, and recovery.

KAATSU devices (KAATSU Master 2.0, KAATSU Cycle 2.0, KAATSU C3, KAATSU B1, KAATSU M3) included a handheld automated compressor and universal pneumatic, stretchable bands which are placed around the arms or legs. Arm bands and leg bands are used separately during each session.

The KAATSU Air Bands inflate and deflate in a patented sequence based on algorithms that are optimal for each user, no matter their age or physical abilities. KAATSU protocols are convenient, easy-to-do, and time-effective. KAATSU equipment offer unparalleled performance, precision, and safety for users of all ages, fitness levels, and walks of life - and can be used anywhere anytime to help you...Recover Faster, Rehab Stronger and Perform Better.

For more information, visit the www.kaatsu.com website to learn more about BFR, Blood Flow Restriction, BFR exercise, BFR science, and KAATSU protocols and how KAATSU differs from B Strong, Delfi Portable Tourniquet System for Blood Flow Restriction, Smart Cuffs, and other BFR brands and low-cost occlusion bands.

The primary differences between KAATSU and the other BFR bands are:

(1) KAATSU utilizes the patented Cycle function
(2) different pressures can be simultaneously used on different limbs
(3) KAATSU equipment and protocols were proven safe and effective after a decade of clinical use and research on over 7,000 cardiac rehab patients at the University of Tokyo Hospital (2004 - 2014)
(4) KAATSU is used by cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, podiatrists, and physicians in various specialties
(5) KAATSU Air Bands do not occlude arterial flow
(6) KAATSU is meant to be gentle and convenient in order to do anywhere anytime
(7) KAATSU is sold worldwide to people up to the age of 104
(8) more research has been conducted in more countries on KAATSU than any other BFR device
(9) the seminal, groundbreaking research on BFR was conducted and published by KAATSU inventor Dr. Yoshiaki Sato in the 1990's
(10) KAATSU Air Bands are waterproof and the KAATSU C3 is ruggedized for military applications

You can also learn more about KAATSU the Original BFR below:

kaatsu.com
www.facebook.com/kaatsu
@KAATSUGlobal
@originalbfr
@kaatsuglobal

Copyright © 2014 - 2022 by KAATSU Global

Matthew Whitmore On Improving, Rehabilitating Athletes with KAATSU and VASA SwimErg



Matthew Whitmore, a long-time English teacher and swim coach at Edison High School, talks how he used KAATSU equipment both in the water and on dryland with a VASA SwimErg to help his teenage swimmers overcome injuries and swim faster.

For more information on the VASA SwimErg, visit here. https://vasatrainer.com/.

Whether swimmers or water polo players are high school students, college students, post-graduate athletes, or older adults, the combination of KAATSU Air Bands and the VASA SwimErg are outstanding.



Copyright © 2014 - 2022 by KAATSU Global

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Danelle Umstead Voted as Team USA's Flag Bearer at the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games

Paralympic alpine skiing teammates Danelle Umstead and Tyler Carter were selected as the U.S. flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Umstead, a four-time Paralympian, and Carter, a three-time Paralympian, were selected by a majority vote from fellow Team USA athletes to lead the 67-member delegation.

Umstead will be joined by husband Rob who also acts as her guide.

The Opening Ceremony of the the Paralympic Winter Games will be held March 4th at the National Stadium in Beijing.

Umstead made her Paralympic debut at the Paralympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010 where she took home double bronze in the women’s visually impaired class after standout performances in the downhill and super-combined events. Umstead secured her third career medal with a third-place finish at the Paralympic Winter Games Sochi 2014.

The only married couple on the team, Danelle and Rob Umstead have been competitively skiing together since 2008. Umstead is one of three four-time Paralympians on the 2022 U.S. Winter Paralympic Team.

I was completely surprised,” said Umstead on being selected by her fellow U.S. teammates. “They did a beautiful thing, and they had my husband tell me. Everything I have done, he has been by my side. He is so proud. This is such an honor, and I was completely shocked.”

"Getting to carry the flag alongside Danelle is a huge honor,” Carter continued. “I lived with her for a few months when I was young in my career. She mentored me, and we became best friends. To be able to walk alongside her [and] represent our whole country and the team, I can’t think of anyone better to be sharing that moment with.”

Follow Umstead on Instagram @danelleumstead and at vision4gold.com.

Courtesy of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Michael Renteria Joins KAATSU Global

Military veteran and former NBA coach Michael Renteria has joined KAATSU Global as a KAATSU Specialist and Ambassador.

Renteria is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with over a dozen human performance certifications and a decade of successful experience in training athletes across multiple fields. He graduated with his bachelor's from the University of Nebraska in Nutrition-Exercise-Health-Science, and his master's in Exercises Science at the University of South Florida.

He began his career working with collegiate baseball at the University of Nebraska. From supporting Cornhusker athletes, he went to work as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets in the NBA. At the end of the 2014 season, he was invited to Beijing to train and prepare the Chinese Men's Olympic basketball team for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio.

In 2015, Renteria stepped in as the head strength coach for Special Operations Command Central at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. He has been in the reserves for 14 years, as a Security Forces member, and a Tactical Air Control Party specialist in U.S. Air Force Special Warfare.

Renteria is an avid KAATSU user himself and wrote a TSAC Report where he discussed exercise selection, protocol, and considerations of BFR (Blood Flow Restriction) for injury prevention and strength training for tactical (military) populations using KAATSU equipment. The TSAC Report is the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s quarterly publication designed for the training of tactical professionals, operators, and facilitators.

Copyright © 2014 - 2022 by KAATSU Global