New Program Internationalizes Health And Fitness Research

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Article Date: 30 Oct 2008 - 1:00 PST

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In an effort to expand global health and fitness research and partnerships, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has formed an international science and health exchange to highlight scientific discovery and collaboration among international scientists. A research program with Sato Sports Plaza of Japan is the first major partnership in the ACSM initiative.

The scientific collaboration will further examine the KAATSU Training™ method, developed by Sato and designed to increase muscle size and build strength with lighter weights and less stressful motions on muscles, joints and ligaments.

ACSM, the world's largest sports medicine and exercise organization, will act as a scientific research partner with Sato Sports Plaza helping facilitate international scientific discovery among ACSM researchers and scientists.

KAATSU, which has been in development for more than 40 years in Japan, utilizes a special belt that when tightened near the joints of the upper arm or leg, applies pressure to the muscle through temporary blood-flow restriction. The method is being introduced in the United States, primarily among competitive athletes in training. The technique is also expected to be effective for older adults who may need to choose activities that limit physical stress to the body. Preliminary published research on low-intensity KAATSU training has shown gains in muscular strength and size.

"ACSM has always been at the forefront of scientific research and discovery, and that's what this research is all about," said Mindy Millard-Stafford, Ph.D., FACSM, ACSM president. "We're committed to being the world's knowledge leader on new breakthroughs in physical activity and fitness, and are privileged to be able to conduct this program with Sato Sports Plaza. We encourage more collaborations like this, to make new discoveries in health and fitness a global effort."

"Sato Sports Plaza has been committed to promoting the KAATSU training method while assuring its safety and effectiveness. That process has involved conducting research on its own, but also jointly with many universities and companies," said Dr. Yoshiaki Sato, inventor of the KAATSU training method. "Through collaborative efforts with ACSM and the international researchers who work with ACSM, I believe that the safety and efficacy of KAATSU training will be revealed in the not-too-distant future."

Research with Sato Sports Plaza is one of many international initiatives undertaken by ACSM, which provides health and fitness certifications to professionals worldwide and is expanding its Exercise is Medicine™ program beyond the United States. Exercise is Medicine™ is designed to encourage physicians to advise patients about the importance of physical activity, and "prescribe" exercise as part of every treatment plan.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 35,000 international, national, and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

American College of Sports Medicine