KAATSU blog posts testimonials, protocols, case studies, techniques and ideas about KAATSU for recovery, rehabilitation, functional mobility and athletic performance. Statements included in this blog have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
For who? runners, Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
KAATSU users follow a variety of KAATSU protocols in order to (1) avoid shin splints or (2) recover from the inflammation and reduce the pain levels of shin splints, and (3) strengthen the calves, quadriceps and glutes.
Safety Protocols
* Be very well hydrated (at a level where your urine is nearly clear)
* Always and only do KAATSU Cycle sets before and after exercise (e.g., running)
* Start off with conservative (low) SKU pressures on the KAATSU Cycle mode and gradually increase the SKU pressures on subsequent KAATSU Cycle sets
* Start off by doing KAATSU on your arms and then move to your legs - and never do KAATSU simultaneously on both the arms and legs
* Hands and legs should have a pink or rosy appearance when doing KAATSU
* Limit time duration of band inflation to 20 minutes
Systemic effects with KAATSU Air Bands on Arms
* Do KAATSU Cycle sets on your arms while doing the KAATSU 3-Point Exercises: slowly do hand clenches + biceps curls + triceps extensions while contracting the muscles in both the negative and positive direction
* Do the KAATSU Cycle sessions twice daily, if possible
* Do the first KAATSU Cycle set at a low SKU pressure (e.g., 100 SKU). This level of pressure may not seem to be too difficult, but the first Cycle sets should be seen as a warm-up. Then do the next 2-4 sets at increasingly higher pressures (e.g., 120 SKU, 140 SKU, 160 SKU, 180 SKU) if the pressure feels comfortable.
* Nothing should be done vigorously and everything should feel comfortable. It is a possible addition to do up to 10 minutes of KAATSU Constant on a low SKU pressure after the KAATSU Cycle sets are completed - but not necessary.
KAATSU Legs and/or KAATSU Walking
* Do 1-3 sets of KAATSU Cycle sets on your legs while simply sitting and relaxing. Follow the same protocol with the legs as with the arms; that is, start with a low, conservative pressure (e.g., 150 SKU) on the legs and then increase the SKU levels on the subsequent sets.
* Stretch or simply walk (if capable) at a comfortable pace (or pace back and forth in a room or office) for 5-15 minutes doing the next 2-5 KAATSU Cycle sets at an increasingly higher pressure. For example, start off with 150 SKU, then move to 170 SKU on the next Cycle set, then 190 SKU and 210 SKU if those pressures feel comfortable.
* KAATSU Walking will greatly help with improved circulation and generate a hormonal response which will help. If walking is uncomfortable, then simply stretch or do the 3-Point Exercises on the legs (sitting heel raises + standing leg raises + quarter non-lock squats).
* There is no need to do squats or any vigorous movements if you are comfortable. If you cannot walk comfortably, then you can simply contract his quadriceps and hamstrings or do heel raises while sitting. But always stop if you do not feel comfortable.
* Over time, you should feel comfortable at increasing the SKU pressure.
For who? swimmers, cyclists, student-athletes For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
A growing number of athletes from professional MMA fighters to high school swimmers in Louisiana and college swimmers at the University of Alabama use KAATSU before, during and after their workouts and performances.
The KAATSU Nano offers these athletes the opportunity to safely and effectively improve blood circulation before intense competitions.
For who? gymnasts, student-athletes For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Wednesday, Day 1: Roy, a young gymnast, hurt his thumbs, especially his [discolored] right thumb, during his gymnastic practice. He was in pain and worried about his upcoming gymnastic event.
Thursday, Day 2: With a gymnastic competition scheduled the next day, the 13-year-old did several KAATSU Cycle sets both before and after his practice.
Friday, Day 3: On the day of his wrestling match, he did KAATSU Cycle sets again on the Friday morning of his match. His discoloration went away, his pain level fell significantly, and he performed well in his competition.
