Rocking And Recovery With Robert, Heading To The Tokyo Paralympics

For who? Competitive athletes, swimmers, masters swimmers, runners, rowers
For what? Strength, recovery, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, cool-down

Robert Griswold is an American Paralympic swimmer and gold medal favorite for the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics. He has cerebral palsy and does KAATSU Cycles before and after his 8-times-per-week workouts and races as part of his pre-swim warm-ups and post-swim cool-downs.

During the complete lockdown at the U.S. Olympic Training Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Griswold spent nearly a year of trying his best to being creative in order to maintain his speed, strength, stamina and flexibility. He also graduated from Indiana State University, began clerking at a law firm in St. Louis, Missouri, and continues to train 8 times per week in anticipation of the Paralympic Trials in Lewisville, Texas in April with the anticipation of winning medals at the Tokyo Paralympics.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the administration at the U.S. Olympic Training Center shut down its facilities, but also would not let the athletes off the Training Center campus. The athletes had no way to leave the Center, but swimmers also had no way to train properly in a pool. So what did Griswold do? He looked for an AirBnB with a backyard pool and found one and negotiated an early morning training schedule with the owner.







































He and his roommate would sneak out of the Training Center campus through a side door before the sun came up. They would get to the AirBnB house with a 13-meter pool. They jury-rigged a tether unit and did creative pool workouts. He also finagled his way to get a Vasa Trainer unit and figured out a way to stay in shape with his ingenuity and KAATSU Air Bands that he used on dry land and in the pool.

Eventually, he ended up moving to St Louis where he currently trains in a 50m pool 8 times per week while working as a law clerk 25 hours per week. The United States Paralympic Trials are on April 10-12.

He explains his recovery protocol, "When I came back and competed in my first swim meet at the U.S. Open, I swam the 400m individual medley. I was about 95% of my peak physical abilities and just barely missed the world record. When I got out of the pool, I used my lactate meter and showed the USA Swimming National Team High Performance Director that his post-race lactate levels were 19.9 mmol/L. The director saw my lactate reading and said that 19.9 must be a mistake.

So I retested a few minutes later and I tested at 20.2 mmol/L. The director was surprised it was that high."

But Griswold uses his KAATSU equipment to help him recover from these high lactate levels. He swims easily (loosens down) for 600 meters until his lactate reading is between 7-8 mmol/L. Then he gets out of the water and does KAATSU Cycles until his lactate is reduced to 2.1 or lower mmol/L.

Note: Griswold, Matt Torres and Jamal Hill are among the American Paralympic athletes who will use KAATSU at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Copyright © 2014 - 2021 by KAATSU Global

Robert Griswold Recovers From High Lactate Levels With KAATSU

For who? Competitive athletes, swimmers, masters swimmers, runners, rowers
For what? Strength, recovery, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, cool-down







































Robert Griswold is an American Paralympic swimmer and gold medal favorite for the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics in various events. He has cerebral palsy and does KAATSU Cycles before and after his 8-times-per-week workouts and races as part of his pre-swim warm-ups and post-swim cool-downs.

During the complete lockdown at the U.S. Olympic Training Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Griswold spent nearly a year of trying his best to being creative in order to maintain his speed, strength, stamina and flexibility. He also graduated from Indiana State University, began clerking at a law firm in St. Louis, Missouri, and continues to train 8 times per week in anticipation of the Paralympic Trials in Lewisville, Texas in April with the anticipation of winning medals at the Tokyo Paralympics.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the administration at the U.S. Olympic Training Center shut down its facilities, but also would not let the athletes off the Training Center campus. The athletes had no way to leave the Center, but swimmers also had no way to train properly in a pool. So what did Griswold do? He looked for an AirBnB with a backyard pool and found one and negotiated an early morning training schedule with the owner.

He and his roommate would sneak out of the Training Center campus through a side door before the sun came up. They would get to the AirBnB house with a 13-meter pool. They jury-rigged a tether unit and did creative pool workouts. He also finagled his way to get a Vasa Trainer unit and figured out a way to stay in shape with his ingenuity and KAATSU Air Bands that he used on dry land and in the pool.

Eventually, he ended up moving to St Louis where he currently trains in a 50m pool 8 times per week while working as a law clerk 25 hours per week. The United States Paralympic Trials are on April 10-12.

He explains his recovery protocol, "When I came back and competed in my first swim meet at the U.S. Open, I swam the 400m individual medley. I was about 95% of my peak physical abilities and just barely missed the world record. When I got out of the pool, I used my lactate meter and showed the USA Swimming National Team High Performance Director that his post-race lactate levels were 19.9 mmol/L. The director saw my lactate reading and said that 19.9 must be a mistake.

So I retested a few minutes later and I tested at 20.2 mmol/L. The director was surprised it was that high."

But Griswold uses his KAATSU equipment to help him recover from these high lactate levels. He swims easily (loosens down) for 600 meters until his lactate reading is between 7-8 mmol/L. Then he gets out of the water and does KAATSU Cycles until his lactate is reduced to 2.1 or lower mmol/L.

Copyright © 2014 - 2021 by KAATSU Global

KAATSU The Original BFR At The 2020 Digital Running Show

For who? Runners, triathletes, competitive athletes
For what? Recovery, rehabilitation, strength, flexibility



KAATSU Global CEO & Co-founder Steven Munatones presented the KAATSU the original BFR and various KAATSU running applications at the 2020 Digital Running Show, an entirely virtual running convention (previously called the National Running Show).

Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global

Dr. Cory On KAATSU Spinal Rotational Mobility

For who? Work-at-home employees, competitive athletes, retirees
For what? Functional mobility, recovery, strength, mobility, KAATSU At Home



Cory Keirn DPT shows how KAATSU can be utilized if you want to play golf, tennis, baseball or anything where you have to rotate your body. You can do these KAATSU the Original BFR exercises anywhere anytime including in the comfort of your own home.

Dr. Keirn demonstrates and explains the following Spinal Rotation Mobility exercises with his Leg Bands:

1. Sidelying windmill
2. Switch – sidelying windmill
3. Rotation pec stick stretch
4. Repeat - Rotation pec stick stretch
5. Supine piriformis stretch
6. Switch – supine piriformis stretch
7. Hammy tugger
8. Switch – hammy tugger

Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global

China Institute of Sport Science KAATSU Research

For who? Coaches, trainers, researchers, physicians
For what? Functional mobility, recovery, strength, mobility

























In order to develop and promote the science and technology of athletics within China, the China Institute of Sport Science researches scientific and technological issues in fitness, athletic competitiveness, and sport engineering and technology.

KAATSU inventor Dr. Yoshiaki Sato published a paper with Doctors Y. Chang, T. Yu, JP Liu, XL Gao, J. Zhang, and F. Wang at the China Institute of Sport Science in September 2014 called Effects of KAATSU Training on Human Mitochondria-related Factors and Comprehensive Effects on Cardiovascular System.

The objective of their research was to develop an understanding of KAATSU on mitochondria metabolism and investigate its comprehensive influences on the cardiovascular system. Cardiovascular indexes, metabolism indicators, inflammatory cytokines, and mitochondria-related factors such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK4), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), nitric oxide (NO), and other relevant factors were studied in this study.

With this information, the China Institute of Sport Science can better understand the positive effects of KAATSU on the cardiovascular system, explore energy metabolism after KAATSU from the organelles level, and provide the possibility to improve cardiovascular quality.

They randomly divided 40 healthy adults into a control group (no KAATSU) and experimental group (KAATSU) for 8 weeks. The subjects’ level of body composition and the anaerobic power of their lower extremities were measured by a body composition analyzer and the Wingate method. The endothelium-derived relaxing factor (NO, VEGF) and mitochondrial-related factors (AMPK, SOD, LPL and PDK4) were determined by the ELISA method. Routine blood tests and glucose and lipid from blood were analyzed before and after KAATSU.

The subjects used light dumbbells to perform 3 sets of biceps curls to muscular fatigue.

