For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? mobility, flexibility, recovery
KAATSU users often ask how KAATSU can be safely used as part of their rehabilitation of a broken limb, especially when the injured arm or leg must be keep immobilized as it heals.
Similar to what Olympic silver medalist Todd Lodwick accomplished in the 28 days prior to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games when he came back in an unprecedented time from a broken humerus and torn ligaments in his left arm, KAATSU users can perform KAATSU two or three per day if they primarily use the KAATSU Cycle mode on their other three healthy limbs. Surgeon Dr. Jim Stray-Gundersen, the then attending US Ski & Snowboard Association physician responsible for Lodwick's recovery said, "His recovery was unheard of with the incorporation of KAATSU."
The standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises in the KAATSU Cycle mode can be used: Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions on the arms plus Heel Raises + Leg Curls + Non-lock Partial Quarter Squats on the legs. KAATSU Walking or KAATSU Aqua Walking can be performed as one very effective alternative in the injury is in the arms. The KAATSU Cycles, ideally, should be performed in the mornings and then within one hour of bedtime.
The effects are best if the movement of the healthy limbs is slow and steady. Ideally, the muscles in movement should be contracted in both the positive and negative directions.
The reason why KAATSU on the healthy limbs is effective is because KAATSU has systemic effects all over the body, including in the injured limb - even if KAATSU is not done on that limb.
At the Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Center for Translational Musculoskeletal Research and the University of Indianapolis Department of Kinesiology, Dr. Alan Mikesky and his research team researched the crossover effects of KAATSU [see Modified KAATSU Training: Adaptations and Subject Perceptions here]. In his research, Professor Mikesky was looking to confirm the systemic effects of KAATSU.
The researchers applied KAATSU Air Bands on only one arm of subjects and tested the strength, girth, tomography scans along with RPE (Rated Perceived Exertion scale) of both arms of the subjects.
The research team correctly did KAATSU and measured both the Base SKU (which they called “Cuff Tightness Pressure in mm Hg"and Optimal SKU (which they called “Cuff Inflation Pressure in mm Hg”) levels.
It should be noted that the SKU levels were conservative for relatively young subjects. The subjects started at 10 Base SKU in Week 1 and increased to 30 Base SKU by Week 8; they started at 90 Base SKU in Week 1 and increased to 180 Base SKU by Week 8. Both the KAATSU arm and the non-KAATSU arm girth increased (measured in cm between Week 0 and Week 8):
Non-KAATSU Arm (cm) girth:
Week 0: 22.7 cm
Week 2: 24.3 cm
Week 4: 24.9 cm
Week 6: 25.7 cm
Week 8: 26.1 cm
KAATSU Arm (cm) girth:
Week 0: 23.0 cm
Week 2: 23.2 cm
Week 4: 24.5 cm
Week 6: 25.4 cm
Week 8: 26.1 cm
The research showed how doing KAATSU on one limb can have crossover (systemic) effects on the other limb - a very important goal for individuals with one injured limb who is trying to recover.
In the video above, this effect was practically demonstrated was with 2010 Olympic silver medalist Todd Lodwick who broke his left arm and torn his ligaments 28 days before the 2014 Winter Olympics. With KAATSU done on his non-injured limbs, he was able to compete admirably well in both the ski jumping and the Nordic combined events after only 5 weeks of KAATSU.
During his rehabilitation, the staff at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association noted that Lodwick was getting too muscular after a few weeks of KAATSU - despite his broken bone and torn ligaments and doing no weights or traditional strength training exercises. In response, his SKU levels was reduced and he stretched more and did low-pressure, post-workout KAATSU Cycles so his muscle hypertrophy was not accelerated (see above). Personally, Lodwick liked the effects and ultimately was able to compete.
In summary, doing KAATSU on healthy limbs can have direct crossover benefits to the recovery, strength and girth of an injured limb or core.
Another previous study conducted in Japan is entitled Cross-Transfer Effects of Resistance Training with Blood Flow Restriction (see here).
Silver medalist Todd Lodwick is shown above doing similar KAATSU training after his skiing accident and was able to rehabilitate and recover quickly enough to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
Copyright © 2014 - 2019 by KAATSU Global
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Friday, January 18, 2019
KAATSU Walking, Beneficial To Horses And Humans
For who? researchers, scientists, Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Research on the effects of KAATSU has been conducted with men and women of all ages, abilities and conditions. An interesting variety of research has also included equine subjects (i.e., horses), mice, rats, and goats from Japan to the United States.
Research has been conducted at the University of Tokyo Hospital and Osaka University in Japan, at Peking University and Jilin University in China, at the Harvard Medical School, University of Missouri, University of Oklahoma and Rutgers University in the United States, at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in São Paulo, Brazil, and dozens other universities and academic research institutions.
The photos above show Chinese scientists attaching standard KAATSU Air Bands on the hind legs of goats in northern China under the auspices of China's State General Administration of Sports, the government agency responsible for sports in China that also administers the Chinese Olympic Committee.
Kenneth McKeever, Ph.D., FACSM serves as the Associate Director of Research and is a Professor of Animal Sciences at The Rutgers Equine Science Center. The Center is part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and is dedicated to better horse care through research and education to advance the well-being and performance of horses and the equine industry.
Since 1995, Professor McKeever has proceeded to build, develop, and coordinate one of the most active Equine Exercise Physiology laboratories in the USA. One of the most interesting studies that Professor McKeever conducted in collaboration with his colleagues Professors Abe, Kearns, Filho and Sato of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the Tokyo Metropolitan University and the Department of Ischemic Circulatory Physiology at The University of Tokyo in Japan.
The study is entitled Muscle, tendon, and somatotropin responses to the restriction of muscle blood flow induced by KAATSU-walk training, published in Equine Exercise Physiology.
The researchers delved into the efficacy of KAATSU that has been demonstrated in human athletes, both as a therapeutic method as well as a training aid. The purpose of their study was to investigate the effects of slow walk training combined with restriction of muscle blood flow (KAATSU) on muscle and tendon size.
They studied 6 healthy, unfit Standardbred mares performed walking (240 meters/minute for 10 minutes and then a 5-minute recovery) with KAATSU, and 6 mares performed walking without KAATSU. A specially designed elastic band (manufactured by KAATSU Japan using the original KAATSU Master device) was placed at the most proximal position of the forelegs and inflated to a pressure of 200-230 mmHg throughout the walking and recovery sessions. [Note: the KAATSU Air Bands were the same model and type that were used by humans and with the goats in China).
The training was conducted once a day, 6 days/week for 2 weeks. Skeletal muscle thickness and tendon thickness were measured using B-mode ultrasound at baseline and after 2 weeks of training. Venous blood samples were obtained before the first acute exercise and 5, 15 and 60 minutes afterwards. Serum somatotropin concentration was determined using a commercially available equine-specific ELISA kit.
The professors found that the acute increase in plasma somatotropin was 40% greater (P<0.05) in the KAATSU-walk group than in the Control-walk group 5 minutes after exercise and remained elevated (P<0.05) at 15 and 60 minutes post exercise compared with the Control-walk group. After 2 weeks of training, muscle thickness increased (P<0.05) 3.5% in the KAATSU-walk group, but did not change in the Control-walk group (0.7%). Tendon thickness did not change (P>0.05) in either group.
They concluded that these data demonstrate that KAATSU can induce muscle hypertrophy in horses and suggest that KAATSU may provide significant therapeutic/rehabilitative value in horses, as has been shown in man.
In 2017, Dr. William Ursprung conducted a KAATSU Walking study at Texas A&M University entitled The Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on VO2Max and 1.5 Mile Run Performance on humans (published in the International Journal of Exercise Science), not the equine subjects that Professor McKeever had done at Rutgers.
Dr. Ursprung utilized the KAATSU Nano device (a smaller, more portable equivalent of the KAATSU Master that Professor McKeever used) and the same KAATSU Air Bands that were used on the Standardbred mares in Rutgers.
Dr. Ursprung used the KAATSU Air Bands to safely maintain arterial inflow to the leg muscles while preventing venous outflow. He writes, "Blood flow restriction training with resistance has been shown to improve muscular power, sprinting speed, strength, hypertrophy and endurance. Non-resistance training methods using [KAATSU], such as walking, may increase strength and hypertrophy however the effects on aerobic capacity are less uncertain and the research in this area is limited.
Using 10 young, fit, well-trained male military personnel, Dr. Ursprung evaluated the effects of 3 weeks of [KAATSU Walking] on VO2max, 1.5-mile run times, and muscular size. He recorded the pre- and post-measurements of VO2max, 1.5-mile run times, and thigh muscle cross sectional area and found that KAATSU Walking resulted in significant improvements in VO2max (p=.034), significant decreases in 1.5-mile run time (p=.024) and significant increases in thigh muscle cross sectional area (p=.016).
