Healing from Broken Ribs - Rapid Bone Formation with KAATSU Cycle Sets

Chris Morgan competed in a Tough Mudder race in 2012. The 12-mile endurance event through the mud, hills, and a variety of obstacles in New Hampshire tested his spirit.

He enjoyed the challenge - until he smashed into rocks on the log hurdle obstacle.

"I knew immediately that I broke my ribs," the former Olympic coach who was coaching the Harvard University women's swim team at the time recalled. "I had broken my ribs many years before and the feeling was the same.

I immediately was bummed, but I also knew that a bone break could heal faster - much faster - by doing KAATSU Cycle sets. Basically, a bone is an aggregation of cells that are in a perpetual metabolic cycle of breakdown and rebuilding. I also knew that the more strongly a muscle is exercised, the stronger our bones become.

So I started doing a series of KAATSU Cycle sets morning, afternoon, and evening.

It was so efficient. I hurt to move, but it did not hurt to do KAATSU Cycles on my arms and on my legs.

At the time, I was learning KAATSU from an experienced KAATSU Specialist from Japan who worked side-by-side with Dr. Sato. He encouraged me to do repeated KAATSU Cycle sets. At the time, it was a stretch of imagination to think that the repeated compression and decompression phases of the KAATSU AirBands would actually lead to an increase in bone alkali phosphatase (BAP) levels and a concurrent suppression of bone resorption (destruction of bone via lowering of N-telopeptide of type I collagen).

I knew that osteoblasts are involved in bone formation - and that these are regulatd by hormones and cytokines. Essentially, the bone remodeling encourages proliferation of the osteoclasts - and the calcitonin serves to suppress bone resorption.

In this way, KAATSU enhanced my body's ability to turnover old bone by replacing it with new. The new bone formation is also enhanced by KAATSU's production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which, in turn, induces blood vessel formation in the bone.

By doing repeated KAATSU Cycles, I literally felt much better, much more quickly than I had felt years before in my previous rib injury.

This was confirmed when I visited the Harvard University Athletic Department and got my ribs x-rayed again. The technician said to me, 'It seems that you broke your ribs some years ago. I can see remnants of an old rib break.'

I smiled and told him, 'No, that injury just occurred 6 days ago.'"

© 2024 by KAATSU Global

Improving Speed With KAATSU Equipment and Protocols

Speed can mean a variety of things for different sports, different activities, and at different ages.

But the fundamentals of building speed with KAATSU equipment are based on the following protocols:

*Warm-up using the Progressive KAATSU Cycle mode on your arms, starting in the Low Pressure setting and gradually increasing to higher pressure settings.

*Continue your warm-up using the Progressive KAATSU Cycle mode on your legs, starting in the Low Pressure setting and gradually increasing to higher pressure settings.

*At the higher pressures, replicate your desired movements or drills at your optimal speeds. First with the KAATSU AirBands on your arms, and then on your legs. These movements can include track starts for runners, agility drills for football players, running or skating backwards on defense in basketball or ice hockey, swinging a golf club, tennis racquet, baseball bat or cricket bat, spinning quickly in cycling, throwing a baseball or water polo ball, sprinting on a track, exploding upwards for a rebound or dunk, shooting a quick jump shot, moving laterally or backwards on a tennis court, reacting on a volleyball court, or diving off a swimming start block.

*With the KAATSU AirBands from your arms, replicate your movements or drills at speeds at which you wish to compete (or achieve) until you reach technical failure. These movements or drills can be done in the KAATSU Constant mode. That is, when your technique starts to falter or decrease from optimal, then stop and remove the KAATSU AirBands from your arms.

*With the KAATSU AirBands from your legs, replicate your movements or drills at speeds at which you wish to compete (or achieve) until you reach technical failure. These movements or drills can be done in the KAATSU Constant mode. That is, when your technique starts to falter or decrease from optimal, then stop and remove the KAATSU AirBands from your legs.

*Relax a bit, hydrate, and then refocus on your next set of movements or drills. You can rest a little here because your hormonal response will peak somewhere around 12 minutes after you remove the AirBands from your limbs.

*You wish to focus on your speed as your hormones are optimized.

*Without the KAATSU AirBands on your limbs, replicate the same movements or drills. The movements or drills should initially feel easier. You may feel lighter and faster. Even without your KAATSU AirBands on, you will experience the hormonal effects and increased vascular elasticity of KAATSU. This is an ideal time to focus on building speed as well as agility and balance when moving quickly.

© 2014 - 2024 by KAATSU Global

Gentle & Gradual, Low & Slow Principles for Individuals with CFS

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is extreme fatigue that cannot be explained by an underlying medical condition. It may get worse with activity, but doesn't improve with rest. The cause is unknown.