They found the following:

1. As compared with the control group, the experimental group decreased their maximum heart rate after KAATSU.
2. As compared with the control group, the plasma VEFG in the experimental group significantly increased (P<0.05).
3. After 8 weeks of KAATSU, the plasma LPL (P<0.05) and PDK4 (P<0.01) in the experimental group significantly increased.
4. As compared with the control group, the average values of serum total cholesterol decreased significantly (P<0.05).
5. After 8 weeks of KAATSU, the peak of upper limb anaerobic power frequency laps significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, there were significant increases in the peak and the relative peak of upper limb anaerobic power (P<0.01).
6. After 8 weeks of KAATSU, the average value of blood lactic acid significantly increased in both the control group and experimental group.
7. After 8 weeks of KAATSU, the average body age (P<0.01), BMI, body fat percentage in the experimental group significantly decreased (P<0.05).
8. After 8 weeks of KAATSU, the average relaxed upper arm girth (P<0.05) and thigh girth (P<0.01) significantly increased.

The researchers concluded the following:

1. The experimental group significantly reduced body weight, BMI and body fat percentage that benefitted optimization of body composition, controlling body weight, and prevention of obesity.
2. The experimental group increased the secretion of vascular endothelial group factor (VEGF) and NO that benefitted promotion of the vascular tone and improvement of the endothelial function.
3. In term of lipid metabolism, after 8 weeks of KAATSU, the average value of serum total cholesterol and triglyceride significantly decreased while the plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK4) synergistic increased which promotes fat decomposition. This infers that KAATSU could improve blood lipid metabolic disorders and prevent cardiovascular disease.
4. There was no significant difference in AMPK expression between the experimental group and control group, maybe KAATSU did not activate PGC-1a signaling by increasing AMPK. It also provided some experimental evidence for further research on the perspective of mitochondrial Akt/mTOR signaling.
5. The 8 weeks of KAATSU could increase the upper anaerobic power peak and anaerobic power relative peak, benefitted to promoting human upper limb muscle explosiveness and speed endurance. Meanwhile, resistance training could significantly improve the body’s tolerance to lactic acid and enhance the ability of anaerobic metabolism.
6. Inflammatory factors such as high-sensitivity c-reactive, IL-6, TNF-a were very close to each other before training. It showed that KAATSU did not cause a surge of inflammatory cytokines and the emergency of muscle injury, but the result of this study could not confirm the mechanism of muscle thickening caused by increasing IL-6.

Table 1. Resting Heart Rate with pre and post resistance training
Resting heart rate (beats per minute)
Pre: 82.1 ± 12.0 Post: 80.3 ± 13.7 N: 7

Table 2. Resting Heart Rate with pre and post KAATSU training
Resting heart rate (beats per minute)
Pre: 85.0 ± 14.42 Post: 83.25 ± 10.74 N: 8

Table 3. Resting Heart Rate compared with Control Group and KAATSU Group
Resting heart rate (beats per minute)
Control Group pre/post: 7.57 ± 3.1 N: 7
Resting heart rate (beats per minute)
KAATSU Group pre/post: 9.43 ± 8.24 N: 8

Table 4. Heart Rate with pre and post anaerobic exercise of upper extremities in Control Group
Resting heart rate
Pre: 113.9 ± 15.2 Post: 105.3 ± 14.0 N: 7
Instant heart rate
Pre: 183.9 ± 6.7 Post: 188.3 ± 17.4 N: 7
Maximum heart rate
Pre: 184.9 ± 6.7 Post: 189.0 ± 17.0 N: 7
1 minute post heart rate
Pre: 146.6 ± 15.1 Post: 155.1 ± 20.0 N: 7
2 minutes post heart rate
Pre: 133.6 ± 13.4 Post: 141.3 ± 20.2 N: 7
3 minutes post heart rate
Pre: 127.3 ± 12.3 Post: 130.9 ± 19.2 N: 7
4 minutes pot heart rate Pre: 122.9 ± 12.6 Post: 126.0 ± 17.1 N: 7
5 minutes pot heart rate Pre: 120.0 ± 11.9 Post: 126.1 ± 18.1 N: 7
6 minutes pot heart rate Pre: 120.6 ± 11.4 Post: 122.7 ± 18.7 N: 7
7 minutes pot heart rate Pre: 121.9 ± 10.0 Post: 122.6 ± 17.8 N: 7

Table 5. Heart Rate with pre and post anaerobic exercise of upper extremities in KAATSU Group
Resting heart rate
Pre: 109.6 ± 3.3 Post: 96.5 ± 11.6** N: 8
Instant heart rate
Pre: 188.3 ± 6.9 Post: 184.4 ± 5.0 N: 8
Maximum heart rate
Pre: 189.5 ± 7.3 Post: 185.0 ± 4.8 N: 8
1 minute post heart rate
Pre: 159.6 ± 12.4 Post: 159.6 ± 5.8 N: 8
2 minutes post heart rate
Pre: 137.5 ± 6.4 Post: 143.6 ± 7.2* N: 8
3 minutes post heart rate
Pre: 126.4 ± 7.2 Post: 133.9 ± 6.9* N: 8
4 minutes post heart rate
Pre: 123.0 ± 3.4 Post: 125.8 ± 7.2 N: 8
5 minutes post heart rate
Pre: 118.6 ± 5.2 Post: 121.0 ± 6.6 N: 8
6 minutes post heart rate
Pre: 117.8 ± 5.8 Post: 118.6 ± 5.7 N: 8
7 minutes post heart rate
Pre: 118.6 ± 10.0 Post: 117.4 ± 4.8 N: 8
P<0.01
P<0.05

Table 6. Heart Rate on anaerobic exercise of upper extremities in Control Group and KAATSU Group
Resting heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 14.29 ± 11.1
KAATSU Group pre/post: 13.13 ± 11.54 N: 8
Instant heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 5.57 ± 4.97
KAATSU Group pre/post: 9.38 ± 7.15 N: 8
Maximum heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 6.14 ± 5.34
KAATSU Group pre/post: 9.25 ± 5.90 N: 8
1 minute post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 7.71 ± 6.32
KAATSU Group pre/post: 14.00 ± 9.58 N: 8
2 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 7.71 ± 4.92
KAATSU Group pre/post: 11.38 ± 9.27 N: 8
3 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 9.29 ± 6.68
KAATSU Group pre/post: 9.50 ± 8.14 N: 8
4 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 7.14 ± 3.34
KAATSU Group pre/post: 9.50 ± 6.44 N: 8
5 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 6.86 ± 5.18
KAATSU Group pre/post: 8.50 ± 9.43 N: 8
6 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 6.00 ± 4.16
KAATSU Group pre/post: 10.00 ± 8.05 N: 8
7 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 6.29 ± 6.68
KAATSU Group pre/post: 8.63 ± 6.78 N: 8

Table 7. Heart Rate on pre and post anaerobic exercise of lower extremities in Control Group
Resting heart rate
pre: 111.9 ± 23.2 post: 101.7 ± 15.5 N: 7
Instant heart rate
pre: 191.0 ± 13.8 post: 187.0 ± 15.8 N: 7
Maximum heart rate
pre: 193.3 ± 14.3 post: 189.0 ± 15.4* N: 7
1 minute post heart rate
pre: 171.1 ± 16.9 post: 189.0 ± 15.4** N: 7
2 minutes post heart rate
pre: 158.7 ± 18.9 post: 145.7 ± 23.1* N: 7
3 minutes post heart rate
pre: 141.6 ± 17.4 post: 137.6 ± 20.5 N: 7
4 minutes post heart rate
pre: 138.4 ± 20.4 post: 126.3 ± 17.7 N: 7
5 minutes post heart rate
pre: 128.9 ± 18.0 post: 128.6 ± 14.3 N: 7
6 minutes post heart rate
pre: 127.4 ± 18.4 post: 122.3 ± 16.8 N: 7
7 minutes post heart
rate pre: 122.9 ± 17.6 post: 122.3 ± 14.9 N: 7
** P<0.01
* P<0.05

Table 8. Heart Rate on pre and post anaerobic exercise of lower extremities in KAATSU Group
Resting heart rate
pre: 103.8 ± 7.7 post: 99.0 ± 8.4 N: 8
Instant heart rate
pre: 185.4 ± 7.1 post: 183.9 ± 6.5 N: 8
Maximum heart rate
pre: 187.1 ± 6.3 post: 185.4 ± 6.4 N: 8
1 minute post heart rate
pre: 167.5 ± 12.3 post: 164.4 ± 8.2 N: 8
2 minutes post heart rate
pre: 151.4 ± 13.2 post: 148.4 ± 11.1 N: 8
3 minutes post heart rate
pre: 134.4 ± 9.8 post: 133.5 ± 9.6 N: 8
4 minutes post heart rate
pre: 126.9 ± 8.9 post: 125.0 ± 9.8 N: 8
5 minutes post heart rate
pre: 116.1 ± 12.8 post: 118.5 ± 10.0 N: 8
6 minutes post heart rate
pre: 112.5 ± 23.9 post: 105.8 ± 23.0 N: 8
7 minutes post heart rate
pre: 110.0 ± 21.4 post: 109.3 ± 16.9 N: 8