So while Professor McKeever found that limited KAATSU Walking can induce muscle hypertrophy in horses and concluded that KAATSU may provide significant therapeutic/rehabilitative value in horses, Dr. Ursprung concluded that similarly limited KAATSU Walking can improve the aerobic capacity, endurance and muscular size at low training volumes and intensities among humans.
Copyright © 2014-2019 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Research on the effects of KAATSU has been conducted with men and women of all ages, abilities and conditions. An interesting variety of research has also included equine subjects (i.e., horses), mice, rats, and goats from Japan to the United States.
Research has been conducted at the University of Tokyo Hospital and Osaka University in Japan, at Peking University and Jilin University in China, at the Harvard Medical School, University of Missouri, University of Oklahoma and Rutgers University in the United States, at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in São Paulo, Brazil, and dozens other universities and academic research institutions.
The photos above show Chinese scientists attaching standard KAATSU Air Bands on the hind legs of goats in northern China under the auspices of China's State General Administration of Sports, the government agency responsible for sports in China that also administers the Chinese Olympic Committee.
Kenneth McKeever, Ph.D., FACSM serves as the Associate Director of Research and is a Professor of Animal Sciences at The Rutgers Equine Science Center. The Center is part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and is dedicated to better horse care through research and education to advance the well-being and performance of horses and the equine industry.
Since 1995, Professor McKeever has proceeded to build, develop, and coordinate one of the most active Equine Exercise Physiology laboratories in the USA. One of the most interesting studies that Professor McKeever conducted in collaboration with his colleagues Professors Abe, Kearns, Filho and Sato of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the Tokyo Metropolitan University and the Department of Ischemic Circulatory Physiology at The University of Tokyo in Japan.
The study is entitled Muscle, tendon, and somatotropin responses to the restriction of muscle blood flow induced by KAATSU-walk training, published in Equine Exercise Physiology.
The researchers delved into the efficacy of KAATSU that has been demonstrated in human athletes, both as a therapeutic method as well as a training aid. The purpose of their study was to investigate the effects of slow walk training combined with restriction of muscle blood flow (KAATSU) on muscle and tendon size.
They studied 6 healthy, unfit Standardbred mares performed walking (240 meters/minute for 10 minutes and then a 5-minute recovery) with KAATSU, and 6 mares performed walking without KAATSU. A specially designed elastic band (manufactured by KAATSU Japan using the original KAATSU Master device) was placed at the most proximal position of the forelegs and inflated to a pressure of 200-230 mmHg throughout the walking and recovery sessions. [Note: the KAATSU Air Bands were the same model and type that were used by humans and with the goats in China).
The training was conducted once a day, 6 days/week for 2 weeks. Skeletal muscle thickness and tendon thickness were measured using B-mode ultrasound at baseline and after 2 weeks of training. Venous blood samples were obtained before the first acute exercise and 5, 15 and 60 minutes afterwards. Serum somatotropin concentration was determined using a commercially available equine-specific ELISA kit.
The professors found that the acute increase in plasma somatotropin was 40% greater (P<0.05) in the KAATSU-walk group than in the Control-walk group 5 minutes after exercise and remained elevated (P<0.05) at 15 and 60 minutes post exercise compared with the Control-walk group. After 2 weeks of training, muscle thickness increased (P<0.05) 3.5% in the KAATSU-walk group, but did not change in the Control-walk group (0.7%). Tendon thickness did not change (P>0.05) in either group.
They concluded that these data demonstrate that KAATSU can induce muscle hypertrophy in horses and suggest that KAATSU may provide significant therapeutic/rehabilitative value in horses, as has been shown in man.
In 2017, Dr. William Ursprung conducted a KAATSU Walking study at Texas A&M University entitled The Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on VO2Max and 1.5 Mile Run Performance on humans (published in the International Journal of Exercise Science), not the equine subjects that Professor McKeever had done at Rutgers.
Dr. Ursprung utilized the KAATSU Nano device (a smaller, more portable equivalent of the KAATSU Master that Professor McKeever used) and the same KAATSU Air Bands that were used on the Standardbred mares in Rutgers.
Dr. Ursprung used the KAATSU Air Bands to safely maintain arterial inflow to the leg muscles while preventing venous outflow. He writes, "Blood flow restriction training with resistance has been shown to improve muscular power, sprinting speed, strength, hypertrophy and endurance. Non-resistance training methods using [KAATSU], such as walking, may increase strength and hypertrophy however the effects on aerobic capacity are less uncertain and the research in this area is limited.
Using 10 young, fit, well-trained male military personnel, Dr. Ursprung evaluated the effects of 3 weeks of [KAATSU Walking] on VO2max, 1.5-mile run times, and muscular size. He recorded the pre- and post-measurements of VO2max, 1.5-mile run times, and thigh muscle cross sectional area and found that KAATSU Walking resulted in significant improvements in VO2max (p=.034), significant decreases in 1.5-mile run time (p=.024) and significant increases in thigh muscle cross sectional area (p=.016).
So while Professor McKeever found that limited KAATSU Walking can induce muscle hypertrophy in horses and concluded that KAATSU may provide significant therapeutic/rehabilitative value in horses, Dr. Ursprung concluded that similarly limited KAATSU Walking can improve the aerobic capacity, endurance and muscular size at low training volumes and intensities among humans.
Copyright © 2014-2019 by KAATSU Global
Thursday, January 17, 2019
The KAATSU Effect: Walking After 10 Days
Follow-up to the posting regarding KAATSU the original BFR and its application to enhance the healing of a cracked calcaneus (heel) bone: see here.Olympic swim coach Chris Morgan recently fractured his right calcaneus bone (heel). The injury resulted in a crack about 75% through the entire bone.
Morgan did KAATSU Cycles on both his arms and legs while in a boot, on crunches and taking pain medications for the last two weeks at his home. The doctor instructed him not to walk or apply pressure on the healing bone until he cleared him. "It was painful and there is no way to walk on it, but I could sit up and do KAATSU on my arms and legs."
After doing KAATSU Cycles in the morning and evening every day, he was able to stand and walk on this cracked - but healing - heel after 10 days. And walking fully without a boot or crutches within 15 days. According to the standard prognosis, this kind of healing is unheard of.
"In the emergency room, the doctor said to me, 'Oh that must be so painful. You cracked 75% of heel.' He was right. But I knew that I had to start rehabbing with KAATSU as soon as I got home," Morgan recalled.
"But after only 10 days, I surprised my doctor by being able to stand and walk on my heel. He asked what I was doing. Admittedly, standing and walking is not yet completely pain-free, but I was able to reduce his estimate from 6 weeks to 10 days."
Morgan's rehabilitation includes two separate KAATSU sessions per day: a morning session and an evening session where he does several KAATSU Cycles on both his arms and legs.
Morgan explains, “The doctor told me to be completely off my injured foot for 6 weeks. I did KAATSU daily - twice daily. Based on my quick healing of my broken ribs, I guessed that my bone should be healed enough to start walking within 2 weeks with KAATSU. Well, being able to walk only took 10 days of KAATSU Cycling – and every day feels even better."
Podiatrist Dr. Lyle Nalli explains, "The calcaneus is the most vascular bone in the foot and can crack easily, but with its thin cortex and sparse inner bone pattern, can heal the fastest off all the foot bones. KAATSU, as it regulates blood flow, etc., speeds up the bone's healing rate."
After 15 days of twice-daily KAATSU Cycles done in the morning and evening, Morgan was able to walk without crutches and without a walking boot, vastly increasing his mobility within 2 weeks while his physician had predicted he would be only able to stand on his heel after 6 weeks.
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
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
Sunday, January 13, 2019
How The Japanese Prepare For The Olympics
For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Courtesy of The Olympics On The Record.
Most sports fans around the world know or have heard about the achievements and unprecedented Olympic record of Usain Bolt, the world's most successful sprint runner.
Most sports fans around the world also do not necessarily assign raw flat-out speed with Japanese runners who do not appear to have the natural body types for speed like their competitors in the Caribbean nations like Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, the United States, Canada and the African and European nations.
But many sports fans also do not know that the Japanese placed a solid second in the men's 4 x 100m relay in the track & field competition during the 2016 Rio Olympics (with Ryota Yamagata, Shota Iizuka, Yoshihide Kiryu and Asuka Cambridge) - a race that people do not equate with Japanese prowess.