His KAATSU Cycle sets included the following protocol:
1. KAATSU Arms performed once at 20 SKU Base Pressure and 100 SKU Optimal Pressure.
2. KAATSU Arms performed once at 20 SKU Base Pressure and 120 SKU Optimal Pressure.
3. KAATSU Arms performed once at 20 SKU Base Pressure and 140 SKU Optimal Pressure.
"He could have probably used higher (SKU) pressures, but this was the first time the young athlete used KAATSU, so we used very conservative pressures. He works out 4 hours on weekdays and 3 hours on Saturday, so he is in excellent physical shape," explained Steven Munatones.
"With the KAATSU Cycle sets, our aim was to reduce his pain levels, regain his range of motion and grip strength as soon as possible.
So multiple KAATSU Cycle sets done twice per day was our recommended protocol and it worked not surprisingly."
For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, elderly For what? functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery
Time and time again, male and female users of KAATSU have seen their varicose veins either go away or be minimized.
While eliminating or reducing their varicose veins was not their original goal, the cosmetic effect of this outcome has been greatly appreciated by many - including women who have just given birth and older retirees of both ages.
To understand why this improvement occurs, it is important to understand how and why varicose veins appear in the first place.
Varicose Vein Causes
Blood flows into your legs through arteries and returns back to the heart in your veins. Veins have valves inside them to stop the blood from flowing the wrong direction. These valves can lose their elasticity, stop working properly or otherwise become weak or damaged.
Weak or damaged valves in your legs can lead to varicose veins. While your heart is strong enough to efficiently pump blood through your torso, it needs help to enable blood to flow to and from your lower body. To return blood to your heart, the veins in your legs must work against gravity.
Muscle contractions in your lower legs act as pumps and the elastic vein walls help blood return to your heart. Tiny valves in your veins open as blood flows toward your heart. The valves then close to stop blood from flowing backward. If these valves are weak or damaged, blood can flow backward and pool in the vein, causing the veins to stretch or twist.
Aging causes the valves in your veins to become weaker and eventually that leads to the valves allowing some blood to flow back into your veins where it collects instead of flowing up to your heart.
Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins. The veins that most commonly affected are veins in your legs because standing and walking upright increases the pressure in the veins of your lower body.
For many people, varicose veins and spider veins — smaller, thinner, more mild variation of varicose veins that can also be found on your face — are more of a cosmetic worry. For some people, varicose veins causes pain and discomfort and sometimes lead to more serious problems that should be addressed by your personal physician.
So if you have veins in your legs that are dark purple or blue in color, look like they are twisted and bulging, people are often advised to ;
exercise, elevate their legs or wear compression stockings that can help you ease the pain of varicose veins and may prevent them from getting worse.
Recommendations
Medical professionals understand that individuals cannot completely prevent varicose veins, but it is widely know that improving blood circulation and muscle tone can reduce the risk of developing varicose veins and getting additional ones. This self-treatment can include exercise, proper nutrition, avoiding obesity, frequently changing your sitting and standing position if you have a tendency to not move much at work or home.
KAATSU Benefits
This is how KAATSU can useful and effective.
There are two primary outcomes and mechanism: (1) Improved blood flow and (2) Increased vascular elasticity. Both which help the valves in your legs function normally and eliminate or reduce the backed-up blood near these areas.
Improved Blood Flow
Research at the University of Tokyo Hospital showed that regular intermittent modification of venous flow (from your limbs back to your torso) with the KAATSU Air Bands and KAATSU equipment on the legs leads to blood shifting to the lower part of the body while blood flow is temporarily decreased in the parts of the body above your heart. Your brain perceives this minor shift and, as a result, directs your heart to increase blood flow. The increased blood flow improves blood circulation throughout the entire body and the blood in the peripheral arteries flows more smoothly.