Table 9. Heart Rate on anaerobic exercise of lower extremities in Control Group and KAATSU Group
Resting heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 15.0 ± 7.37 N:7
KAATSU Group pre/post: 10.00 ± 5.4 N: 8
Instant heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 5.57 ± 3.05 N:7
KAATSU Group pre/post: 5.25 ± 3.96 N: 8
Maximum heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 6.71 ± 2.56 N: 7
KAATSU Group pre/post: 9.63 ± 3.58 N: 8
1 minute post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 6.71 ± 2.56
KAATSU Group pre/post: 9.63 ± 9.78 N: 8
2 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 14.14 ± 11.82
KAATSU Group pre/post: 11.00 ± 9.09 N: 8
3 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 8.57 ± 4.86
KAATSU Group pre/post: 11.38 ± 6.67 N: 8
4 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 11.43 ± 10.39
KAATSU Group pre/post: 9.38 ± 8.29 N: 8
5 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 5.94 ± 4.26
KAATSU Group pre/post: 7.13 ± 5.94 N: 8
6 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 41.54 ± 75.47
KAATSU Group pre/post: 12.25 ± 24.04 N: 8
7 minutes post heart rate
Control Group pre/post: 7.46 ± 5.55
KAATSU Group pre/post: 12.25 ± 11.56 N: 8

Table 10. Blood pressure on pre and post resistance training in Control Group
SBP (mmHg)
Pre: 125.6 ± 26.6
Post: 134.1 ± 17.1 N: 7
DBP (mmHg)
Pre: 85.3 ± 17.3
Post: 92.9 ± 11.9 N: 7

Table 11. Blood pressure on pre and post resistance training in KAATSU Group
SBP (mmHg)
Pre: 128.12 ± 8.008
Post: 118.25 ± 4.334** N: 8
DBP (mmHg)
Pre: 85 ± 5.398
Post: 79.75 ± 7.246 N: 8
** P<0.01

Table 12. Blood pressure compared with Control Group and KAATSU Group
SBP (mmHg)
Control Group
pre/post: 9.43 ± 14.29 N: 7
KAATSU Group
pre/post: 13.29 ± 12.84 N: 8
DBP (mmHg)
Control Group
pre/post: 8.14 ± 8.75 N: 7
KAATU Group
pre/post: 12.00 ± 14.61 N: 8

Table 13. ET, NO and VEGF on pre and post resistance training
ET
pre: 40.08 ± 21.24
post: 46.23 ± 17.71 N: 7
NO
pre: 16.61 ± 7.12
post: 17.18 ± 7.52 N: 7
VEGF:
39.08 ± 13.48
post: 48.49 ± 13.58 N: 7

Table 14. ET, NO and VEGF on pre and post KAATSU training
ET
pre: 41.41 ± 22.37
post: 42.32 ± 18.83 N: 8
NO
pre: 18.83 ± 16.14
post: 21.00 ± 12.89 N: 8
VEGF:
pre: 49.77 ± 18.47
post: 65.19 ± 29.80* N: 8

Table 15. Mitochondrial indexes on pre and post resistance training
SOD
pre: 109.586 ± 52.497
post: 91.249 ± 48.890 N: 7
LPL
pre: 203.542 ± 121.250
post: 221.320 ± 161.551 N: 7
AMPK
pre: 82.178 ± 55.754
post: 73.162 ± 54.077 N: 7
NO
pre: 16.61 ± 7.12
post: 17.18 ± 7.52 N: 7
PDK
pre: 47.685 ± 47.133
post: 50.274 ± 52.196 N: 7

Table 16. Mitochondrial indexes on pre and post KAATSU training
SOD
pre: 162.943 ± 62.033
post: 156.479 ± 81.737 N: 8
LPL
pre: 112.381 ± 36.801
post: 286.428 ± 151.234** N: 8
AMPK
pre: 119.722 ± 90.634
post: 118.901 ± 83.733 N: 8
NO
pre: 18.83 ± 16.14
post: 21.00 ± 12.80 N: 8
PDK
pre: 9.177 ± 5.789
post: 57.646 ± 50.624* N: 8

Table 17. Mitochondrial indexes on pre and post training in Control Group and KAATSU Group
SOD
Control Group
pre/post: 140.045 ± 86.359 N: 7
KAATSU
pre/post: 83.372 ± 50.450 N: 8
LPL Control Group
pre: 286.428 ± 151.234
N: 7
KAATSU
pre/post: 221.320 ± 161.551 N: 8
AMPK
Control Group
pre: 118.901 ± 83.733 N: 7
KAATSU
pre/post: 73.162 ± 54.077 N: 8
PDK Control Group
pre: 57.646 ± 50.624
KAATSU pre/post: 50.274 ± 52.196 N: 8

Table 18. TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and BS on pre and post resistance training
TC
pre: 4.679 ± 0.628
post: 5.541 ± 1.035**
N: 7
TG
pre: 1.429 ± 0.839
post: 2.240 ± 2.316
N: 7
HDL-C
pre: 1.264 ± 0.213
post: 1.476 ± 0.400*
N: 7
LDL-C
pre: 2.573 ± 0.641
post: 3.633 ± 1.156**
N: 7
BS
pre: 5.286 ± 0.77
post: 6.086 ± 2.294
N: 7

Table 19. TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and BS on pre and post KAATSU training
TC
pre: 4.743 ± 0.688
post: 4.671 ± 0.561
N: 8
TG
pre: 2.895 ± 3.065
post: 2.355 ± 1.570
N: 8
HDL-C
pre: 1.474 ± 0.456
post: 1.291 ± 0.306
N: 8
LDL-C
pre: 2.421 ± 0.416
post: 3.014 ± 0.681**
N: 8
BS

pre: 5.188 ± 0.491
post: 5.225 ± 0.597
N: 8
** P<0.01>

Table 20. TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and BS on post Control Group and KAATSU Group
TC Control
pre/post: 5.541 ± 1.035
KAATSU pre/post: 4.671 ± 0.561**
N: 8
TG Control
pre/post: 2.240 ± 2.316
KAATSU pre/post: 2.355 ± 1.570
N: 8
HDL-C Control
pre/post: 1.476 ± 0.400
KAATSU pre/post: 1.291 ± 0.306
N: 8
LDL-C Control
pre/post: 3.633 ± 1.156
KAATSU pre/post: 3.014 ± 0.681
N: 8
BS Control
pre/post: 6.086 ± 2.294
KAATSU pre/post: 5.225 ± 0.597 N: 8
** P<0.01>

Table 40. Girth indexes on pre and post resistance training
Flexed upper arm girth
pre: 33.057 ± 3.249
post: 33.343 ± 3.227
N: 7
Relaxed upper arm girth
pre: 30.800 ± 3.800
post: 31.157 ± 4.197
N: 7
Forearm girth
pre: 28.171 ± 1.952
post: 27.914 ± 1.869
N: 7
Thigh girth
pre: 58.057 ± 4.770
post: 59.000 ± 5.099
N: 7
Calf girth
pre: 39.643 ± 3.181
post: 38.700 ± 3.536*
N: 7
** P<0.01>
* P<0.05

Table 40. Girth indexes on pre and post KAATSU training
Flexed upper arm girth
pre: 33.750 ± 2.596
post: 33.813 ± 2.521
N: 8
Relaxed upper arm girth
pre: 31.775 ± 3.050
post: 32.425 ± 2.846*
N: 8
Forearm girth
pre: 27.088 ± 1.776
post: 27.475 ± 2.006
N: 8
Thigh girth
pre: 56.125 ± 3.712
post: 57.350 ± 3.724**
N: 8
Calf girth
pre: 38.088 ± 2.594
post: 38.238 ± 2.441
N: 8
** P<0.01
* P<0.05

Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global

KAATSU Implications For The Elderly And Competitive Athletes

For who? Retirees, Baby Boomers, competitive athletes, work-at-home parents
For what? Rehabilitation, recovery, functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, stress relief, KAATSU At Home

























































A 76-year-old woman in Southern California was looking to maintain her health.