"We have observed the most recent methodologies, strategies, technologies and analyses that the Japanese have incorporated into their Olympic preparations - for a number of sports and disciplines," observed Steven Munatones, a frequent visitor to Japan. "Instead of making excuses that they are not as tall, strong or powerful like most of their athletic competitors, it is interesting to see coaches, trainers and athletes accept their DNA as is and then fine tune their preparations through innovation, patience, hard work, incremental improvement (called kaizen), and KAATSU for athletic performance gains and KAATSU Cycle for recovery and rehabilitation."
It will be interesting to see the results of this preparation - supported and encouraged by the Japanese government and its technologically-oriented corporations like Mizuno - at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, as the Japanese have done for their previous Olympic campaigns (see above).
"It will be very interesting because there will be some very visible, head-to-head races at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in various events between smaller, lighter, less powerful Japanese athletes who use KAATSU and their taller, stronger and more powerful foreign competitors from Canada, the United States and European countries who do not use KAATSU - or whose coaches do not accept the incorporation of blood flow moderation modalities into their training, commented Munatones.
"The proof of the benefits will be on the podium at the end of these races."
Copyright © 2014-2019 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Courtesy of The Olympics On The Record.
Most sports fans around the world know or have heard about the achievements and unprecedented Olympic record of Usain Bolt, the world's most successful sprint runner.
Most sports fans around the world also do not necessarily assign raw flat-out speed with Japanese runners who do not appear to have the natural body types for speed like their competitors in the Caribbean nations like Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, the United States, Canada and the African and European nations.
But many sports fans also do not know that the Japanese placed a solid second in the men's 4 x 100m relay in the track & field competition during the 2016 Rio Olympics (with Ryota Yamagata, Shota Iizuka, Yoshihide Kiryu and Asuka Cambridge) - a race that people do not equate with Japanese prowess.
"We have observed the most recent methodologies, strategies, technologies and analyses that the Japanese have incorporated into their Olympic preparations - for a number of sports and disciplines," observed Steven Munatones, a frequent visitor to Japan. "Instead of making excuses that they are not as tall, strong or powerful like most of their athletic competitors, it is interesting to see coaches, trainers and athletes accept their DNA as is and then fine tune their preparations through innovation, patience, hard work, incremental improvement (called kaizen), and KAATSU for athletic performance gains and KAATSU Cycle for recovery and rehabilitation."
It will be interesting to see the results of this preparation - supported and encouraged by the Japanese government and its technologically-oriented corporations like Mizuno - at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, as the Japanese have done for their previous Olympic campaigns (see above).
"It will be very interesting because there will be some very visible, head-to-head races at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in various events between smaller, lighter, less powerful Japanese athletes who use KAATSU and their taller, stronger and more powerful foreign competitors from Canada, the United States and European countries who do not use KAATSU - or whose coaches do not accept the incorporation of blood flow moderation modalities into their training, commented Munatones.
"The proof of the benefits will be on the podium at the end of these races."
Copyright © 2014-2019 by KAATSU Global
Saturday, January 12, 2019
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
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
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Crack In The Calcaneus, Healing With KAATSU
Olympic swim coach Chris Morgan fractured his right calcaneus bone (heel) while unceremoniously falling from a height of 15 feet right on a concrete step. "In the emergency room, the doctor said to me, 'Oh that must be so painful. You cracked 75% of heel.' He was right. But I knew that I had to start rehabbing with KAATSU as soon as I got home," Morgan recalled. "I did the same rehab doing KAATSU when I cracked my ribs during a mud run. The doctors and x-ray technicians at Harvard where I was coaching at the time could not believe how fast my ribs healed. Every since that time, I have been a huge KAATSU believer."
Morgan was given a boot, crunches and pain medications and told not to walk or apply pressure on the healing bone until he cleared him. "It was painful and there is no way to walk on it, but I could sit up and do KAATSU the original BFR on my arms and legs."
Morgan's rehabilitation includes two separate KAATSU sessions per day: a morning session and an evening session where he does several KAATSU Cycles on both his arms and legs.
Morning KAATSU Session:
* 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on arms doing the KAATSU 3-point exercises (Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions), performed slowly and steadily without weights or resistance bands
* 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on legs while contracting the quadriceps and hamstrings and doing leg extensions while sitting, performed slowly and steadily
Evening KAATSU Session (ideally 1 hour before bedtime:
* 2-3 KAATSU Cycle sets on arms doing the KAATSU 3-point exercises (Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions), performed slowly and steadily without weights or resistance bands
* 2-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on legs while relaxing and doing simple movements and stretching while sitting
Morgan explained his belief in KAATSU, "Dr. Sato [the KAATSU inventor] taught me that the more strongly muscle is exercised, the stronger the bones become. In other words, when there is less mechanical stress on our bones when you are bedridden or unable to move a body part that is in a cast or boot, the calcium that is stored in the bones is dissolved into your bloodstream, thus reducing bone strength.
We know through research that KAATSU changes - improves - levels of bone metabolic markers like BAP (bone alkali phosphatase). This research tells us that KAATSU elicits an acute response to suppress bone resorption and elicits a chronic effect in terms of encouraging bone formation - which was one reason why I believe my ribs healed so quickly and I expect my cracked heel will heal more quickly than my doctor expects.
The doctor told me to be off my injured foot for 6 weeks. I plan to be healed enough to start some walking within 2 weeks with KAATSU."
Podiatrist Dr. Lyle Nalli explains, "The calcaneus is the most vascular bone in the foot and can crack easily, but with its thin cortex and sparse inner bone pattern, can heal the fastest off all the foot bones. KAATSU, as it regulates blood flow, etc., speeds up the bone's healing rate."
Copyright © 2014 - 2019 by KAATSU Global
Sunday, December 30, 2018
KAATSU To Offset Sarcopenia
KAATSU inventor Professor Sir Dr. Yoshiaki Sato, M.D., Ph.D. and University of Tokyo Hospital cardiologist Toshiaki Nakajima, M.D., Ph.D. determined the optimal means to prevent sarcopenia using KAATSU the original BFR.
Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and is a major problem especially among older individuals.
Among both males and females, muscle strength decreases with age and muscle volume quickly decreases (0.45 kg per year) as individuals age past 50 years old. That is, fast twitch muscle fiber decreases on average to 50% by the age of 80 years.
To prevent it, physicians and physiologists understand that high-intensity resistance exercise (e.g., weight training or body weight exercises) is required. But this type of training is usually not possible - or desired - by the elderly.
But with KAATSU, individuals up to the age of 104 [see below] can perform low-load or no-load, non-impact exercise with KAATSU equipment following the KAATSU Cycle modality to induce muscle hypertrophy and strengthen muscle even with short-term, low-intensity exercise. With the KAATSU Air Bands or KAATSU Aqua Bands, the KAATSU no-load, non-impact exercise physiologically and safely equals high-intensity, high-load training. In both cases (KAATSU and high-intensity, high-load training) the muscle and brain are stimulated to induce muscle hypertrophy and strength including fast twitch muscle fibers.
Elderly KAATSU users are strongly recommended to use repeated (3-6) KAATSU Cycles on first their arms and then subsequently on their legs. Ideally, this is done sometime in the morning or afternoon. Users can then do a few KAATSU Cycles on either their arms and/or legs during the evening hours, optimally less than hour before bedtime.
The KAATSU Master 2.0 is the next-generation device to be used safely and effectively by users over the age of 50 years.
There are 5 general levels of pressure (Levels 1 - 5) that are increasingly higher, but are based on decades of use by elderly patients in Japan and are judged safe by Japanese cardiologist.
Dr. Nakajima reported the significant increase in cross sectional area of thigh with MRI in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports (2014 Oct;24(5):799-806). He also explained how the increase in muscle strength and mass leads to improvement of life function tests like getting up and out of a chair or bed.
Similar results were realized in the arms (biceps and triceps) among the group of elderly patients [see before-and-after effects of a 71-year-old subject on left]. Dr. Nakajima explains the process leading up to muscle hypertrophy due to traditional resistance training. "Typically, an individual needs to perform at least 65% of 1RM to create mechanical stress, metabolic stress, Hormone (cathecholamine) secretion, Growth factor, Cytokin (IL-6), nerve factor, local circulation, hypoxia and cell swelling that leads to adaptation and an increase in protein synthesis and decrease in protein degradation.
In contrast, KAATSU leads to several mechanisms that cause KAATSU's hypertrophic effects: recruitment of fast twitch muscle fibers, increase in Growth Hormone and IGF-1 (Insulin Growth Factor), amino acid uptake, increase in protein synthesis and a decrease in myostatin."
