VISTA (NEWS 8) - For those who give it their all in the gym, what they put into their body and how they treat it following a workout can be just as important as form and technique during the workout.
Olympus Movement Performance is Vista is making sure that its athletes' recovery needs -- which vary with body type, activity level and age -- are being met, and they have some pretty cool tools to make it happen.
If you watched Michael Phelps' career-capping performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, you might have seen a bunch of bruise-like circles all over his back and shoulders. Those were marks left by cupping, a recovery technique that uses a suction cup to draw blood to a concentrated area and help decompress muscle tissue. News 8's Ashley Jacobs didn't have any cupping done herself, but she did get an up-close view as facility founder Annemarie Alf did some cupping on one of her CrossFit athletes.
Cupping is recommended as a recovery method around twice a month depending on the area and can be integrated into a physical therapy routine. It's safe for athletes of all ages, but Alf said she would limit cupping to certain areas of the body with kids.
You've definitely seen vasopneumatic compression units before if you follow elite athletes on social media. They look like big snow pants but they're actually sleeves that go over your legs and fill up with air. The compression against your legs helps promote blood flow and can give your tired legs a brand new feeling after a rough workout.
Olympus also has some cool electronic stimulation tools that can help flush out lactic acid and alleviate soreness.
As for dietary recovery, Alf recommends a shake product with a 2-to-1 carb-to-protein ratio.