Her use of KAATSU, the original BFR, very pleasantly surprised her and her family.

She started doing KAATSU Cycles on her arms and legs twice a day on her new KAATSU Cycle 2.0 unit while doing stretching and the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises (see here for arms and here for legs).

"Not only did she see a nice visual improvement in her overall muscle tone [see top photo above], but she also realized a significant decrease in her triglyceride levels* from 327 to 144," observed Steven Munatones.

"She achieved these results without changing her diet or changing the amount or intensity of exercise she normally did over a 2-month period. But what she did new was simply do KAATSU Cycles on her arms and legs twice a day on a KAATSU Cycle 2.0 unit while doing stretching and the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises in the comfort and convenience of her home (see here for arms and here for legs)."

KAATU inventor Dr. Yoshiaki Sato has long seen these kinds of results with his older patients in Tokyo, Japan.

One of his early studies on the effects of KAATSU was published in 2000 in the Journal of Applied Physiology (titled Effects of resistance exercise combined with moderate vascular occlusion on muscular function in humans).

Background

KAATSU inventor Dr. Sato discovered throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s that KAATSU is extremely effective for training of everyone from elite athletes to older people facing sarcopenia.

During the 1980s, his Japanese clients and athletes started to incorporate this new training and rehabilitation modality, but it took until the mid-1990's before Dr. Sato found an inquisitive collaborator in Professor Naokata Ishii of the University of Tokyo (Department of Life Sciences) began to conduct formal research studies on KAATSU.

Their first major peer-review paper was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

KAATSU Vernacular

The results were not surprising to Dr. Sato, but Professor Ishii knew that the findings were difficult for the journal editors to accept because the word "KAATSU" was unknown in the research and sports world outside of Japan. After discussions with the journal editors, KAATSU was described in the literature as vascular occlusion - even though Dr. Sato and Professor Ishii wanted to steer away from the word occlusion.

They know there is no arterial limb occlusion of the brachial artery and brachial veins even at high pressures with the pneumatic KAATSU Air Bands. The ultrasound image on left shows the brachial artery and brachial veins at 300 SKU (mmHg) of a 21-year-old collegiate athlete.

Study and Findings

24 women (ages 47-67 years) did a 16-week training program (3 sets of single-arm dumbbell curls in the sitting position with non-dominant arm and a 1-minute rest between sets, performed twice per week) comparing KAATSU exercise (at 110 SKU pressure) with low-intensity exercise without KAATSU and high-to-medium intensity exercise without KAATSU.

Percent changes in cross-sectional area and isokinetic strength were compared: the KAATSU Group increased more than the low-intensity non-KAATSU Group and were similar to the high-intensity non-KAATSU Group.

Before and after exercise, arterial blood flow and plasma lactate concentration were measured; during exercise, the electromyographic activity of the biceps muscle was recorded. The average SKU (mmHg) pressure was 110.

GH concentration, electrical activity in the working muscles, muscular hypertrophy (in both the biceps and triceps), muscular strength, and number of muscle fibers recruited increased with the KAATSU Group as it did with the high-intensity non-KAATSU Group.

Implications for the Elderly Population and Competitive Athletes

The increase in muscle fiber recruitment with KAATSU has implications for elite athletes and older people. The moderation of blood circulation and the hypoxia and acidic intramuscular environment also leads to additional motor-unit recruitment.



For example, repeated KAATSU without any exercise during bed rest effectively prevents muscle atrophy.

Furthermore, when the leg muscles of older people gradually weaken, the inability to stand up and walk increase and serious problems with falling occur. Although resistance exercise can improve muscular strength and size and bone mineral density, KAATSU presents the opportunity to achieve their beneficial results without large mechanical stress. Additionally, when KAATSU is applied with simple resistance exercise, an increase in energy consumption is also seen.

For competitive athletes undergoing a season-long vigorous training program, recovery days or less-than-highly-intense training days are built into their training regimen.

For these athletes, they can train as normal during their intense workouts during hard sessions, but also with the increase of muscle fiber recruitment with KAATSU on their recovery days, the athletes are effectively training vigorously every session with the usual fatigue and muscle soreness than comes with intense sustained exercise.

* A high triglyceride level combined with high LDL (bad) cholesterol or low HDL (good) cholesterol is linked with fatty buildups within the artery walls, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. The 76-year-old woman's triglyceride level fell over an 8-week period from 327 mg/dL (high) to 144 mg/dL (normal).

Normal levels of triglycerides is less than 150 mg/dL
Borderline high is 150 to 199 mg/dL
High is 200 to 499 mg/dL
Very high is 500 mg/dL or above

Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global

KAATSU Protocols for Total Knee Replacements

For who? Baby Boomers, retirees or athletes who have a total knee replacement (TKA)

For what? rapid recovery in order to regain mobility and flexibility, and maintain strength

Some surgeries are minimally invasive and others are much more so.

KAATSU the original BFR can significantly help the skin and underlying tissue quickly repair and recover - so much so that experienced surgeons who know their patients who do post-surgery KAATSU will have to get their stitches removed more quickly than those patients who do not do KAATSU.

"What happens is the skin recovers and grows back more quickly," explains Steven Munatones. "This is due to the systemic effects of KAATSU and the biochemical reactions that occur as the result of Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets, repeatedly and consistently done during rehabilitation and recovery."

These Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets help enhance the natural healing process. "If the stitches are left in the leg for the 'normal' amount of time, your skin will grow over the stitches. In these cases, the surgeon will have to go back in and remove the overgrown sutures. This can cause infection that is best avoided," Munatones said.

"One thing that we have seen time and time again is how quickly the skin and wound heals. The skin around the wound can heal so quickly with repeated KAATSU Cycle sets that the skin grows over the sutures - much faster than what is normally expected by physicians.

When physicians schedule the normal removal of the sutures, patients utilizing Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets will often experience faster than normal healing of wounds and incisions. So, a patient should inform their attending physician of this phenomenon."

The five periodically taken photographs shown on the left demonstrate the rapid recovery of the sutures and skin on a 49-year-old military veteran who had total knee replacement (TKA) surgery at a Veterans Administration hospital in Florida.

Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) or a total knee replacement is when the end of the femur bone and end of the tibia are removed and replaced. Pain, muscle weakness, and reduced function can result from a disease or an injury that leads to a total knee replacement surgery where the diseased or injured knee joint is replaced with artificial material.

Key Points with KAATSU for Patients who undergo TKA

* Do physical therapy utilizing all the traditional and proven therapeutic procedures.
* You can augment their physical therapy with Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets up to 3 times per day in the comfort of your home or before or during your physical therapy sessions.
* Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets consist of repeated 30 seconds of inflation of the KAATSU Air Bands followed by 5 seconds of deflation. There is a slight increase in pressure during each subsequent inflation interval.
* Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets can be performed in the morning, afternoon and evenings for a total integration of KAATSU with regularly
* 3-6 Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets are first done on your arms and then followed by 3-6 additional Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets on your legs.
* All standard KAATSU protocols (i.e., Do's and Don'ts) should be strictly followed:
-- remain well hydrated before and during the KAATSU session
-- 'one-finger tightness' is recommended when applying the KAATSU Air Bands on your arm and leg bands
-- your skin tone should turn darker (i.e., pinker, redder, or more purple) as your vascular tissue becomes engorged with blood
-- breathe normally while doing KAATSU; holding of your breath is strictly prohibited

"You always want to start off with your arms," said Munatones. "That is key for optimization of the effects on your lower body, although that may seem counter-intuitive. Also, seemingly counter-intuitive is to start slowly with the KAATSU pressure. There is no need to start off with high pressure; in fact, that is not good. You always need to start with light, conservative pressure. You can start off with low pressure on the first one or two sets - each set is between 5-7 minutes. Then you gradually increase the pressure on the subsequent sets.

On the KAATSU Cycle 2.0, KAATSU Master 2.0, KAATSU C3, and KAATSU B1 models, there are 8 sets of 30 seconds of pressure on, followed by 5 seconds of pressure off.