He described the process. "Maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is dependent on the relationship of muscle protein balance - protein synthesis and breakdown. A negative protein balance induces muscle atrophy, whereas a positive balance induces muscle hypertrophy.
After muscle disuse, during long-term bed rest and simulated models of no-bearing activity, severe skeletal muscle atrophy develops due to altered protein metabolism leading to decreased muscle contractile protein content.
To prevent this, resistance exercise, an established and potent stimulus for enhancing muscle protein synthesis and subsequent muscle hypertrophy, is traditionally used.
Conversely, skeletal muscle is a plastic organ that adapts its mass to the different conditions by affecting pathways that regulate protein and cellular turnover. Repetitive KAATSU appears to be a novel stimulus for skeletal muscle to induce a net positive protein balance and prevent atrophy especially with patients with orthopedic diseases or injuries or those with disuse syndrome, sarcopenia and cachexia (weakness and wasting of the body due to severe chronic illness)."
The video below shows the before-and-after effects of KAATSU Cycle on a 104-year-old female.
Visionary physicians like Dr. Sato and Dr. Nakajima are leading the way on how best to utilize KAATSU to combat sarcopenia (loss of muscle tissue as a natural part of the aging process) while addressing a host of other wellness and health issues. For example, 104-year-old female patient in Kawasaki, Japan shows what is possible with KAATSU under the guidance of her physician Dr. Odagiri and Dr. Sato.
The patient was bedridden and uncommunicative for two months with severe dementia. She was transferred from her local hospital to Odagiri Hospital where she was treated with KAATSU. Initially for the first month, she simply did KAATSU Cycle as she remained in bed. Gradually, she became communicative and was able to get out of bed. Eventually, over the course of two months, she was able to do a variety of exercises and found herself wishing to live to be 200 years old [see English translation in video above].
During the Japanese-language video, she was asked how old she is and she answers as 104, holding a document confirming her age and birth date. She is shown doing a variety of exercises with her KAATSU Air Bands on (at an Optimal SKU level of 120).
Her doctors also documented her muscle gains in her upper legs (quadricep + hamstring) via before-and-after comparative computed tomography scans (3 months apart):
For a brief explanation of the mechanisms involved in doing KAATSU among elderly patients, visit here.
Copyright © 2014 - 2018 by KAATSU Global
KAATSU For Older Golfers
For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, golfers
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Former Japanese golf professional Teruo Sugihara (Japanese: 杉原輝雄) passed away at the age of 74. Sugihara was one of the first professional athletes in Japan to transform his career later in life by incorporating KAATSU into his training and recovery.
Sugihara won 63 tournaments over the course of his career and played professionally in Japan even after his diagnosis of prostate cancer in 1997. In 2006, at age 68, he became the oldest player to make the cut in a top-tier Japanese tour event.
His final Japan Golf Tour appearance came at the 2010 Mizuno Open in Nishonomiya, Japan, the same year that he co-authored a book called KAATSU Golf with KAATSU inventor Dr. Yoshiaki Sato.
There were many valuable lessons in his innovative use of KAATSU that he has shared with golfers of any age, but especially with older golfers.
Sugihara-san used KAATSU to improve his health and his game. His book, KAATSU Golf, describes how he used KAATSU to:
* strengthen his upper body
* improve his swing
* enhance his mobility during his swing
* increase his grip strength
* improve his leg strength with squats and practice swings
* enhance his overall strength and club head speed
Older golfers can use KAATSU with the following protocols:
1. Always start with the KAATSU Cycle mode, using the KAATSU Nano or KAATSU Master 2.0 units with KAATSU Air Bands.
2. Always be well-hydrated before starting KAATSU.
3. The KAATSU Cycle should be used first on the arms and then on the legs. That is, place the KAATSU Air Bands first on then arms, do upper body exercises, then remove the bands. Then, repeat the KAATSU Cycles with the KAATSU Air Bands on the legs.
4. The Base SKU pressure should be high enough to slightly reduce venous flow, but not high enough to restrict arterial flow. That is, the KAATSU Air Bands should be snugly applied to the limbs so a finger cannot be slipped between the bands and the arms (or legs). The palm of the hand with the band will subsequently turn slightly pink or give the appearance of a rosy color compared to the palm on the hand without the band. This is due to the increased engorgement of blood in the capillaries.
5. In addition to the coloration of the palms, the maintenance of the arterial flow can be confirmed by the Masimo MightySat Finger Pulse Oximeter. The pulse rate and SpO2 is shown on the face of the Masimo device [see photo below where a women in her 60s with the KAATSU Air Bands at 280 SKU shows a real-time pulse rate of 72 beats per minute and SpO2 of 100%]. It is also normal that veins are distended [see photo below].
6. The KAATSU Cycle mode should start conservatively (i.e., with a lower Optimal SKU pressure) on the first Cycle and then can be gradually increased on the second and subsequent Cycles (e.g., 100 SKU on the first Cycle followed by 140 SKU on the second Cycle, 180 SKU on the third Cycle, and 220 SKU on the fourth Cycle). At all times, the coloration should be at least maintained, and usually becomes a deeper hue or more red. This coloration transformation is due to increased engorgement of blood in the capillaries and veins.
7. If the user feels uncomfortable or lightheaded at any time, the bands should be immediately removed. Alternatively, on the KAATSU Master 2.0, the data settings for automatic shutdown can be set to any specific SpO2 or pulse rate. However, use of the KAATSU Cycle has shown over millions of KAATSU sessions that this mode comfortable and appropriate for users of all ages and backgrounds.
8. During the 3-4 KAATSU Cycles, the KAATSU 3-Point Exercises can be done:
KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for arms:
(a) Standard: Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions
(b) Advanced: Hand Clenches with a squeeze ball + Biceps Curls with very light dumbbells + Triceps Extensions done slowly under muscle contraction
KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for legs:
(a) Standard: Toe Curls + Toe Raises + Sitting Heel Raises
(b) Advanced: Slow Standing Heel Raises + Slow Standing Leg Curls + Slow non-lock Quarter Squats
KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for core (optional):
(a) Standard (with KAATSU leg bands on): Sit up straight in chair + stretch arms and hands upwards in a long, slow stretch + bend forward breathing slowly
(b) Advanced (with KAATSU leg bands on): Balance on one foot (alternate feet) + balance on one foot while moving water bottles in hand + walk with a book on your head + balance
That is, when the bands are inflated, the user can do these various movements listed above in order.
9. After the KAATSU Cycles are over, the user can then move right into their KAATSU functional movements of choice (e.g., swinging a club using a putter or driver) or stretching.
10. If functional movements are not possible due to injury or disability, the KAATSU 3-Point Exercises can be used for rehabilitative or recovery.
11. After the KAATSU Cycles and exercises are completed on the arms, then remove the bands from the arms and place the bands on the legs.
12. Do KAATSU Cycles on the legs and then KAATSU functional movements of choice with the bands on the legs.
To purchase Sugihara's DVD book in its original Japanese language, visit Amazon Japan here.
Copyright © 2014 - 2015 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Former Japanese golf professional Teruo Sugihara (Japanese: 杉原輝雄) passed away at the age of 74. Sugihara was one of the first professional athletes in Japan to transform his career later in life by incorporating KAATSU into his training and recovery. Sugihara won 63 tournaments over the course of his career and played professionally in Japan even after his diagnosis of prostate cancer in 1997. In 2006, at age 68, he became the oldest player to make the cut in a top-tier Japanese tour event.
His final Japan Golf Tour appearance came at the 2010 Mizuno Open in Nishonomiya, Japan, the same year that he co-authored a book called KAATSU Golf with KAATSU inventor Dr. Yoshiaki Sato.
There were many valuable lessons in his innovative use of KAATSU that he has shared with golfers of any age, but especially with older golfers.
Sugihara-san used KAATSU to improve his health and his game. His book, KAATSU Golf, describes how he used KAATSU to:
* strengthen his upper body
* improve his swing
* enhance his mobility during his swing
* increase his grip strength
* improve his leg strength with squats and practice swings
* enhance his overall strength and club head speed
Older golfers can use KAATSU with the following protocols:
1. Always start with the KAATSU Cycle mode, using the KAATSU Nano or KAATSU Master 2.0 units with KAATSU Air Bands.
2. Always be well-hydrated before starting KAATSU.
3. The KAATSU Cycle should be used first on the arms and then on the legs. That is, place the KAATSU Air Bands first on then arms, do upper body exercises, then remove the bands. Then, repeat the KAATSU Cycles with the KAATSU Air Bands on the legs.
