NormaTec Recovery Boots – Product Review

This product review is long overdue. If we are friends on FB or your follow me on twitter (@irondreams) you have heard me talk about spending lots of quality time in my NormaTec Recovery Boots. The boots have become an integral part of my training and recovery program in my preparation for the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler.

As a “weekend warrior” I have been guilty of neglecting my recovery - I even blogged about not having time for recovery in September 2009. What I have learned since then is that recovery is not just important for optimal racing performance but it is also incredibly important for injury prevention. I firmly believe that I have been able to ramp up my mileage and execute important workouts with minimal recovery time after long runs thanks to my NormaTec Recovery Boots.

The best part about the boots is that I can put them on and then just sit back and relax while they do all the hard work on my legs. I have even been known to fall asleep with them on. This may not seem like a big deal to everyone, but I know that there are others like me who know they should use TV time to stretch, foam roll, do core work, etc., but I just like to be lazy sometimes and the boots let me be lazy while engaging in serious recovery!

Bottom line, I highly recommend them.  Look for them at your next race, they often have a recovery tent where you can try out the boots after you race … and they are at all of the Rev3 races.

Finally, I am not a scientist, so I will leave the science to NormaTec, but take my word, these boots work!

The science behind NormaTec boots …

Sequential Pulse Technology is based on normal physiology, and it synergistically combines three distinctive massage techniques to speed the body’s normal recovery process.

1) Pulsing: Instead of using static compression (squeezing) to transport fluid out of the limbs, Sequential Pulse Technology uses dynamic compression (pulsing). Our patented pulsing action more effectively mimics the muscle pump of the legs and arms, greatly enhancing the movement of fluid and metabolites out of the limbs after an intense workout.

2) Gradients: Veins and lymphatic vessels have one-way valves that prevent backflow of fluid. Similarly, Sequential Pulse Technology utilizes gradient hold pressures to keep your body’s fluids from being forced down toward your feet by the pulsing action in proximal zones. Because of this enhancement, Sequential Pulse Technology can deliver maximum pressure throughout the entire limb and the effectiveness of the pulsing action is not diminished near the top of the limb.

3) Distal release: Because extended static pressure can be detrimental to the body’s normal circulatory flow, Sequential Pulse Technology releases the hold pressures once they are no longer needed to prevent backflow. By releasing the hold pressure in each zone as soon as possible, each portion of the limb gains maximal rest time without a significant pause between compression cycles.

While a healthy athlete’s body eventually will recover from an intense workout, using the Sequential Pulse Technology found only in a NormaTec Recovery System for just 20 minutes can speed recovery.