These KAATSU Cycle sets can be performed in the mornings and again in the afternoon and evenings - as you sit down to work, watch television, read, and any number of normal household and work responsibilities as well as integrate KAATSU to regularly scheduled physical therapy sessions.

All the usual KAATSU protocols should be followed:

* always be well hydrated before and during KAATSU

* always start KAATSU on your arms, then do KAATSU your legs

* always have good KAATSU color (i.e., have a pinker or redder skin color)

* always feel comfortable doing KAATSU; never feel uncomfortable or lightheaded

* always start off with conservative pressure and gradually increase

* do simple movements during KAATSU Cycle sets; you do not have to do intense, vigorous exercises

* incorporate KAATSU into your standard physical therapy exercises, as you and your therapist wish

* do 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on your upper and lower limbs during each KAATSU session

* do 1-3 sessions per day as time permits

* do either Single-limb KAATSU Cycle sets on only one leg or Standard (Dual-limb) KAATSU Cycle sets on both legs. That is, you can focus on only one limb at a time if you and your therapist wish. If time permits, doing repeated Single-limb Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets on the leg being rehabilitated is ideal.

* always start conservatively with KAATSU: either with low pressure or only 1 KAATSU Cycle set per day

* gradually increase the number of KAATSU Cycle sets over the course of several weeks

* do various kinds of movements - or no movement at all as you desire. However, doing KAATSU Cycle sets repeatedly and daily, and especially before and during the physical therapy sessions is especially helpful.

* you can do simple Standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises (e.g., Hand Clenches, Biceps Curls, Triceps Extensions, Toe Curls) or other movements (e.g., Head or Foot Rotations, Balancing on One Foot, Stretching, Walking, Standing Up and Sitting Down, Handwriting). Additionally, isometric exercises and muscle contractions are also used.

* it is very important avoid any painful movements or any sudden movements. KAATSU is best done with slow, easy, gentle movements. You can think of KAATSU as slow stretching of the muscular and connective tissue.

* you can - and should - begin this rehabilitation protocol before your surgery as an ideal form of prehab






































































































Copyright © 2014 - 2019 by KAATSU Global

Jack Turner Is Off To Napoli

For who? athletes, water polo players, student-athletes
For what? mobility, flexibility, recovery

By all accounts, All-American water polo goalie Jack Turner should not be playing his favorite sport, heading into his final year at the University of California San Diego, and training to represent the USA in the 2019 World University Games (XXX Summer Universiade) that will be held in Naples, Italy in July 2019.

The 6'-7" Fremont, California native's improbable rehabilitation and recovery from a horrific car accident is remarkable. It is a story well told of his long drive from San Diego to San Francisco in 2017, "At 1 a.m., about a half-hour south of home, I was in in Gilroy when my truck began swerving out of control due to a blown tire."

His truck flipped over on its side and began to roll over and over again until it landed on its roof off the highway while Turner was stuck upside down, held by his seatbelt. “I was thinking, ‘Am I still alive? Can I move my toes? And then I knew I needed to get out of the car. You don’t know what condition it’s in. It’s kind of fight or flight.”

Strong and limber due to years of high-level water polo, he was able to cut himself free from the seatbelt.

Then he kicked out the passenger window and wiggled his way out of the totaled car. He felt a numbness on the back of his scalp and could not turn his head sideways.

It turned out his numbness was only one indication of the severity of his injury: a crack in his C1 vertebrae and a full fracture of his C2 vertebrae. Victims of such breaks often become quadriplegic and are occasionally fatal as a result of inability to breathe.

But Turner, an aerospace engineering major at UC San Diego, is as lucky as he is unusual and motivated. He wanted to be with his teammates and play against the best American universities and top teams around the world. While his teammate Sam Thompson took over his duties in the water polo cage during the 2017 season, ultimately becoming an All-American, Turner started his rehabilitation with a fervor and eventually was seen on the team's bench with a neck brace.

How he survived is beyond explanation, but he was determined to work himself back to water polo shape and play with his teammates - even with a neck brace on for months. “It was all pretty scary, being told that you shouldn’t be walking or breathing. But more than anything I was thinking about whether I’d be able to play again. I’d been doing it for so long — that was my identity.

I probably went through the seven stages of grief before accepting it. And then being told that it’s not over, that I could continue my career — I knew it was going to be tough, but it ignited something in me. I didn’t give up, and it would have been easy to do that with a broken neck.”

Turner missed the entire 2017 college season, but eventually found himself back in the pool and wearing USA team gear in Europe this September.

That experience against the world's best water polo players - older, tougher, stronger, faster athletes than the competition who he would play against during the college season - gave him a massive boost of confidence. "I was nervous at first, but I got my hand on a couple of shots and thought, ‘Oh, wow, I can do this. I deserve to be here. I worked hard to be here.”

Without question, one of America's best water polo goalies has experienced near tragedy and persevered in one of the most unlikely roads to success in collegiate sports today.

He and his teammates regularly do KAATSU for training, rehabilitation and recovery throughout their off-season, pre-season, mid-season and championship season.



Copyright © 2014-2019 by KAATSU Global

Using KAATSU to Recover from Broken Fingers And Toes

For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? mobility, flexibility, recovery



























For optimal results from strained, sprained or broken fingers or broken toes, especially with hairline fractures, KAATSU can be used an ideal rehabilitation methodology and recovery modality.

Key Points
o Do KAATSU Cycles on all four limbs for optimal systemic results.
o Do KAATSU Cycles at least once per day, but ideally twice per day. Optimally, do KAATSU Cycles once in the morning and once again within an hour of going to bed. If there is time, doing KAATSU Cycles in the middle of the day is also recommended.
o During each KAATSU session, first do KAATSU Cycles on your arms (whether or not you have broken bones in your upper or lower body). Then proceed with KAATSU Cycles on your legs.
o Always be very well-hydrated when you do KAATSU. Well-hydrated means your urine is clear or nearly clear.
o Do KAATSU only on the injured limb for the first few (or several) KAATSU Cycles for the first days. Later, you can simultaneously and use place the KAATSU Air Bands on both limbs (both healthy and injured limbs).
o Consult with your personal physician before starting KAATSU, especially if there is a compound fracture.

Arm Protocols
1. Manually tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your arms to the appropriate Base SKU (pressure).

2. Inflate the KAATSU Air Bands on your arms to your personalized Optimal SKU.

3. Start with a conservative (i.e., low) SKU on the first KAATSU Cycle. Then proceed with higher and higher SKU levels on the next several subsequent KAATSU Cycles. For example, do 100 SKU for the first KAATSU Cycle, then 150 SKU on the second KAATSU Cycle, then 200 SKU on the third KAATSU Cycle, etc.

o Note: Even if the first or second KAATSU Cycles do not feel tight enough, it is perfectly acceptable to start at a low SKU pressure. This will help warm-up your capillaries and prepare them for higher and more effective SKU levels.

4. Each KAATSU Cycle on the KAATSU Nano includes 8 repetitions of 20 seconds of pressure followed by 5 seconds of no pressure in sequentially increasing pressures (e.g., 100 SKU on the first repetition, 110 SKU on the second repetition, 120 SKU on the third repetition, etc. to the 8th and last repetition).
o Note 1: on the KAATSU Wearables and KAATSU Cycle 2.0 units, there are 8 repetitions of 30 seconds followed by 5 seconds on no pressure.
o Note 2: on the KAATSU Master 2.0, there are five standard SKU Levels and one customizable SKU Level.

5. Do 3-6 of these KAATSU Cycles on your arms. This will take 9-18 minutes total. These are called Cycle 20 (indicating 20 seconds of pressure) or Cycle 30 indicating 30 seconds of pressure).

6. During these KAATSU Cycles, you can do standard physical therapy movements.
o Note 1: You can also do isometric exercises or simply contract your arm muscles in the positive and negative direction during exercise.
o Note 2: You can also do the KAATSU 3-Point Arm Exercises (i.e., Hand Clenches if possible, followed by Biceps Curls, and then Triceps Extensions).

7. After the first 2-3 days, you can add longer KAATSU Cycles. This is called Cycle 60 (i.e., 60 seconds of pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off). In order to do Cycle 60, go to the KAATSU Training mode and manually input 1 minute (60 seconds) and select an appropriate SKU level (e.g., 250 SKU for 60 seconds).

