For common day consumers, wearables are thought of as fitness trackers that improve performance. However, wearable devices are gaining traction in the area of injury prevention and recovery. Spending hours of training, day in and day out, might actually stall your progress. Recovery is an essential part of any strength and conditioning program. Most coaches would argue it’s just as or more important than training itself. Recovery must occur before progress can be made. Therefore, we have different kinds of wearable devices (like MarcPro and PowerDot) which use electric muscle stimulation (EMS) to speed up the recovery of muscles. Contrary, companies like Zamst use ice or cryotherapy. But in the area of recovery, NormTec still remains the global leader. For more details on the latest developments in recovery wearables, keep on reading.
Normatec
NormaTec is the leader in rapid recovery. The NormaTec PULSE Recovery System is a dynamic compression device especially designed for recovery and rehab. It is an air pressure massage indicated to temporarily relieve minor muscle aches or pains and to temporarily increase blood circulation to the treated areas. The systems give a competitive edge to the world’s elite athletes, coaches, and trainers. NormaTec has the goal to establish recovery as an integral part of every athlete’s training. All of the systems use NormaTec’s patented PULSE technology to help athletes recover faster between trainings and after performance. The Leg and Arm Attachments provide full coverage. They feature overlapping zones that guarantee gapless compression, high-quality nylon, and hassle-free integrated tubing. NormaTec has a wide range of products which the following Video will show you.
PowerDot
PowerDot is the world´s first connected wearable sports muscle stimulator, which claims to help different muscle groups recover. It also boosts strength, power and facilitates a faster recovery. PowerDot uses electric muscle stimulation (EMS) and a Bluetooth enabled smartphone to help users gain better results and faster recovery. It should also be noted that the electrode pads are not to be applied to the whole body. The 14 significant muscle groups are supposed to be disturbed by the rods. The PowerDot smartphone app will tell you the best placement of the electrodes. Currently PowerDot is limited to 11 stimulation sessions. Some stimulations are specific for the muscle, while some can be used in various places on the body. Every session is supposed to be four minutes long for preparing muscles to maximum power, or used for 47 minutes to enhance endurance. PowerDot also improves and accelerates muscle recovery after an intense endurance exercise.
MarcPro
The Marc Pro is a muscle stimulation device that utilizes electricity to speed the recovery process after physical activity. The Marc Pro delivers electrical stimulation, or electrical pulses, via four replaceable electrode pads connected to two channels on the device. When the pads are placed on the targeted muscles and the device activated, the Marc Pro creates strong, non-fatiguing muscle contractions. It improves the transport of nourishment and waste, speeds recovery, and gets you back to 100% quickly. Over 100 professional teams from all kinds of sports like the Los Angeles Lakers (Basketball), Anaheim Ducks (Icehockey) or Minnesota Wikings (A. Football) use the technology from MarcPro to speed the recovery process of their athletes.
Zamst
One of the most widely accepted ways of recovering after extreme workout or training is the use of ice, or cryotherapy. ZAMST carries several icing products that make cryotherapy much easier to perform. The IW-1 can be used to ice most of the joints and muscles of the arms and legs, while the IW-2 is designed for the shoulder and back. Both are composed of an easy to fill ice bag and wrap to help hold it in place. They recommend icing for 20 minutes, allowing the body to come completely back to its normal temperature before repeating. Another, somewhat newer approach, is the use of compression sleeves to physically decrease the tissue space after exercise, essentially making less room for swelling to occur. ZAMST offers a great product here as well; the LC-1 compression sleeve. Together, ice and compression can offer decreased muscle soreness and recovery times, increased performance levels, as well as help to prevent injury.
As you see we have many different wearable devices for different kinds of recovery. MarcPro and PowerDot use the innovations of electric muscle stimulation to speed up the recovery of muscles, while Zamst uses ice and compression to regenerate. However, the global leader of recovery remains NormaTec – but let´s see which new products will be released the coming years.