4. The Base SKU pressure should be high enough to slightly reduce venous flow, but not high enough to restrict arterial flow. That is, the KAATSU Air Bands should be snugly applied to the limbs so a finger cannot be slipped between the bands and the arms (or legs). The palm of the hand with the band will subsequently turn slightly pink or give the appearance of a rosy color compared to the palm on the hand without the band. This is due to the increased engorgement of blood in the capillaries.
5. In addition to the coloration of the palms, the maintenance of the arterial flow can be confirmed by the Masimo MightySat Finger Pulse Oximeter. The pulse rate and SpO2 is shown on the face of the Masimo device [see photo below where a women in her 60s with the KAATSU Air Bands at 280 SKU shows a real-time pulse rate of 72 beats per minute and SpO2 of 100%]. It is also normal that veins are distended [see photo below].
6. The KAATSU Cycle mode should start conservatively (i.e., with a lower Optimal SKU pressure) on the first Cycle and then can be gradually increased on the second and subsequent Cycles (e.g., 100 SKU on the first Cycle followed by 140 SKU on the second Cycle, 180 SKU on the third Cycle, and 220 SKU on the fourth Cycle). At all times, the coloration should be at least maintained, and usually becomes a deeper hue or more red. This coloration transformation is due to increased engorgement of blood in the capillaries and veins.
7. If the user feels uncomfortable or lightheaded at any time, the bands should be immediately removed. Alternatively, on the KAATSU Master 2.0, the data settings for automatic shutdown can be set to any specific SpO2 or pulse rate. However, use of the KAATSU Cycle has shown over millions of KAATSU sessions that this mode comfortable and appropriate for users of all ages and backgrounds.
8. During the 3-4 KAATSU Cycles, the KAATSU 3-Point Exercises can be done:
KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for arms:
(a) Standard: Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions
(b) Advanced: Hand Clenches with a squeeze ball + Biceps Curls with very light dumbbells + Triceps Extensions done slowly under muscle contraction
KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for legs:
(a) Standard: Toe Curls + Toe Raises + Sitting Heel Raises
(b) Advanced: Slow Standing Heel Raises + Slow Standing Leg Curls + Slow non-lock Quarter Squats
KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for core (optional):
(a) Standard (with KAATSU leg bands on): Sit up straight in chair + stretch arms and hands upwards in a long, slow stretch + bend forward breathing slowly
(b) Advanced (with KAATSU leg bands on): Balance on one foot (alternate feet) + balance on one foot while moving water bottles in hand + walk with a book on your head + balance
That is, when the bands are inflated, the user can do these various movements listed above in order.
9. After the KAATSU Cycles are over, the user can then move right into their KAATSU functional movements of choice (e.g., swinging a club using a putter or driver) or stretching.
10. If functional movements are not possible due to injury or disability, the KAATSU 3-Point Exercises can be used for rehabilitative or recovery.
11. After the KAATSU Cycles and exercises are completed on the arms, then remove the bands from the arms and place the bands on the legs.
12. Do KAATSU Cycles on the legs and then KAATSU functional movements of choice with the bands on the legs.
To purchase Sugihara's DVD book in its original Japanese language, visit Amazon Japan here.
Copyright © 2014 - 2015 by KAATSU Global
Monday, December 24, 2018
Rocks, Sand, Powder and KAATSU
For who? trainers, coahes, athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Most personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and exercise physiologists believe that proper muscle building requires regular lifting of weights and other resistance exercises.
The conventional wisdom is that the heavier the weight and/or the more repetitions or time in the gym, the larger and faster muscles will grow.
Standard thought includes that part of that muscle-building process - at any age or with either gender - requires the experience of DMOS (Delayed Muscle Onset Soreness) where the muscle fibers are damaged while weight lifting, and thus leading to the secretion of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) that results in muscle recovery, growth and size.
Practically, this means that if you are bench pressing 50 kg in 3 sets of 12 repetitions, and then gradually increase the weight to 55 kg in 3 sets of 12 repetitions, then not only are you psychologically satisfied with your performance, but you are also getting stronger and most probably bigger in size.
And usually sore for a while after every weight training session.
Figuratively speaking, a strength and conditioning coach wants their athletes to lift more weights over more repetitions.
Let’s imagine that those weights are rocks. Let’s place those rocks in a bucket and ask the athlete to lift those imaginary buckets.
If the coach wants to increase their weight of that bucket, he will add another rock. But at some point, the bucket will be filled and no more rocks can be added.
But what if those rocks were replaced by sand? Rocks are clearly heavier than sand. But, if we filled the bucket with sand - tiny particles of little rocks - the overall weight of the sand-filled bucket will be even greater than a bucket filled with larger, heavier rocks.
Now imagine the coach wants to increase the weight of the bucket for his athlete. He cannot add another rock, but he can add some additional sand.
The sand enables micro increases of weight in a way that rocks cannot. This can enable the coach to help his athlete very gradually and very minutely increase the weight and performance gains.
Now figuratively imagine, a clever coach used powder instead of sand in his imaginary weight training bucket. Powder is obviously lighter than sand and significantly lighter than rocks. But powder enables the coach to very precisely and gradually increase the weight and strength of his athlete.
Essentially, the sand and the powder enables a more precise means to gradually increase the strength and performance of an athlete.
KAATSU is very similar to this analogy of using rocks versus sand versus powder.
KAATSU equipment enables strength and conditioning coaches to very precisely and MUCH more frequently increase the strength and size of their athletes in addition to their speed and stamina.
The preciseness and specificity that is enabled by KAATSU equipment is unparalleled. With KAATSU equipment, one pressure point increase is the figurative and literal amount that is equivalent to a single grain of sand or tiny bits of powder. For elite athletes who seek victory by being only incrementally faster, better, and stronger than their opponents, KAATSU - or the equivalent of sand or powder - can be the incremental difference.
Likewise, for a stroke victim or a paraplegic who is striving to make only slight incremental improvements in their movements or strength, KAATSU enables the tiny increases in their Quality of Life. Performed regularly and ideally daily for less than 15 minutes per day, these incremental increases in performance and in the Quality of Life makes significant changes in the lives of healthy athletes and injured individuals.
Copyright © 2014 - 2018 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Most personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and exercise physiologists believe that proper muscle building requires regular lifting of weights and other resistance exercises.
The conventional wisdom is that the heavier the weight and/or the more repetitions or time in the gym, the larger and faster muscles will grow.
Standard thought includes that part of that muscle-building process - at any age or with either gender - requires the experience of DMOS (Delayed Muscle Onset Soreness) where the muscle fibers are damaged while weight lifting, and thus leading to the secretion of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) that results in muscle recovery, growth and size.
Practically, this means that if you are bench pressing 50 kg in 3 sets of 12 repetitions, and then gradually increase the weight to 55 kg in 3 sets of 12 repetitions, then not only are you psychologically satisfied with your performance, but you are also getting stronger and most probably bigger in size.
And usually sore for a while after every weight training session.
Figuratively speaking, a strength and conditioning coach wants their athletes to lift more weights over more repetitions.
Let’s imagine that those weights are rocks. Let’s place those rocks in a bucket and ask the athlete to lift those imaginary buckets.
If the coach wants to increase their weight of that bucket, he will add another rock. But at some point, the bucket will be filled and no more rocks can be added.
But what if those rocks were replaced by sand? Rocks are clearly heavier than sand. But, if we filled the bucket with sand - tiny particles of little rocks - the overall weight of the sand-filled bucket will be even greater than a bucket filled with larger, heavier rocks.
Now imagine the coach wants to increase the weight of the bucket for his athlete. He cannot add another rock, but he can add some additional sand.
The sand enables micro increases of weight in a way that rocks cannot. This can enable the coach to help his athlete very gradually and very minutely increase the weight and performance gains.
Now figuratively imagine, a clever coach used powder instead of sand in his imaginary weight training bucket. Powder is obviously lighter than sand and significantly lighter than rocks. But powder enables the coach to very precisely and gradually increase the weight and strength of his athlete.
Essentially, the sand and the powder enables a more precise means to gradually increase the strength and performance of an athlete.
KAATSU is very similar to this analogy of using rocks versus sand versus powder.
KAATSU equipment enables strength and conditioning coaches to very precisely and MUCH more frequently increase the strength and size of their athletes in addition to their speed and stamina.
The preciseness and specificity that is enabled by KAATSU equipment is unparalleled. With KAATSU equipment, one pressure point increase is the figurative and literal amount that is equivalent to a single grain of sand or tiny bits of powder. For elite athletes who seek victory by being only incrementally faster, better, and stronger than their opponents, KAATSU - or the equivalent of sand or powder - can be the incremental difference.