8. Constantly confirm your CRT (Capillary Refill Time, see photo above) on the palms of the hands and make sure your CRT is faster than 3 seconds. Your palms should be pink or even a beefy red color. There should be significant blood pooling in your arms with your veins distended.
o Note 1: Never occlude blood flow to your arms. KAATSU Air Bands are not a tourniquet. Tourniquet or blood pressure cuffs keep blood out of your arms by restricting arterial flow. KAATSU Air Bands function as the opposite of tourniquets and blood pressure cuffs. KAATSU Air Bands modify the venous flow - or blood flow from your limbs back to your torso.
o Note 2: Never feel numbness while doing KAATSU or allow your hands or arms to turn white, gray or blue. In these cases, immediately release the pressure and take off the KAATSU Air Bands.
o Note 3: There should ALWAYS be a pink color or a beefy red color in your hands and arms when doing Cycle 20 or Cycle 60. This indicates blood pooling in the limbs, bringing fresh blood to the capillaries of your entire arm.

9. Remove the KAATSU Air Bands on your arms and rehydrate. Then apply the KAATSU Air Bands on your legs.

Leg Protocols
1. Manually tighten the KAATSU Air Bands on your legs to the appropriate Base SKU (pressure).

2. Inflate the KAATSU Air Bands on your legs to your personalized Optimal SKU.

3. Start with a conservative (i.e., low) SKU on the first KAATSU Cycle. Then proceed with higher and higher SKU levels on the next several subsequent KAATSU Cycles. For example, do 150 SKU for the first KAATSU Cycle, then 200 SKU on the second KAATSU Cycle, then 250 SKU on the third KAATSU Cycle, etc.
o Note: Even if the first or second KAATSU Cycles do not feel tight enough, it is perfectly acceptable to start at a low SKU pressure. This will help warm-up your capillaries and prepare them for higher and more effective SKU levels.

4. Do 3-6 of these KAATSU Cycles on your legs. This will take 9-18 minutes total.

6. During these KAATSU Cycles, you can do standard physical therapy movements.
o Note 1: You can also do isometric exercises or simply contract your leg muscles in the positive and negative direction during exercise.
o Note 2: You can also do the Standard KAATSU 3-Point Leg Exercises (i.e., Toe curls if possible, followed by Toe Raises if possible, and then Leg Curls).
o Note 3: You can alternatively do the Advanced KAATSU 3-Point Leg Exercises (i.e., Heel Raises if possible, followed by Standing Leg Curls and then Non-Lock Quarter Squats).
o Note 4: You can walk comfortably inside or outside or steadingly on a treadmill.

7. After the first 2-3 days, you can add longer KAATSU Cycles. This is called Cycle 60 (i.e., 60 seconds of pressure on followed by 20 seconds of pressure off). In order to do Cycle 60, go to the KAATSU Training mode and manually input 1 minute (60 seconds) and select an appropriate SKU level (e.g., 250 SKU for 60 seconds).

8. Constantly confirm your CRT (Capillary Refill Time) on the quadriceps above your knees or near your ankles on your calves. Make sure your CRT remains faster than 3 seconds. Your feet and legs should be pink or even a beefy red color. There should be significant blood pooling in your legs with your veins distended, particularly visible in your feet.
o Note 1: Never occlude blood flow to your legs.
o Note 2: Never feel numbness while doing KAATSU or allow your feets or legs to turn white, gray or blue. In these cases, immediately release the pressure and take off the KAATSU Air Bands.

9. Remove the KAATSU Air Bands on your legs and rehydrate.

Before Bed Arm Protocols
1. Manually tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your arms to the appropriate Base SKU (pressure).

2. Inflate the KAATSU Air Bands on your arms to your personalized Optimal SKU.

3. Start with a conservative (i.e., low) SKU on the first KAATSU Cycle. Then proceed with higher and higher SKU levels on the next several subsequent KAATSU Cycles. For example, do 100 SKU for the first KAATSU Cycle, then 150 SKU on the second KAATSU Cycle, then 200 SKU on the third KAATSU Cycle, etc.
o Note: Even if the first or second KAATSU Cycles do not feel tight enough, it is perfectly acceptable to start at a low SKU pressure. This will help warm-up your capillaries and prepare them for higher and more effective SKU levels.

4. During these evening KAATSU Cycles, you can do standard physical therapy movements or the KAATSU Insomnia Protocols that includes:
o Forward shoulder rolls
o Backward shoulder rolls
o Head rotations
o Deltoid and triceps stretching
o Note: Movements before bedtime should be casual and light. Nothing too vigorous and difficult.

5. If you wish to maintain your stamina and strength during your rehabilitation period, do comfortable KAATSU Walking or KAATSU Power Walking on a treadmill or outside for 15-20 minutes with the inflated KAATSU Air Bands on your legs (doing repeated KAATSU Cycles). Alternatively, you can also do KAATSU Aqua in a pool.

Do’s
›› Correctly place the KAATSU Air Bands on your upper arms and upper legs every time.
o Note : On your arms, the Bands should be placed above your biceps and triceps near your armpit, but below your deltoids.

›› Check Base SKU (pressure) and find Optimal SKU (pressure) during every KAATSU session. Optimal Pressure is one that is not so high as to occlude, but high enough to get that “KAATSU Fatigue/Failure Feeling” during exercise.
o Note: Your Optimal SKU can change on a daily basis.

›› Release the KAATSU Air Bands if you feel something is not right. If you feel lightheaded or if you have any pain on one side or the other, stop and continue on another day.

›› You can do different exercises or movements during KAATSU. You can type emails or play the piano or play computer games. Be creative and enjoy the experience.

›› Rest 30-60 seconds between different sets of exercises.

›› Do hydrate well before, during and after each KAATSU session.

Don’ts
›› Do not ever fully occlude blood flow. Signs of this are collapsed veins, no pulse at the wrist, pale palms and skin, severely delayed (>6 seconds) capillary refill.

›› Do not have Air Bands inflated for more than 20 minutes on your limbs. The KAATSU Nano will deflate automatically the KAATSU Air Bands when the maximum time is reached.

›› Do not lift heavy weights when doing KAATSU



Copyright © 2014 - 2019 by KAATSU Global

The White Heart Foundation Visits Joseph Lowrey

For who? soldiers, veterans
For what? mobility, flexibility, recovery






























The White Heart Foundation visited retired U.S. Army Green Beret Sergeant 1st Class Joseph Lowrey at his home in Ontario, California last week.

The Foundation representatives is committed to serving the needs of severely injured warriors like Lowrey and filmed a day in the life of the Purple Heart recipient originally from Long Beach, California who enlisted in the Army right after his high school graduation.

Ryan Sawtelle, Founder & Executive Director of the White Heart Foundation, explained, "White Heart is focused on having the greatest impact on [wounded] warriors. Our goal is to determine and address each warrior’s most pressing need with the help of your donation — 100% of which goes toward the warrior.

White Heart was created with the donor’s intent in mind. We believe that donor's dollars are best spent working one on one with warriors, rather than treating them as if they were numbers."

While the Foundation cameras zeroed in on Lowrey going about his day in his home, including red light therapy + KAATSU sessions with KAATSU Master Specialist David Tawil, it was clear that the Green Beret was enjoying the spotlight.

"It is such a joy, honor, and inspiration to work with Joe," said Tawil. "We did KAATSU Cycles on his arms, starting at a low SKU and then gradually building up as we asked him to do simple but challenging movements like reaching for the sky with his left hand. Then we did some KAATSU Walking, initially at a controlled pace and then at a faster pace."

Lowrey used KAATSU daily and nightly [before bedtime] after improbably surviving a horrific gunshot wound to his head during a combat tour in Afghanistan.

While serving with the 7th Special Forces Group on July 7th 2014, Lowrey and his fellow soldiers were tasked to enter an area known to be a Taliban stronghold. The injury occurred during Lowrey’s third deployment while manning the gun turret on top of a truck during an intense firefight against Taliban insurgents.

Immediately after Lowrey was hit when PKM machine gun fire (the round pierced his Kevlar helmet and caused a massive traumatic brain injury to his right hemisphere), the medic onboard heroically saved his life by conducting an emergency tracheotomy on the battlefield. Even so, after surgery, his colleagues were told that Lowrey would not survive.

