The faster you can recover, the better you can train day in and
day out! This also applies for those who have back to back day competitions.
When you get to a certain point as an athlete everybody is training hard and
doing the very most they can to be the best athlete they can. Therefore, every
percentage of recovery will matter when you need it most!
As a regular Recovery Pump user I have found 4 ways in which the
Recovery Pump unit is most useful for me.
1. Pre-activity: In
the morning before training or before competitions I like to sit in my boots
for 30 minutes. This helps wake up the muscles by bringing in fresh blood flow
and stimulation. Because of the fast 45 second compression cycle, the Recovery
Pump boots wake up your legs and prepare them for whatever activity is to come.
2. During
activity: As a track cyclists and a sprinter, I am able to get an
extremely large benefit from my recovery pump boots during training as well as
competition. During training my efforts last anywhere from 8 to 45 seconds and
then I have 20 minutes of rest in between each effort. For the first 10 minutes
of my recovery I go directly into my Recovery Pump boots to help flush out any
lactic build up as well as loosen any tight muscles. I have seen that this
greatly decreases the amount of drop off from my first effort to my last. For
example, instead of seeing a half second difference from my first effort to my
last, now I see closer to .20-.30 drop off. In a sport where I can win and lose
a race by .001 of a second, this is a very big difference!
3. Post
activity: A few hours after I am done training I like to hop in my boots
for one more hour. This promotes fresh blood flow to sore and fatigued muscles,
which brings in more nutrients to speed up the recovery process. I would
compare it to doing a cool-down ride or cool-down run after one's activity.
This is also a great way to have some forced sitting down recovery when one
might typically be inclined to doing other things around the house.
4. Travel:
Personally, this is where the recovery pump unit really shines! As a traveling
athlete the stress and fatigue of travel can be extremely heavy and greatly
impair ones competitive performance. I carry my recovery pump unit with me in
my carry-on bag (yes it makes it through TSA and yes it is that small!) and use
it during my layovers and for 20 minutes directly after a flight. When we fly
the cabin pressure is known to cause swelling and muscle fatigue, so the sooner
you use it after your flight the better. When you use it for 20 minutes at your
final destination, this is also great because instead of waiting down at
baggage claim doing nothing, you are helping your legs feel fresh and your bags
will be waiting for you as soon as you get down there. The recovery pump unit
is also great to travel with because typically there is lots of downtime in
your hotel room. This is another time where it will force you to be restful,
making sure you are as primed and ready for your competition as possible.
BONUS!!!
It is always fun to have friends and family hop
in the boots while they are visiting. It is great for a photo opp and something
they will always talk about :)
-- Nate Koch, US Track National Cycling Champ