Likewise, for a stroke victim or a paraplegic who is striving to make only slight incremental improvements in their movements or strength, KAATSU enables the tiny increases in their Quality of Life. Performed regularly and ideally daily for less than 15 minutes per day, these incremental increases in performance and in the Quality of Life makes significant changes in the lives of healthy athletes and injured individuals.
Copyright © 2014 - 2018 by KAATSU Global
Be Healthy Until The Day You Die
For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Graph courtesy of CNN.
"He taught me that a wonderful goal is to be healthy until the day you died," said Steven Munatones of 70-year-old Dr. Yoshiaki Sato, the inventor of KAATSU [shown on left]. "What Dr. Sato and his wife* have shown after 5 decades of daily KAATSU use is that his goal is possible. It is unbelievable how healthy the Sato's are."
With unprecedented demographic changes underway in Japan, KAATSU is a wellness modality in much need.
Japan's population peaked in 2008 at 128,083,960 people. But as the number of births fell below the number of deaths among Japanese, Japan is experiencing its biggest natural population decline since 1899 when records began. Japan's population is currently at 124 million this year - but is expected to decrease to 88 million by 2065 and 42 million by 2110 as its population continues to decline by 1 million people every year according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported that the number of births dipped under 1 million babies for the third consecutive year while the number of deaths in 2018 was 1.369 million.
The demographic trends are undeniable. Since 2013, more than 20% of Japan's population is over the age of 65 and that figure is forecasted to rise above 40% by 2060 while Japanese has an average life expectancy of 85 years as of 2016 (it was 81.25 as of 2006).
So what are the implications of these demographic trends vis-a-vis KAATSU usage?
Significant.
Visionary physicians and patients born before 1950 are leading the way on how best to incorporate KAATSU to combat sarcopenia (loss of muscle tissue as a natural part of the aging process) and address a host of other health issues. For example, 104-year-old female patient in Kawasaki, Japan shows what is possible with KAATSU under the guidance of her physician Dr. Odagiri and KAATSU inventor Dr. Sato.
The video above was presented by Dr. Odagiri at the first KAATSU Training Symposium held in Tokyo, Japan in 2005.
The patient was bedridden and uncommunicative for two months with severe dementia. She was transferred from her local hospital to Odagiri Hospital where she was treated with KAATSU. Initially for the first month, she simply did KAATSU Cycle as she remained in bed. Gradually, she became communicative and was able to get out of bed. Eventually, over the course of two months, she was able to do a variety of exercises and found herself wishing to live to be 200 years old [see English translation in video above].
During the video, she was asked how old she is and she answers as 104, holding a document confirming her age and birth date. She is shown doing a variety of exercises with her KAATSU Air Bands on (at an Optimal SKU level of 120).
Her doctors also documented her muscle gains in her upper legs (quadricep + hamstring) via before-and-after comparative computed tomography scans (3 months apart):
For a brief explanation of the mechanisms involved in doing KAATSU among elderly patients, visit here.
* Mrs. Sato wears a pulse oximeter showing a pulse rate of 72 and a SpO2 of 100% while doing KAATSU on the new KAATSU Master 2.0.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Graph courtesy of CNN.
"He taught me that a wonderful goal is to be healthy until the day you died," said Steven Munatones of 70-year-old Dr. Yoshiaki Sato, the inventor of KAATSU [shown on left]. "What Dr. Sato and his wife* have shown after 5 decades of daily KAATSU use is that his goal is possible. It is unbelievable how healthy the Sato's are."With unprecedented demographic changes underway in Japan, KAATSU is a wellness modality in much need.
Japan's population peaked in 2008 at 128,083,960 people. But as the number of births fell below the number of deaths among Japanese, Japan is experiencing its biggest natural population decline since 1899 when records began. Japan's population is currently at 124 million this year - but is expected to decrease to 88 million by 2065 and 42 million by 2110 as its population continues to decline by 1 million people every year according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported that the number of births dipped under 1 million babies for the third consecutive year while the number of deaths in 2018 was 1.369 million.
The demographic trends are undeniable. Since 2013, more than 20% of Japan's population is over the age of 65 and that figure is forecasted to rise above 40% by 2060 while Japanese has an average life expectancy of 85 years as of 2016 (it was 81.25 as of 2006).
So what are the implications of these demographic trends vis-a-vis KAATSU usage?
Significant.
Visionary physicians and patients born before 1950 are leading the way on how best to incorporate KAATSU to combat sarcopenia (loss of muscle tissue as a natural part of the aging process) and address a host of other health issues. For example, 104-year-old female patient in Kawasaki, Japan shows what is possible with KAATSU under the guidance of her physician Dr. Odagiri and KAATSU inventor Dr. Sato.
The video above was presented by Dr. Odagiri at the first KAATSU Training Symposium held in Tokyo, Japan in 2005.
The patient was bedridden and uncommunicative for two months with severe dementia. She was transferred from her local hospital to Odagiri Hospital where she was treated with KAATSU. Initially for the first month, she simply did KAATSU Cycle as she remained in bed. Gradually, she became communicative and was able to get out of bed. Eventually, over the course of two months, she was able to do a variety of exercises and found herself wishing to live to be 200 years old [see English translation in video above].
During the video, she was asked how old she is and she answers as 104, holding a document confirming her age and birth date. She is shown doing a variety of exercises with her KAATSU Air Bands on (at an Optimal SKU level of 120).
Her doctors also documented her muscle gains in her upper legs (quadricep + hamstring) via before-and-after comparative computed tomography scans (3 months apart):
For a brief explanation of the mechanisms involved in doing KAATSU among elderly patients, visit here.
* Mrs. Sato wears a pulse oximeter showing a pulse rate of 72 and a SpO2 of 100% while doing KAATSU on the new KAATSU Master 2.0.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
Thursday, December 13, 2018
The Transformation From Tradition
For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
David Tawil is one of the world’s most experienced KAATSU Master Specialists. He has taught KAATSU to Olympic gold medalists and Navy SEALs as well as wounded warriors and quadriplegics, traveling from Tokyo to Tel Aviv and Houston to Helsinki.
After learning myriad KAATSU protocols and applications directly from KAATSU inventor Dr. Yoshiaki Sato over several visits to Tokyo, 29-year-old Tawil started to travel the globe mentoring individuals from teenagers to basketball stars about the intricacies of KAATSU.
But his transformation to a KAATSU Master Specialist was unlikely and unexpected.
“I was a conventional personal trainer, lifting heavy weights in order to tear down muscle so it could repair itself and get bigger,” explained Tawil originally from New York City. “I frequently experienced DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) - that was how bodybuilders and trainers were taught.
But then I met Dr. Sato through my own trainer, Jim Cleary. At the time, we were very much into negatives. But Jim was one of the earliest advocates of KAATSU in the United States, back in 2014. Jim had torn his biceps lifting weights and used KAATSU to avoid atrophy and build his bicep even when it was in the process of healing.
I thought the KAATSU concept of reducing the venous flow and secreting Growth Hormone as well as IGF-1 (insulin growth factor) was fascinating. At the time, it was certainly unheard of in my weight training circles and traditional training network, so I found my way to Tokyo where Dr. Sato blew my mind with all kinds of athletic performance, weight training, rehabilitation and recovery protocols.”
Dr. Sato showed Tawil how he could build muscle without lifting weights and avoid DOMS, even while rehabilitating from broken bones or torn muscles or damaged ligaments and tendons. At first, KAATSU seemed to Tawil as a simple adjunct to his traditional weight training program. But as he experimented more and more with KAATSU, he realized KAATSU presented a complete lifestyle change.
“KAATSU completely transformed my lifestyle and made it significantly more efficient and effective.
In the course of a single day, I was able to incorporate all different facets of Dr. Sato’s discoveries with KAATSU. I wake up in the morning and do KAATSU to help my body wake up.
I could literally pack for a business trip while wearing my arm bands on and kill two birds with one stone. I would be getting ready, packing my luggage while building muscle with the KAATSU Air Bands on. I could go to the airport early and do a few KAATSU Cycles to relax before my flight. I even learned to do KAATSU at 30,000 feet in the airplane, effectively eliminating jet lag and feeling energized once I got off the plane.
I did KAATSU in Starbucks, in taxis, while waiting in hotel lobbies, before a business meeting, and during vacation.
We did KAATSU Aqua on vacation with my family and I was able to help my father recover from his leg injuries.”