Inexplicably, Lowrey survived the next day as well as the next week and next month. Just after he and his wife Jennifer welcomed their fourth child, Lowrey was airlifted from Afghanistan to Germany's Landstuhl Hospital where he remained in a coma. Despite being given a small chance of survival by doctors, Lowrey was airlifted to the United States where he rehabbed at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Palo Alto, California at a rehabilitation hospital, and then at Casa Colina and Centre for Neuro Skills in Southern California.

After years of believing in himself and his caregivers through an excruciatingly painful recovery and rehabilitation, Lowrey emerged well enough to move back in with his family albeit without use of his left side and with some short-term memory losses due to his traumatic brain injury.

"My brothers rescued me from the fight," recalled the former highly competitive ice hockey goalie and self-defined fitness fanatic. "It has been a very long road to recovery, but I want to run again. That is one of my goals."

Together with Tawil, the pair delved into every possible KAATSU protocol covering muscle development, rehabilitation enhancement and basic recovery.

But they also concurrently took a deep dive into nutrition, specifically ketogenic diets, and all kinds of healthy biohacks in an attempt to recover from complete paralysis on his left side. "Due to being sedentary for the first time in my life, I gained a lot of weight and was just eating everything including too many hamburgers," recalled Lowrey. "But then I lost the added weight when I began eating a low-carb diet and sleeping right."

But he also experienced significant muscle mass loss while undergoing physical therapy in several Veterans Administration hospitals and medical clinics for four years.

Lowrey started KAATSU in June 2018. Under Tawil's guidance, Lowrey established a smooth-running protocol where he does KAATSU twice daily in the convenience of his home. He does a morning exercise protocol where he focuses on muscle toning, balance and gait fluidity as well as an evening sleep protocol where he focuses on relaxation and vascular elasticity that enables him to get a solid 8 hours of deep sleep.

"I loved how my legs felt the very first time that I tried KAATSU in the comfort of my living room," recalled Lowrey. "I didn't know how to use the KAATSU equipment at first; it was all new to me, but David was patient and taught me and my caregiver how to apply it during my morning and evening sessions. Now it is just part of my daily routine."

Tawil reiterated, "It is important to teach KAATSU users like Joe to understand how to do KAATSU by himself. Because of Joe's limited strength, uncertain balance and lack of complete mobility, we spend all the time necessary for Joe to feel comfortable and gain the maximum benefits from KAATSU.

Lowrey first started with very low-pressure KAATSU Cycles on both his arms and legs. He learned what the appropriate Base and Optimal pressures are for him - both in the morning where Joe does more vigorous workouts and in the evening where it is all about relaxation and getting ready to reap all the benefits of a good night's sleep."

Over the next 8 weeks, Lowrey started to stand, balance and walk with KAATSU.

"We walk around the house and in his backyard," explains Tawil. "But we also go outside in his complex and tackle walking on grass. All of the different textures and slightly different elevations on the grass and a nearby hill are great challenges and objectives for Joe to achieve during his walking sessions. This sort of KAATSU Walking on a grassy hill - so simple for able-bodies people - are extremely helpful for Joe's improvement.

Joe does KAATSU 2 times per day: the first time at 10 am and then again at 7 pm before going to bed. At night, Joe just does simple KAATSU Cycles at a relatively low pressure. This double daily session has been essential for his rapid improvement. He is up to 2,000 steps a day, but his long-term goal is running a marathon."

For more information on the White Heart Foundation, visit www.whiteheart.org.

Copyright © 2014-2019 by KAATSU Global

Relief From Shin Splits With KAATSU

For who? runners, Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
























KAATSU users follow a variety of KAATSU protocols in order to (1) avoid shin splints or (2) recover from the inflammation and reduce the pain levels of shin splints, and (3) strengthen the calves, quadriceps and glutes.

Safety Protocols
* Be very well hydrated (at a level where your urine is nearly clear)
* Always and only do KAATSU Cycle sets before and after exercise (e.g., running)
* Start off with conservative (low) SKU pressures on the KAATSU Cycle mode and gradually increase the SKU pressures on subsequent KAATSU Cycle sets
* Start off by doing KAATSU on your arms and then move to your legs - and never do KAATSU simultaneously on both the arms and legs
* Hands and legs should have a pink or rosy appearance when doing KAATSU
* Limit time duration of band inflation to 20 minutes

Systemic effects with KAATSU Air Bands on Arms
* Do KAATSU Cycle sets on your arms while doing the KAATSU 3-Point Exercises: slowly do hand clenches + biceps curls + triceps extensions while contracting the muscles in both the negative and positive direction
* Do the KAATSU Cycle sessions twice daily, if possible
* Do the first KAATSU Cycle set at a low SKU pressure (e.g., 100 SKU). This level of pressure may not seem to be too difficult, but the first Cycle sets should be seen as a warm-up. Then do the next 2-4 sets at increasingly higher pressures (e.g., 120 SKU, 140 SKU, 160 SKU, 180 SKU) if the pressure feels comfortable.
* Nothing should be done vigorously and everything should feel comfortable. It is a possible addition to do up to 10 minutes of KAATSU Constant on a low SKU pressure after the KAATSU Cycle sets are completed - but not necessary.

KAATSU Legs and/or KAATSU Walking
* Do 1-3 sets of KAATSU Cycle sets on your legs while simply sitting and relaxing. Follow the same protocol with the legs as with the arms; that is, start with a low, conservative pressure (e.g., 150 SKU) on the legs and then increase the SKU levels on the subsequent sets.
* Stretch or simply walk (if capable) at a comfortable pace (or pace back and forth in a room or office) for 5-15 minutes doing the next 2-5 KAATSU Cycle sets at an increasingly higher pressure. For example, start off with 150 SKU, then move to 170 SKU on the next Cycle set, then 190 SKU and 210 SKU if those pressures feel comfortable.
* KAATSU Walking will greatly help with improved circulation and generate a hormonal response which will help. If walking is uncomfortable, then simply stretch or do the 3-Point Exercises on the legs (sitting heel raises + standing leg raises + quarter non-lock squats).
* There is no need to do squats or any vigorous movements if you are comfortable. If you cannot walk comfortably, then you can simply contract his quadriceps and hamstrings or do heel raises while sitting. But always stop if you do not feel comfortable.
* Over time, you should feel comfortable at increasing the SKU pressure.

Copyright © 2014 - 2019 by KAATSU Global

Quick Recovery Of Young Gymnast's Injured Thumb

For who? gymnasts, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery



Wednesday, Day 1: Roy, a young gymnast, hurt his thumbs, especially his [discolored] right thumb, during his gymnastic practice. He was in pain and worried about his upcoming gymnastic event.

Thursday, Day 2: With a gymnastic competition scheduled the next day, the 13-year-old did several KAATSU Cycle sets both before and after his practice.

Friday, Day 3: On the day of his wrestling match, he did KAATSU Cycle sets again on the Friday morning of his match. His discoloration went away, his pain level fell significantly, and he performed well in his competition.

His KAATSU Cycle sets included the following protocol:

1. KAATSU Arms performed once at 20 SKU Base Pressure and 100 SKU Optimal Pressure.
2. KAATSU Arms performed once at 20 SKU Base Pressure and 120 SKU Optimal Pressure.
3. KAATSU Arms performed once at 20 SKU Base Pressure and 140 SKU Optimal Pressure.

"He could have probably used higher (SKU) pressures, but this was the first time the young athlete used KAATSU, so we used very conservative pressures. He works out 4 hours on weekdays and 3 hours on Saturday, so he is in excellent physical shape," explained Steven Munatones.

"With the KAATSU Cycle sets, our aim was to reduce his pain levels, regain his range of motion and grip strength as soon as possible.

So multiple KAATSU Cycle sets done twice per day was our recommended protocol and it worked not surprisingly."

Copyright © 2014 - 2019 by KAATSU Global

61-year-old Military Veteran & Stroke Survivor Before & After KAATSU

For who? stroke victims, Baby Boomers, retirees, veterans, soldiers
For what? functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery



Before: Mitch's Timed Up & Go on 15 December 2018



After: Mitch's Timed Up & Go on 15 January 2019



Before Mitch started a KAATSU Cycle program at home on 15 December 2018.



After Mitch did 15 KAATSU Cycle upper body sessions over a 4-week period at home on 15 January 2019.

