How electrostimulation can aid exercise recovery
Every long distance athlete gets to that point where their muscles feel like they’re going to erupt out of their skin. That moment after a workout when the initial exercise high has worn off and the dawning realisation of what your body has just gone through sets in. For some such seemingly iron forged athletes, that moment comes after running 100+ miles through the French Alps. For others, such as yours truly, that comes after running for the bus.
Though it seems that everyone and their dog has a sports therapist or masseuse these days, not every weekend warrior or casual jogger has the luxury of a trip to the table after every long jaunt. And neither, seemingly, do some of the worlds best athletes.
In terms of pure practicality then, it seems that many professional endurance athletes are turning to self-massage therapy options like the Compex Wireless,ʼa title=”mi-Sport” href=”” target=”_blank”>mi-Sport andʼa title=”Compex mi-Fitness” href=”” target=”_blank”>mi-Fitness for exercise recovery options on the road. After all, you can’t fit a physio in your kit bag. Athletes such as the ultra-impressive ultramarathon runner Killian Jornet and UCI cycling Team Omega Pharma – Quick-Step are all taking to the mountains and roads safe in the knowledge that their Compex machines are helping them alleviate the pain of recovery.
What is Compex?
Compexˡre a company on the forefront of exercise recovery technology and are famed for a recovery technique known as electrostimulation. Simply, electrostimulation is the act of performing involuntary contractions within a muscle remotely and electronically. When the device is placed on an effected muscle it can be used to stimulate the area in order to help decrease muscle atrophy, promote blood flow to the area for warm up or cool downs and even help expend lactic acid from the muscle.
How does it work?
Electrostimulation for exercise recovery as a concept is nothing new (think those crazy ab belts from the 80’s), but only recently has its true use been found out and researched. By contracting muscles at a rapid rate, electrostimulation machines can perform a number of functions including; assisting in muscle building, preventing muscle atrophy, post-workout recovery and pre-workout warm up. The machines reproduce the processes in the brain which cause muscles to contract and practically trick the muscle into contracting. Active Recovery programmes within the devices cause a massive increase in blood flow to the damaged muscle which speeds up the elimination of lactic acid and reduces tension in the muscle fibres. This feature is especially useful following long, arduous training sessions or racing. In particular, the Compex Wireless is being frequently used during the UCI Pro Tour by many professional road cycling teams such asʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex partners Team Omega Pharma – Quick-Step, whose riders include Mark Cavendish and Tom Boonen, religiously use the Compex Wireless on the team bus following each stage of a race. After all, it’s far cheaper and more space effective to have theʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex in your bag than a masseuse called Clive.*
Who is it for?
Though typically partnered with endurance athletes and promoted for its assistance in exercise recovery,ʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex products may also be used for a number of rehabilitation and even muscle building uses. During exercise recovery when a patient is unable to perform exercise on an injured body part, such as when a leg is broken,ʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex products have been shown to prevent muscle deterioration and atrophy in the patient. This is particularly useful for athletes who wish to maintain muscle bulk and return to training as quickly as possible. In the same vain,ʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex products are also a highly sought after tool in the world of professional bodybuilding as electrostimulation can be used to target and isolate muscles for specific muscular hypertrophy. This is particularly useful before a contest where muscles are required to protrude from the skin. The traditional pump up pre-show can be replaced with electrostimulation which provides a faster, more specific pump up which allows the Schwarzenegger wannabe to focus on more important things, like tan.
With that in mind however, the Compex Wireless, mi-Fitness and mi-Sport devices can all be used be mere mortals also. As previously mentioned, not many of us are fortunate enough to be married to a masseuse, and as such, many runners, cyclists and general gym-goers often find tight, unconditioned muscles to be the reason for many overuse injuries. Injuries that would be largely preventable through the use of proper cool down, massage and lactic acid removal. Enter -ʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex devices.
Which device is for me?
PhysioRoom.com stocks not one, but three products in theʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex range which all cater for different levels of athletic endeavor and specialty requirements.
Compex mi-Fitness
The Compex mi-Fitness has been specifically designed for enhancing and honing muscle definition through targeted electrostimulation. Using a personalised stimulation programme, the mi-Fitness will scan the muscle to analyze how excitable it is at that given moment, thereby tailoring the stimulation towards the specific needs of the muscle at that time. This makes the mi-Fitness particularly useful for light electrostimulation massage following extensive exercise or personalised muscle stimulation to prevent muscle atrophy.
Compex mi-Sport
As used by former professional UCI cyclist and three time winner of the Tour de France Green Jersey, Robbie McEwen, the Compexʼa title=”mi-Sport” href=”” target=”_blank”>mi-Sport is particularly useful for building muscle strength during resistance training routines. Whilst also allowing for recovery options and warm ups, the mi-Sport contains a number of programmes that are designed for the increase in speed and power such as; resistance programme for increased lactic capacity, strength programme for increased pure strength and hypertrophy programme to build muscular volume amongst many others. The three time Tour de France Green Jersey winner has “integrated theʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex training into preparation for the Tour de France” and also the recovery programmes which he states “enable me to recuperate faster and more effectively between stages of the Tour.Ԝn
Compex Wireless
Theʼa title=”Compex Wireless” href=”” target=”_blank”>Compex Wireless is the ultimate next generation workout recovery aid for both professional athletes and normal people. Featuring a multitude of capabilities and programmes, theʼa title=”Compex Wireless” href=”” target=”_blank”>Compex Wireless is designed to support exercise recovery and muscle building. The Wireless, as the name suggests, is a completely wireless alternative to the traditionally wired electrostimulation machines in theʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex range which makes the device perfect for professional cyclists, runners and athletes who require warm up and cool down exercises whilst on the move. Integrating mi-Technology with theʼa title=”Compex Wireless” href=”” target=”_blank”>Compex Wireless Online Training Coach, the device allows the user to tailor training and resistance to their specific needs.
Head on over toʼa title=”PhysioRoom.com Home Page” href=”http://www.physioroom.com” target=”_blank”>PhysioRoom.com for the full range ofʼa title=”Compex” href=”http://search.physioroom.com/search#w=compex” target=”_blank”>Compex products which are available with free delivery.
*Note: Not all masseuses are called Clive. We know that.