Increased Vascular Elasticity
As we age, the natural elasticity of our capillaries, veins and arteries is reduced. When blood vessel walls lose its elasticity, the smooth circulation of blood is reduced. When the venous flow is intermittently modified with KAATSU equipment on your legs, the blood flow is temporarily reduced in your upper body and the blood vessels throughout your body attempts to supply an increased amount of blood.
This is a natural phenomenon and is what the human body and brain have evolved to do.
When the KAATSU Air Bands are released (every 20 seconds in the KAATSU Cycle mode), this mechanical modification (alternately creating constriction and dilation) stimulates the blood vessels and enhances blood vessel elasticity - even if you are sitting down and relaxing. When venous flow is modified, blood must be pushed harder to bring sufficient amount of blood to each cell in your body.
In addition, there are two other natural physical phenomena that occur: (1) vascular endothelial cells generate nitric oxide that helps to restore your natural vascular elasticity, and (2) new blood vessels are formed to efficiently supply a limited amount of blood.
These effects lead to the improved valve function and elimination or significant reduction of varicose veins.
How to Use KAATSU with Varicose Veins
* Always start slowly and gently with your KAATSU equipment.
* Always be well hydrated before and during your KAATSU sessions.
1. There are 3 different ways to improve your varicose veins. All the protocols should be performed with relatively low SKU pressure and not done with vigorous exercises. Slow and gentle movements are best, but people who are de-conditioned due to a sedentary lifestyle or injuries can also simply sit while doing the KAATSU Cycles.
2. The easiest and most convenient exercise is to simply sit and do several (3-6) KAATSU Cycles with the KAATSU leg bands on. You can do this anytime you are working in your office, watching TV or relaxing anywhere. The KAATSU Cycle pressure can start conservatively (i.e., a low SKU) and then gradually increase with each subsequent KAATSU Cycle (from KAATSU LOW to KAATSU MEDIUM pressure settings).
3. The next best and more effective exercise is to do the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises with the KAATSU leg bands on while using the KAATSU Cycle mode: (1) Heel Raises done slowly while sitting, (2) Leg Raises while standing, and (3) Non-lock Partial Squats. See videos above for ideas and suggested exercises that can be done in your home or office. You can also do a variety of other exercises [see video below].
4. The best and most optimal exercise is KAATSU Walking. With the KAATSU C3 or next-generation KAATSU B1, you can walk with the KAATSU leg bands on while using the KAATSU Cycle mode. The KAATSU Walking can also be on a treadmill or outside anywhere or indoors in your home or office.
Contraindications
If you have cardiac issues or serious vascular issues, consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.
However, the KAATSU Cycle mode has been used safely and without contraindications with over 7,000 individuals with documented cardiac issues (heart bypass, heart attack) or who have survived strokes.
It is important and strictly recommended to only use the KAATSU Cycle mode with anyone with health concerns. All of the standard KAATSU protocols are essential to follow: use conservative pressure, be well hydrated before and during KAATSU sessions, always start with the KAATSU Cycle mode to help warm-up the body and vascular system, and move slowly and conservatively (i.e., not vigorously).
The standard KAATSU core and lower back exercises with the KAATSU Cycle mode can also be useful for individuals with varicose veins.
Core & Lower Back #1 Exercise
1. Manually tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs at your appropriate Base SKU (i.e., with One-finger Tightness).
2. Start with 1 set of KAATSU Cycles on your legs in the LOW pressure setting.
3. Sit straight up in a chair or couch with your hips near the edge.
4. Slowly exhale and slowly lean forward, tightening your abdominal muscles as strongly as possible until your stomach is close to your legs.
5. Hold and then slowly inhale air on your return to a sitting position with good posture.
6. Repeat as you desire - up to a maximum of 6 sets of KAATSU Cycles.
7. If comfortable, you can increase to MEDIUM or HIGH pressure settings after the initial set in the LOW pressure setting.
Core & Lower Back #2 Exercise
1. Manually tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs at your appropriate SKU (i.e., with One-finger Tightness).