Overview
Mitch is a 61-year-old Marine veteran in Colorado who had an ischemic stroke 9 years ago at his home and 3 subsequent heart attacks. He is designated as a Do Not Resuscitate patient. His right side is nearly paralyzed, he has a torn right rotator cuff, he uses a wheelchair, his voice is significantly limited, but he remains overwhelmingly positive and is friendly with his neighbors. He has been treated by medical professionals and VA staff for the past decade. He regularly does a variety of physical therapy exercises and wheels himself around the neighborhood using his left arm.

KAATSU Usage
Mitch has used KAATSU 3-4 times per week for last 4 weeks (beginning on December 15th 2018) in the comfort of his home, while using the KAASTU Cycle mode with the help of his 62-year-old wife and performing a variety of standard physical therapeutic movements.

Benefits (see videos above)
1. Mitch’s fingers on his right hand are much more relaxed and flexible with a much looser grip.
2. Mitch can move his right arm with significantly greater range of motion.
2. Mitch feels significantly less pain in his right hand and arm.
3. Mitch can now feel human touch throughout his right arm that he could not feel before.
4. Mitch can complete a Timed Up and Go test 9% faster (1 minute 32 seconds vs. 1 minute 43 seconds).

KAATSU Recommendations
1. Mitch should continue the same exercises he currently does with the KAATSU Air Bands on.
2. Mitch can increase his use of KAATSU to twice per day: do KAATSU Cycle sets in the morning hours and do KAATSU Cycle sets as part of his 9:30 pm evening KAATSU sessions (currently doing evening only).
3. Due to his improvement and increased strength and balance, Mitch can add KAATSU Constant to his evening sessions (i.e., detach the tubes and walk or do upper body movements in the KAATSU Constant mode for no more than 5-10 minutes while untethered).
4. Mitch can practice handwriting with his right hand while conducting KAATSU Cycle sets on his arms.
5. In order to develop greater strength and range of motion in his legs, Mitch can start 'Prone Upper Leg Contraction and Leg Lift Exercises' while conducting KAATSU Cycle sets on his legs while in the horizontal position.

KAATSU Advantages versus Traditional Physical Therapy
1. Ease & Convenience of Use
Mitch and his wife are non-medical professionals who quickly learned how to safely use KAATSU in the comfort of their home where Mitch can experience the benefits and convenience of KAATSU.

2. Safety
Despite having a stroke and 3 heart attacks and a torn rotator cuff, KAATSU is safely used by a 61-year-old veteran. This record is consistent with KAATSU’s usage in 32 countries around the world by over 20 million users.

3. Cost Savings
Assume the cost of a home visit by a VA professional is $100 (salary + benefits + travel expenses) per visit. If Mitch does KAATSU twice per day for 300 days per year, the cost of a KAATSU Wearable device amortized over 2 years (1,200 sessions) is $0.50 per KAATSU session (i.e., $600 ÷ 1200 = $0.50 / session). $100 vs. $0.50 per session presents unprecedented cost savings.

4. Physical Improvement
Video provides visual evidence of physical improvement after 15 uses of KAATSU.

5. Psychological Boost
With improved physical strength, range of motion and muscle tone, and a greater hormonal response, the mental outlook of a paralyzed individual will improve. Being able to sign checks, move both arms at will, walk to the bathroom without a wheelchair, and other activities likely lead to greater confidence, greater motivation, and a greater self-belief to continue further physical improvement.

Copyright © 2014 - 2019 by KAATSU Global

Reducing Jet Lag And Battling Insomnia After Crossing Time Zones

For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? sleep, insomnia, jet lag, recovery


















































































Many KAATSU users, including those asked to travel internationally and who must cross several time zones, use their KAATSU equipment following the standard KAATSU protocols to reduce the effects of jet lag and battle insomnia.

These are the important points regarding KAATSU use before, during and after airplane travel:

›› Be very well-hydrated before doing KAATSU Cycles in the airplane or before takeoff at the airport in order to help reduce your jet lag.
›› Do KAATSU Cycles in your hotel room before going to bed on your first few evenings in your new location.
›› Always focus on doing KAATSU Cycles, starting in lower pressures and then gradually increasing.
›› You can be conservative with your pressure. The effects will still be evident despite a lower-than-normal pressure.
›› Rest at least 30 seconds between each set and each exercise.
›› There is no need to go to failure with these Jet Lag & Insomnia protocols; the goal is to become relaxed.
›› Always follow the standard KAATSU safety protocols (e.g., always have Capillary Refill Time faster than 2- 3 seconds with no occlusion and no numbness in your feet or legs, and a deeper/pinker/redder skin color than normal in your limbs).
›› Ideally, do your KAATSU Cycles before you board the airplane.
›› Never do the KAATSU Constant mode while flying.

Upper Body Jet Lag Exercises:
1. Place the KAATSU Air Bands on your upper arms.
2. Do 2-4 KAATSU Cycles, ideally within 30-60 minutes of boarding the airplane.
3. You can do all or any the following KAATSU exercises while sitting in your seat during flight:
* Forward Shoulder Rolls
* Backward Shoulder Rolls
* Head Rotations
* Tricep Muscle Stretches
* Deltoid Muscle Stretches
* Arm Rest Press Downs
* Isometric Contractions
4. Do 20-30 Forward Shoulder Rolls in a steady motion while your KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode. Breathe deeply. Relax while your KAATSU Air Bands are deflated. Repeat as desired.
5. Do 20-30 Backward Shoulder Rolls in a steady motion while your KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode. Breathe deeply. Relax while your KAATSU Air Bands are deflated. Repeat as desired.
6. Slowly roll the head forwards and backwards. Then slowly roll your head to the left and then to the right. Then slowly roll your head in a clockwise direction and then in a counterclockwise direction while your KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode. Breathe deeply. Relax while the KAATSU Air Bands are deflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode.
Note: Skip this exercise if rolling your head forwards, backwards, left, right, clockwise or counterclockwise causes dizziness.
7. Stretch your triceps muscles on your left and right arms while your KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode. Breathe deeply. Relax while the KAATSU Air Bands are deflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode.
8. Stretch your deltoid muscles on left and right shoulders while your KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode. Breathe deeply. Relax while the KAATSU Air Bands are deflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode.
9. Do isometric exercises like placing both hands on your arm rests and press down for a few seconds while contracting your muscles. Rest and relax, then repeat.
10. Place the palms of your hands together and push your hands together for a few seconds. Then, rest, relax and repeat.
11. Grasp the fingers of your hands and pull your hands apart for a few seconds. Then rest, relax and repeat.
12. Stretch your upper body or torso as you desire and are able.

Lower Body Jet Lag Exercises:
Note: Doing KAATSU on your legs is much easier in a business or first class seat and most difficult - or frankly impossible - while in the middle seat in economy class.
1. Place the KAATSU Air Bands on your upper legs.
2. Do 2-4 KAATSU Cycles, ideally within 30-60 minutes of boarding the airplane.
3. You can do all or any the following KAATSU exercises while sitting in your seat during flight:
* Heel Raises
* Leg Extensions
* Inward Leg Squeezes
* Outward Leg Squeezes
* Isometric Contractions
4. Slowly do 10-20 Heel Raises in a steady motion while your KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode. Breathe deeply. Relax while your KAATSU Air Bands are deflated. Repeat as desired.
5. Slowly do 10-15 Leg Extensions in a steady motion while your KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode. Breathe deeply. Relax while your KAATSU Air Bands are deflated. Repeat as desired.
6. Place your hands on your inner thighs and slowly push outwards as you push your legs inwards against the force of your hands while the KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode. Breathe deeply. Relax while the KAATSU Air Bands are deflated. Repeat the Inward Leg Squeezes as desired.
7. Place your hands on your outer thighs and slowly push inwards as you push your legs outwards against the force of your hands while the KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode. Breathe deeply. Relax while the KAATSU Air Bands are deflated. Repeat the Outward Leg Squeezes as desired.
8. Repeatedly contract and then relax your upper leg muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings) while the KAATSU Air Bands are inflated in the KAATSU Cycle mode.






























Some of these exercises are demonstrated below. These same exercises can be done in the airport, airport lounge or at your office or home before your flight. They also work to relieve stress and get some exercise during the day when you are sitting and being sedentary all day long.







Copyright © 2014 - 2019 by KAATSU Global