Not only did Tawil feel better and look bigger, but he also validated his physiological improvements at the Bulletproof Lab in Santa Monica, California. “Even after I stopped lifting weights and was only doing KAATSU Cycles throughout the day - while doing functional movements or isometric exercises - I actually got bigger. My lean muscle mass increased - as documented at the Bulletproof Lab - while my body fat decreased. If I had not experienced this myself and seen the results independently confirmed by the DEXA scan, it would have been hard to believe."
Tawil's most recent work has been with Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Russian professional mixed martial artist who is a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion and the reigning undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion, and his MMA teammates in Miami, Florida.
Follow Tawil's travels around the world here.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
David Tawil is one of the world’s most experienced KAATSU Master Specialists. He has taught KAATSU to Olympic gold medalists and Navy SEALs as well as wounded warriors and quadriplegics, traveling from Tokyo to Tel Aviv and Houston to Helsinki.
After learning myriad KAATSU protocols and applications directly from KAATSU inventor Dr. Yoshiaki Sato over several visits to Tokyo, 29-year-old Tawil started to travel the globe mentoring individuals from teenagers to basketball stars about the intricacies of KAATSU.
But his transformation to a KAATSU Master Specialist was unlikely and unexpected.
“I was a conventional personal trainer, lifting heavy weights in order to tear down muscle so it could repair itself and get bigger,” explained Tawil originally from New York City. “I frequently experienced DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) - that was how bodybuilders and trainers were taught.
But then I met Dr. Sato through my own trainer, Jim Cleary. At the time, we were very much into negatives. But Jim was one of the earliest advocates of KAATSU in the United States, back in 2014. Jim had torn his biceps lifting weights and used KAATSU to avoid atrophy and build his bicep even when it was in the process of healing.
I thought the KAATSU concept of reducing the venous flow and secreting Growth Hormone as well as IGF-1 (insulin growth factor) was fascinating. At the time, it was certainly unheard of in my weight training circles and traditional training network, so I found my way to Tokyo where Dr. Sato blew my mind with all kinds of athletic performance, weight training, rehabilitation and recovery protocols.”
Dr. Sato showed Tawil how he could build muscle without lifting weights and avoid DOMS, even while rehabilitating from broken bones or torn muscles or damaged ligaments and tendons. At first, KAATSU seemed to Tawil as a simple adjunct to his traditional weight training program. But as he experimented more and more with KAATSU, he realized KAATSU presented a complete lifestyle change.
“KAATSU completely transformed my lifestyle and made it significantly more efficient and effective.
In the course of a single day, I was able to incorporate all different facets of Dr. Sato’s discoveries with KAATSU. I wake up in the morning and do KAATSU to help my body wake up.
I could literally pack for a business trip while wearing my arm bands on and kill two birds with one stone. I would be getting ready, packing my luggage while building muscle with the KAATSU Air Bands on. I could go to the airport early and do a few KAATSU Cycles to relax before my flight. I even learned to do KAATSU at 30,000 feet in the airplane, effectively eliminating jet lag and feeling energized once I got off the plane.
I did KAATSU in Starbucks, in taxis, while waiting in hotel lobbies, before a business meeting, and during vacation.
We did KAATSU Aqua on vacation with my family and I was able to help my father recover from his leg injuries.”
Not only did Tawil feel better and look bigger, but he also validated his physiological improvements at the Bulletproof Lab in Santa Monica, California. “Even after I stopped lifting weights and was only doing KAATSU Cycles throughout the day - while doing functional movements or isometric exercises - I actually got bigger. My lean muscle mass increased - as documented at the Bulletproof Lab - while my body fat decreased. If I had not experienced this myself and seen the results independently confirmed by the DEXA scan, it would have been hard to believe."
Tawil's most recent work has been with Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Russian professional mixed martial artist who is a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion and the reigning undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion, and his MMA teammates in Miami, Florida.
Follow Tawil's travels around the world here.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
Monday, December 10, 2018
Peter Andrew Headlines Global Coaching Convention
Courtesy of FINA, Hangzhou, China. Coach Peter Andrew spoke eloquently on a topic he knows very well about training world-class swimmers: Quality vs Quantity: Non-Traditional Periodisation of Training Volume to over 1000 delegates, representing over 400 organizations and National Federations at the Hangzhou Intercontinental Hotel. Andrew headlined the 3-day FINA World Aquatics Convention between December 8th and 10th.
Speakers at the 2018 FINA World Aquatics Convention and FINA Swimming Coaches Golden Clinic covered myriad topics to the world's most accomplished coaches and administrators.
"It was years ago that Peter inquired about KAATSU the original BFR and KAATSU Aqua, its application in the swimming and aqua therapy worlds," recalled Chris Morgan, an Olympic coach who runs Crimson Aquatics in Massachusetts. "He started to use KAATSU for recovery after workouts and between heats and the finals, and later for dryland training, and with the KAATSU Aqua Bands when doing explosive sprints in the pool."
After making his presentation at the 5th FINA World Aquatics Convention, Andrew shifted from a speaker to a coach attending the 14th FINA World Swimming Championships held between December 11th and 16th.
Born and raised in South Africa, Andrew was an avid swimmer who later became a member of the Naval Operational Dive Team with the South African Naval Defense Force before earning his business management degree from Natal Technico.
Andrew moved to the United States and established the Aberdeen Aquaholics in South Dakota. The team moved to Kansas and evolved into Indie Swimming and then into the Race Pace Club where his son and world champion Michael trains.
He coached Michael who became the United States' most successful national age group swimmer with over 100 national age group records with four national titles in the 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke and 50m butterfly, and a 2016 world 100m individual medley championship. As his son developed into one of the world's fastest swimmers, Andrew’s influence within the global swimming community has increased.
The Andrew's pair incorporates Ultra Short Race Pace Training and KAATSU into their training regimen.
For more information on the World Aquatics Convention and FINA Swimming Coaches Golden Clinic, visit here. For more information on Peter Andrew, visit here.
Copyright © 2014 - 2018 by KAATSU Global
Sunday, November 25, 2018
KAATSU Protocols For Achilles Tendon Injuries
For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
The Achilles tendon is a tough band of fibrous tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. When the tendon is strained, torn or repaired due to surgery, the following KAATSU protocols are recommended:
General Guidelines
›› Always remain well hydrated before and during the entire KAATSU session.
›› Your skin should turn pink or a beefy red or even a hint of purple. This indicates engorgement of blood in your arms or legs.
›› Your skin should not turn white, gray or blue. This indicates the KAATSU Air Bands are too tight and the bands are serving as a tourniquet. KAATSU is not occlusion training. There must be sufficient and regular arterial flow (i.e., blood flow from the torso to the limbs) and only a modified venous flow (i.e., blood flow from the limbs back to the torso) when doing KAATSU.
›› Continue to follow the recommendations of your medical professional and perform the movements as recommended by your physical therapist .
›› You can use the KAATSU Air Bands while doing standard physical therapy.
›› You can do KAATSU twice per day which is especially effective if one session is in the morning hours and another session is closer to bedtime.
›› Keep rest short between sets and exercises while doing KAATSU. Rest 20-30 seconds between sets or 60 seconds between different exercises. This can be modified as necessary.
›› Select physical therapy movements, exercises, or loads that allow you to perform a good number of repetitions (e.g., 30–40 repetitions in first set, 20-30 repetitions in the second set, fewer than 15 repetitions in the third set).
›› Do at least 3 sets of each exercise or movement and then move onto a different exercise.
›› Try to reach maximum effort (or go to muscular or technical failure) within each set.
›› Always start with up to 15 minutes of KAATSU Cycle on your arms and then do up to 20 minutes of KAATSU Cycle on your legs.
›› Always have your Capillary Refill Time fall within 3 seconds with no occlusion or lightheadedness, and no paleness or no numbness in your limbs.
›› Immediately release and remove KAATSU Air Bands if there is any numbness or lightheadedness, or the skin color becomes pale or white. Lie down with the legs elevated if necessary.
›› Never simultaneously put on or use the KAATSU Air Bands on your arms and legs.
›› Do not exceed 15 minutes of KAATSU on your arms or 20 minutes on your legs.
›› Frequently check your Capillary Refill Time and confirm that the color of your limbs remains either pink or beefy red.
›› Your veins may be distended (i.e., popping out) in your forearms during KAATSU.
›› You may feel a slight tingling in your fingers or toes during KAATSU. This indicates that the small capillaries of your hands are fully engorged.
›› KAATSU should be implemented with the understanding of your physician and physical therapist.
›› Higher SKU levels are usually tolerable on your legs compared to your arms in most cases.
