Press Inquiries
Huntington Beach, California
May 16, 2020
KAATSU Global will offer its patented equipment and proprietary "KAATSU Recovery Cycle" circadian rhythm reset protocols to benefit the 12,000+ athletes who are heading to the Tokyo Olympic Games from July 23 to August 8, 2021.
The upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games will be like no other. The Olympics were delayed for a year and rescheduled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee mandated foreign athletes cannot go to Japan earlier than five days prior to their first event.
This recently issued mandate is unprecedented in Olympic history - and suddenly catapulted jet lag as a major concern for athletes traveling from the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The IOC searched for a natural, safe, non-invasive, non-pharmacological means to level the playing field.
Olympic athletes have traditionally prepared either in-country or in nearby time zones weeks before they entered the Olympic Village - well ahead of the Opening Ceremonies. This pre- staging allowed time for acclimatization to the local time and conditions - and is no longer a possibility.
World Olympians Association Chief Executive Director Mike Miller - whose organization supports over 100,000 living former Olympians - identified a solution from KAATSU Global and introduced KAATSU to the IOC Medical and Scientific Committee under the leadership of Professor Yannis Pitsiladis of the University of Brighton. KAATSU equipment and protocols were researched and are being tested by the IOC sports scientists.
Invented in Japan by Dr. Yoshiaki Sato and engineered in California, KAATSU conveniently enables a circadian rhythm re-set for long-distance travelers crossing multiple time
zones. KAATSU Global CEO Steven Munatones explains, "The KAATSU C3 is a handheld device with pneumatic arm and leg bands that can be used in an airplane seat - and later in the Olympic Village upon arrival. The mechanisms for the circadian rhythm reset include the production of mTOR, the mimicking of the body’s natural change in hemodynamics, and creating minor limb hypoxia."
KAATSU Global CRO and former Navy SEAL Captain John Doolittle adds, "KAATSU equipment has several patented features that can be used by anyone, anywhere and anytime - including in an airplane, airport, hotel or anywhere during travel to or in Tokyo. Most importantly for Olympic athletes who must travel long distances or cross multiple time zones, KAATSU helps mitigate the negative effects of jet lag by kick-starting the parasympathetic cycle in the body. Some U.S. military units in the Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) have been using KAATSU to help tactical athletes get their bodies into stage-3 and stage-4 restorative sleep. It’s incredibly effective."
Michael Andrew, a world champion swimmer from Carlsbad, California and a leading medal contender for the U.S. team, has been using KAATSU for years. "I always travel with my KAATSU equipment. It is great for recovery between events as well as use during travel. It is a must for Tokyo."
Laura Wilkinson, a gold medalist in platform diving, is a recent convert to KAATSU. "I follow the KAATSU protocols for reducing jet lag and eliminating travel fatigue, as well as helping me prepare. Since I started using KAATSU, my physical condition has improved. On the largest stage of our athletic lives, we want to perform at our highest potential - that is essential and fair. The KAATSU C3 is a great solution."
The IOC team of international sports scientists will test the KAATSU C3 over a 7-day test in Tokyo in June. They will travel to Tokyo from London, performing KAATSU Cycles before departing, in the airplane, upon their arrival, and just prior to going to bed. Performance and sleep recovery parameters will be analyzed and reported.
"Anything we can do to help the world’s Olympians - or traveling businesspeople or professional athletes perform at their peak - is part of our mission," said KAATSU Global CEO Steven Munatones.
KAATSU Global is a Southern California-based health tech company that has transformed how athletes, military personnel and Baby Boomers can utilize their body's own biochemical processes to improve their performance levels, accelerate healing, and reduce pain. KAATSU Global pioneered the Blood Flow Restriction market and continues to be the world's leading BFR company with a line of patented BFR equipment and proprietary protocols for the military, competitive athletes (collegiate, Olympic, professional), hospitals, physical therapy clinics, as well as for consumers to use at their homes, offices and during travel. KAATSU is safely used by people from every walk of life in 49 countries, of every age and ability (up to 104 years old), anywhere and anytime, for recovery, rehabilitation, and performance. www.kaatsu.com
