Tapering for Boston - with Globus's Premium Sport EMS
Paul
Only six days left to the Boston Marathon. The storm clouds held out and I was able to run a partial loop around Central Park. The lack of fellow runners told me I wasn’t alone in expecting a washout. I held back for the first two miles, then opened up to run race pace for the last two. I began to feel strong on the back half – you know, that confident feeling that says your training is really kicking in. A couple of muscles did fell different. And I knew the reason why.
How can I break even more rules in the book for a good taper this year? How about trying electrical muscle stimulation (EMS)? Zach’s last post on a device he purchased really piqued my interest. As luck would have it, Globus, another vendor of EMS devices loaned us a unit to try. I did just that last night.
Where did EMS come from? Medicine has a long history of treating injuries with electrical current to stimulate blood flow. Sometime during the middle of the cold war, the Soviet sports establishment began experimenting with EMS not only to speed recovery, but enhance the performance of its star athletes.
In the 1970s, EMS spread rather broadly across Europe as a component of sports training. Several Italian companies including Globus developed significant expertise in the space and built a broad range of products. Globus’s current top of the line sports EMS device found its way to my doorstep yesterday.
In the U.S., EMS seems to have only slightly penetrated the market and typically only for the treatment of injury or to speed recovery after an endurance event. I didn’t realize that the devices promise a lot more as a regular complement to actual endurance and strength training programs.
Unpacking the equipment can be a rather intimidating experience. See the assortment of colorful wires and pads that come along as part of the package. This equipment may be second nature to Italians, but the instruction manual unfortunately didn’t make it any easier for those of us relying on English. Imagine reading an instruction manual with a warning like this:
“The effects of stimulation of the brain are unknown; do not place the electrodes on the opposite sides of the head.”
Thanks. I won’t try that one.
I figured I had enough experience jumping car batteries that a few educated guesses could not cause too much harm. I was right. I tried out a 20 minute “massage” program designed for cyclists. It was a very different experience. But I felt great at the end. As I ran around the park, I could feel the muscles I had targeted – in a good way.
I will give this device a good try over the next few days and see how it helps me recover from the Boston Marathon. Zach promises to give a good side-by-side with his Compex. We’ll tell you how it goes.
Always keep an open mind, right?
(Postscript: Globus will offer a $50 discount on all electrostimulators purchased online through the Globus site at: http://www.globussht.com/Distribution/globus-checkout if you use the "TriEss" code when entering your order.)
Reader Comments (7)
Unfortunately the scary language is mandated by the FDA, for consumer protection. See this FDA guideline at section 8. Labeling, starting with Contraindications.
When can we expect that side-by-side? I'd love to hear about the differences between Compex and Globus.
There is actually one sprint coach who has used both and that has posted both a written review and a video one on his website.
This doesn't appear to be a comparison, but rather a review of Globus specifically.
"Right now, I feel Globus is leading the consumer market in EMS units. Compex has some newer products that have come out recently that I have not yet sampled. However, Globus has added some features and options that my previous Compex models did not possess. I will keep my eye closely on the new products that come out and keep you all updated." That seems to be an opinion from March of 2009? Where's the update? Where is the comparison?
I guess Derek Hansen has not done that for the newer Compex models, which anyway are a restyling of older models with some tweaks to the old programs rather than new features to match Globus's features.
What features does the Globus have that Compex doesn't? Do you work for Globus?
Yes I do work for Globus: just download the PDF from the website
http://www.globussht.com/PremiumUSAbyGlobus.pdf