KAATSU Protocols for Muscle, Bone, Ligament, and Tendon Recovery
›› Do 3-5 KAATSU Cycles ("Cycle 20") at your appropriate Base SKU and Optimal SKU, first on your arms (i.e., 8 cycles of 20 seconds on + 5 seconds off).
›› Then do 4-6 KAATSU Cycles at your appropriate Base SKU and Optimal SKU on your legs.
›› You can repeat this twice per day. If you stimulate a hormonal response towards bedtime, your speed of recovery will be enhanced.
›› Additionally, you can also do "Cycle 60" at your appropriate Base SKU and Optimal SKU on your injured leg. That is, apply the KAATSU Air Band only one the leg that is injured or is recovering.
•• The KAATSU Cycle 60 mode is cycles of 60 seconds on followed by 20 seconds off at the Optimal SKU.
›› You can do muscle contractions or simple motions during the KAATSU Cycle 20 and Cycle 60 as desired.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
The Achilles tendon is a tough band of fibrous tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. When the tendon is strained, torn or repaired due to surgery, the following KAATSU protocols are recommended: General Guidelines
›› Always remain well hydrated before and during the entire KAATSU session.
›› Your skin should turn pink or a beefy red or even a hint of purple. This indicates engorgement of blood in your arms or legs.
›› Your skin should not turn white, gray or blue. This indicates the KAATSU Air Bands are too tight and the bands are serving as a tourniquet. KAATSU is not occlusion training. There must be sufficient and regular arterial flow (i.e., blood flow from the torso to the limbs) and only a modified venous flow (i.e., blood flow from the limbs back to the torso) when doing KAATSU.
›› Continue to follow the recommendations of your medical professional and perform the movements as recommended by your physical therapist .
›› You can use the KAATSU Air Bands while doing standard physical therapy.
›› You can do KAATSU twice per day which is especially effective if one session is in the morning hours and another session is closer to bedtime.
›› Keep rest short between sets and exercises while doing KAATSU. Rest 20-30 seconds between sets or 60 seconds between different exercises. This can be modified as necessary.
›› Select physical therapy movements, exercises, or loads that allow you to perform a good number of repetitions (e.g., 30–40 repetitions in first set, 20-30 repetitions in the second set, fewer than 15 repetitions in the third set).
›› Do at least 3 sets of each exercise or movement and then move onto a different exercise.
›› Try to reach maximum effort (or go to muscular or technical failure) within each set.
›› Always start with up to 15 minutes of KAATSU Cycle on your arms and then do up to 20 minutes of KAATSU Cycle on your legs.
›› Always have your Capillary Refill Time fall within 3 seconds with no occlusion or lightheadedness, and no paleness or no numbness in your limbs.
›› Immediately release and remove KAATSU Air Bands if there is any numbness or lightheadedness, or the skin color becomes pale or white. Lie down with the legs elevated if necessary.
›› Never simultaneously put on or use the KAATSU Air Bands on your arms and legs.
›› Do not exceed 15 minutes of KAATSU on your arms or 20 minutes on your legs.
›› Frequently check your Capillary Refill Time and confirm that the color of your limbs remains either pink or beefy red.
›› Your veins may be distended (i.e., popping out) in your forearms during KAATSU.
›› You may feel a slight tingling in your fingers or toes during KAATSU. This indicates that the small capillaries of your hands are fully engorged.
›› KAATSU should be implemented with the understanding of your physician and physical therapist.
›› Higher SKU levels are usually tolerable on your legs compared to your arms in most cases.
KAATSU Protocols for Muscle, Bone, Ligament, and Tendon Recovery
›› Do 3-5 KAATSU Cycles ("Cycle 20") at your appropriate Base SKU and Optimal SKU, first on your arms (i.e., 8 cycles of 20 seconds on + 5 seconds off).
›› Then do 4-6 KAATSU Cycles at your appropriate Base SKU and Optimal SKU on your legs.
›› You can repeat this twice per day. If you stimulate a hormonal response towards bedtime, your speed of recovery will be enhanced.
›› Additionally, you can also do "Cycle 60" at your appropriate Base SKU and Optimal SKU on your injured leg. That is, apply the KAATSU Air Band only one the leg that is injured or is recovering.
•• The KAATSU Cycle 60 mode is cycles of 60 seconds on followed by 20 seconds off at the Optimal SKU.
›› You can do muscle contractions or simple motions during the KAATSU Cycle 20 and Cycle 60 as desired.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Michael Andrew Wins Breakout Performer of the Year at Golden Goggles
For who? swimmers, Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Michael Andrew won the Breakout Performer of the Year Award at USA Swimming's Golden Goggles Awards ceremony on November 19th in New York City.
While away from home for over 3 months while touring the world and competing at six events on the 2018 FINA World Cup circuit, he continued his use of KAATSU with his KAATSU Nano and neoprene KAATSU Aqua Bands, made specifically for aquatic applications.
The 19-year-old from Kansas who will move to Encinitas, California with his father-coach Peter Andrew, manager-mother Tina and his younger sister had a breakthrough season this year.
At the 2018 Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships, Andrew won national titles in the 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, and 50m butterfly to become the first man since 2008 to win at least four titles at USA Swimming National Championships or the USA Olympic Trials.
In Tokyo at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships [see videos below], Andrew won a gold medal in the pressure-packed 50m freestyle on the last day of competition for his first individual medal at a major long-course international meet after training with his KAATSU Aqua Bands.
After the 50m freestyle race, Andrew describes his use of KAATSU Cycle between the preliminary heats and the finals on August 12th in the video above. He described his use of KAATSU in the buildup to the championships in the video below.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Michael Andrew won the Breakout Performer of the Year Award at USA Swimming's Golden Goggles Awards ceremony on November 19th in New York City.
While away from home for over 3 months while touring the world and competing at six events on the 2018 FINA World Cup circuit, he continued his use of KAATSU with his KAATSU Nano and neoprene KAATSU Aqua Bands, made specifically for aquatic applications.
The 19-year-old from Kansas who will move to Encinitas, California with his father-coach Peter Andrew, manager-mother Tina and his younger sister had a breakthrough season this year.
At the 2018 Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships, Andrew won national titles in the 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, and 50m butterfly to become the first man since 2008 to win at least four titles at USA Swimming National Championships or the USA Olympic Trials.
In Tokyo at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships [see videos below], Andrew won a gold medal in the pressure-packed 50m freestyle on the last day of competition for his first individual medal at a major long-course international meet after training with his KAATSU Aqua Bands.
After the 50m freestyle race, Andrew describes his use of KAATSU Cycle between the preliminary heats and the finals on August 12th in the video above. He described his use of KAATSU in the buildup to the championships in the video below.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
From Upside Down To Rightside Up
For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Jack Turner was recently named the Western Water Polo Association's Most Valuable Player, leading University of California San Diego's water polo team to the NCAA championship tournament that begins this week.
The 6'-7" Fremont, California native is one of the top water polo goalies in America and has represented the USA in international tournaments in Europe.
After returning from a European training trip, he drove up to his parents' home before heading to the San Francisco International Airport to travel to Taiwan in order to starting in the goal for Team USA at the 2017 World University Games.
But he never got to SFO.
He recalled the story of that long drive from San Diego to San Francisco to the San Diego Tribune on August 4th 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 and 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.
His UC San Diego coaches and teammates know very well what he went through. They do KAATSU for training, rehabilitation and recovery throughout their off-season, pre-season, mid-season and championship season. The young men will face California State University Long Beach on November 29th in the second round of the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championships.
Turner's water polo bio is here.
Update: UCSD, led by Turner, beat Long Beach State 14-9 to reach the NCAA's men's water polo Final Four against Stanford on December 1st.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Jack Turner was recently named the Western Water Polo Association's Most Valuable Player, leading University of California San Diego's water polo team to the NCAA championship tournament that begins this week.
The 6'-7" Fremont, California native is one of the top water polo goalies in America and has represented the USA in international tournaments in Europe.
After returning from a European training trip, he drove up to his parents' home before heading to the San Francisco International Airport to travel to Taiwan in order to starting in the goal for Team USA at the 2017 World University Games.
But he never got to SFO.
He recalled the story of that long drive from San Diego to San Francisco to the San Diego Tribune on August 4th 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 and 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.
His UC San Diego coaches and teammates know very well what he went through. They do KAATSU for training, rehabilitation and recovery throughout their off-season, pre-season, mid-season and championship season. The young men will face California State University Long Beach on November 29th in the second round of the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championships.
Turner's water polo bio is here.
Update: UCSD, led by Turner, beat Long Beach State 14-9 to reach the NCAA's men's water polo Final Four against Stanford on December 1st.
Copyright © 2014-2018 by KAATSU Global
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