2. Start with 1 set of KAATSU Cycles on your legs in the LOW pressure setting.
3. Stand on one foot, balancing only on your other leg for as long as possible.
4. When your balance is lost, rest for 10-20 seconds and repeat two more times.
5. After 3 times, balance on your other foot.
6. This act of balancing will create instability in your core and will help strengthen your stomach and lower back.
7. If comfortable, you can increase to MEDIUM or HIGH pressure settings after the initial set in the LOW pressure setting.
Core & Lower Back #3 Exercise
1. Manually tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs at your appropriate Base SKU (i.e., with One-finger Tightness).
2. Start with 1 set of KAATSU Cycles on your legs in the LOW pressure setting.
3. Place a book on your head and walk slowly until the book falls off.
4. Rest 10-20 seconds and repeat the walk again two more times with the book on your head.
5. Walking straight slowly, especially on an uneven surface like a sandy beach, will create instability in your core and will help strengthen your stomach and lower back.
6. If comfortable, you can increase to MEDIUM or HIGH pressure settings after the initial set in the LOW pressure setting.
Core & Lower Back #4 Exercise
1. Manually tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs at your appropriate SKU (i.e., with One-finger Tightness).
2. Start with 1 set of KAATSU Cycles on your legs in the LOW pressure setting.
3. Stand on one foot while holding a water bottle in each hand.
4. Hold the water bottle in your outstretched arms and stand as long as possible on one leg.
5. When your balance is lost, rest 10-20 seconds and repeat two more times.
6. After 3 times, balance on your other foot.
7. In order to make this exercise more difficult, move your outstretched arms left and right, and up and down in an asymmetric manner while balancing on one foot.
Core & Lower Back #5 Exercise
1. Tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs at your appropriate Base SKU (i.e., with One-finger Tightness).
2. Start with 1 set of KAATSU Cycles on your legs in the LOW pressure setting.
3. Lie on your back and slowly bring one leg one up to your stomach and hold. Grab your knee with your arms to stretch your back.
4. Continue to lie on your back and slowly pull both your legs up to your stomach and hold. Grab your knees with your arms to stretch your back.
5. Repeat as desired - up to a maximum of 6 sets of KAATSU Cycles.
6. If comfortable, you can increase to MEDIUM or HIGH pressure settings after the initial set in the LOW pressure setting.
Core & Lower Back #6 Exercise
1. Tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs at your appropriate Base SKU (i.e., with One-finger Tightness).
2. Start with 1 set of KAATSU Cycles on your legs in the LOW pressure setting.
3. Lie on your back and slowly lift your hips off the floor and hold. Bring your hips to the ground and repeat as desired.
Core & Lower Back #7 Exercise
1. Tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs at your appropriate Base SKU (i.e., with One-finger Tightness).
2. Start with 1 set of KAATSU Cycles on your legs in the LOW pressure setting.
3. Lie on your back and slowly lift both your feet off the ground and hold. Repeat as desired.
4. Lie on your back, lift both your feet off the ground, and kick your feet slightly off the ground.
5. Repeat as desired - up to a maximum of 6 sets of KAATSU Cycles.
6. If comfortable, you can increase to MEDIUM or HIGH pressure settings after the initial set in the LOW pressure setting.
Core & Lower Back #8 Exercise
1. Tighten your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs at your appropriate Base SKU (i.e., with One-finger Tightness).
2. Start with 1 set of KAATSU Cycles on your legs in the LOW pressure setting.
3. Lie on your back and slowly pandiculate (i.e., stretch and stiffen your trunk and limbs, extending your toes, feet, arms and hands as you do upon waking).
4. Repeat as desired - up to a maximum of 6 sets of KAATSU Cycles.
5. If comfortable, you can increase to MEDIUM or HIGH pressure settings after the initial set in the LOW pressure setting.
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 Perceptionshere]. 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
