Normatec MVP

Check out these fancy new space boots we just got at VQ! The boots are part of the Normatec MVP (Most Valuable Pump) system, and they're supposed to aid in the recovery process. Apparently some of the top cycling teams use the "space legs" to speed up recovery among their top athletes. I've tried them out and they’re pretty nice, they compress and massage your legs in 15-30 minute intervals and generally leave you feeling pretty refreshed afterwards. My favorite part of the massage cycle is when the boots are squeezing my quads… man, I wish I could leave them squeezing that spot for days, it feels fantastic. I’d love to have something like this at home but the price tag on the Normatec MVP system is pretty steep.



Here's a review of the Normatec MVP system from the Garmin-Transitions cycling team:

Through word of mouth and some strong personal testimonials, we heard of a device being used by groups like the Navy SEALs, University of Florida and the Pittsburgh Pirates as a recovery tool and as a treatment for both acute injuries and post-operative rehabilitation. That device was the NormaTec MVP – a machine designed to externally compress the limbs in a way that mimics normal physiology with roots as a clinical treatment for patients with circulatory diseases stemming from diabetes to cancer. Although, our athlete’s aren't sick, the inflammation, edema, and micro trauma normally caused by intense training and competition, though not nearly as severe, isn't that different from cancer patients with Lymphedema or diabetics with chronic wounds that won’t heal. After speaking to Dr. Laura Jacobs, a rehabilitation physician and PhD bioengineer who invented the NormaTec, I was more than impressed with the extensive clinical evidence demonstrating that it was a viable way to treat those with disease and theoretically athletic performance.