Treatment usually focuses on symptom relief. Options include medicines, such as antidepressants and sleeping pills, physical therapy, and counseling.

For individuals suffering from ME/CFS or who have been bedridden for months for a variety of reasons, there are three general principles that are recommended for KAATSU users and their healthcare professionals. Of course, with every individual, adaptations are necessary based on their physiological feedback and psychological mindset.

Three General Principles
* Gentle & Gradual: Always be very gentle and always start every KAATSU session gradually while gradually increasing the frequency, duration, band tightness, intensity of movement with KAATSU equipment.

* Low & Slow: Always start in the Low Pressure setting and build up slowly over time.

* Light & Lactate: After you have developed your strength, muscle mass, and vascular elasticity over the course of several months, then you can start using very light resistance (e.g., 2 lbs. or less) to gradually build up your working muscles with the KAATSU equipment.

Two Types of Exercise
There are two types of exercise with KAATSU:

*Internal (or vascular engorgement): This is where you sit (or lay down) in a relaxed position and allow the KAATSU AirBands to automatically, progressively, incrementally, and briefly inflate and deflate. This enables the vascular tissue of your capillaries, veins, and arteries to repeatedly expand and relax. Our vascular tissue is a muscle, so although we cannot see our vascular tissue expand, we can infer this internal exercise by the pink, rosy, or red color of the skin on our arms or legs. For the first 3-6 months, this is exclusively what a KAATSU program focuses on.

*External (or limb movement): This is seen as traditional exercise where you move your arms or legs, truck or neck, wrists or ankles in a variety of movements, either casually or vigorously. When combined with the KAATSU Cycle mode, it is an extremely effective and efficient means to engorge the limbs in blood, exercise muscle, and produce a robust hormonal response. After the initial 3-6 months, then limb movement can be added to the overall KAATSU program.

The KAATSU Cycle

A traditional KAATSU Cycle set is 30 seconds of compression where the KAATSU AirBands inflate to a certain SKU (Standard KAATSU Unit) pressure, followed by 5 seconds of decompression where the KAATSU AirBands completely deflate.

Recommended Programs

The standard recommendations based on the principles above are below for your reference. You and your healthcare provider can decide whether it is more appropriate to do more with KAATSU equipment or do less, depending on your own situation.

Standard 12-week Program
1st week: 1 Cycle set on arms per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
2nd week: 2 Cycle sets on arms per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
3rd week: 3 Cycle set on arms per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
4th week: 4 Cycle sets on arms per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
5th week: 5 Cycle set on arms per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
6th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
7th week: 6 Cycle set on arms + 1 Cycle set on legs per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
8th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms + 2 Cycle sets on legs per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
9th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms + 3 Cycle sets on legs per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
10th week: 6 Cycle set on arms + 4 Cycle set on legs per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
11th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms + 5 Cycle sets on legs per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
12th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms + 6 Cycle sets on legs per day at 2-3 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position

Standard 24-week / 6-month Program
1st - 12th Week: same as above 12-week program
13th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms + 6 Cycle sets on legs per day at 1-2 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
14th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms + 6 Cycle sets on legs per day at 1-2 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
15th week: 6 Cycle set on arms + 6 Cycle set on legs per day at 1-2 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
16th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms + 6 Cycle sets on legs per day at 1-2 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
17th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms + 6 Cycle sets on legs per day at 1-2 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
18th week: 6 Cycle sets on arms + 6 Cycle sets on legs per day at 1-2 finger tightness, sitting (or laying down) in a relaxed position
19th week: with the Cycle sets on the arms, you can start implementing gradually limb movement (e.g., Repeated Hand Clenchs or Unweighted Biceps Curls or Slow Triceps Extensions) as you feel fit
20th week: with the Cycle sets on the legs, you can start implementing gradually limb movement (e.g., Toe Curls or Toe Raises or Sitting Heel Raises or Ankle Rotations) as you feel fit
21st week: with the Cycle sets on the arms, you can gradually start adding resistance with arm movements as you feel fit
22nd week: with the Cycle sets on the legs, you can gradually start adding weight movements (e.g., KAATSU Walking or non-lock Quarter Squats or Standing Heel Raises) as you feel fit
23rd week: with the Cycle sets on the arms, you can start implementing slightly more vigorous arm movements as you feel fit
24th week: with the Cycle sets on the legs, you can start implementing slightly greater body weight movements (e.g., Stationary KAATSU Cycling or KAATSU Elliptical) as you feel fit

Standard 52-week / 1-year Program
1st - 12th week: same as above 12-week program
13th - 24th week: same as above 24-week program
25th week and beyond: do Cycle sets on arms and legs at 1-finger tightness or adding a second KAATSU session per day

© 2014 - 2024 by KAATSU Global