Vasper, a hi-tech training system based on cooling and compression, has been designed to deliver the benefits of anaerobic exercise without the high intensity effort
By Katie Barnes | Published in Spa Business 2014 issue 3
With more science coming into the world of exercise, and consumers tuning into the importance of lifestyle and health choices, savvy spa operators should make sure their fitness offering is up to date.
One of the latest pieces of cutting-edge equipment that’s grabbing the attention of NASA and Olympic athletes is Vasper – the name stands for vascular performance – which uses cooling and compression systems to accelerate the activation of fast twitch muscles, placing them in an anaerobic state without the normal wear and tear associated with a longer workout.
But it’s not just for astronauts and elite sportspeople. Vasper has been created to optimise the health of any user at any level of fitness. So just how does it do this?
How it works Designed by Peter Wasowski, an entrepreneur from Hawaii, the Vasper workout consists of a 20-minute intensive interval fitness programme, tailored to people’s abilities, on a recumbent bike. Sounds normal so far... but there are two hi-tech features that make all the difference.
l Compression. Patented Vasper technology includes compression cuffs filled with cool liquid. According to Wasowski: “The cuffs place gentle pressure on the muscles of the upper arms and thighs to activate the fast twitch muscles and place them in an anaerobic state which, in turn, increases lactic acid. The build-up of lactic acid pushes the brain into a rebuild and recovery state, so it cranks up the production of anabolic hormones such as human growth hormones (hGH) and testosterone.”
These extra biochemicals help build muscle tissue ,as well as being responsible for other benefits associated with intense anaerobic exercise, such as fat loss, increased muscle growth, restful sleep, greater energy and an enhanced sense of wellbeing.
l Core body cooling. As well as the cuffs, the Vasper system includes a cooling vest, copper footplates and helmet. These are filled with chilled liquid to keep the body’s core temperature lower during exercise. Clients can push themselves a lot harder without sweating. It also means that fatigue is less likely to set in – as it does when the body’s temperature rises – and strength, endurance and cognitive functions don’t deteriorate as rapidly, if at all.
After the exercise, users rest for 10 minutes on a liquid-cooled mat to flush out lactic acid, lessen fatigue and further maximise the benefits of the workout.
The benefits Wasowski says the Vasper system has “been designed to reproduce the effect of a high-intensity anaerobic training session, but with less effort and physical damage.”
He adds: “Anaerobic exercise is traditionally only possible through heavy weightlifting or high-intensity interval training, which many people either can’t perform or don’t want to.”
Other media claim that the 20-minute programme gives the benefit of a two-hour workout, but Wasowski will not confirm this. What he does say is that: “Vasper provides easier access to these anaerobic benefits to anyone, regardless of their physical ability or age.”
He adds that the system should be used to complement existing workouts rather than replacing them.
Uptake to date For the moment, members of the public can only try Vasper at its offices in Silicon Valley, California and Hawaii, USA. Prices for a 30-minute session start at US$35 (€26, £21), but a number of different packages and memberships are available. Once funding has been raised, the idea is to roll out the system to rehabilitation centres and corporate clients.
The company’s corporate clients include Google, which installed Vasper at its California headquarters in May. It’s also being trialled by number of athletes who’ve written testimonials on the Vasper website.
Patrick Marleau, the star of the San Jose Sharks ice hockey team, says: “Within 20 minutes of my first use, I had the endorphin rush that you usually only achieve after a much longer workout. It helps with my recoveries after strenuous workouts… When I do Vasper before my workouts, I have some of the best workouts. I can maybe compare it to a runner’s high.”
Another advocate is US Olympic triple jumper Erica Ashley McLain (pictured), who used Vasper after a serious injury. She says: “I was told I’d never run again. A year later, I posted the top triple jump distance in the US. I feel confident that adding Vasper to my standard rehabilitation programme helped me beat the odds of my injury and helped me recover faster than any of my doctors expected.”
In 2011, Vasper also signed a three-year agreement with NASA. Astronauts have to exercise for a least four hours a day in space to prevent muscle and bone loss, and NASA is interested in seeing how Vasper might reduce these workout time.
Dr Jeffrey Smith at the NASA Ames Research Center told CBS San Francisco: “We’re not here to endorse them [Vasper], but we want to understand what they’re doing, how it’s scientifically possible, and what the potential of this technology might be for NASA.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2014 issue 3
Letters: Letters
Bill Bensley gives his opinion on where spa design is heading in the future
Luxury brands: The high life
We take a look at the spa concepts of luxury brands such as Dior, Guerlain, Armani and Versace
Country focus: The Maldives
Neena Dhillon takes a look around Cheval Blanc Randheli and Velaa Private Island – two of the hottest new spa destinations in the Maldives
Q&A: Morgan Lefrançois
The spa business development manager at Clarins on working with Velaa Private Island; plus a first-person account of the resort by Liz Terry
Therapy: Well seasoned
An underground salt mine offering subterraneotherapy and herb spas feature in this report by Sophie Benge
Holiday village spa: Full steam ahead
The unique hydrothermal spa concept at Center Parcs UK attracts 300,000 guests a year and brings in £15m in revenue. Katie Barnes visits its latest site
Marketing: Screen star
Professional spa brands are using TV shopping channel QVC to increase footfall in spas and can sell up to £4m of products in just one day
Mineral Spa: Mission accomplished
With 168 pools and 90 treatment rooms, Mission Hills Haikou has one of the world’s largest spa and mineral springs. Jennifer Harbottle finds out more
Fitness: Cool customer
We explain the science behind Vasper, a high-tech fitness system that’s being used by athletes and astronauts
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Vasper, a hi-tech training system based on cooling and compression, has been designed to deliver the benefits of anaerobic exercise without the high intensity effort
By Katie Barnes | Published in Spa Business 2014 issue 3
With more science coming into the world of exercise, and consumers tuning into the importance of lifestyle and health choices, savvy spa operators should make sure their fitness offering is up to date.
One of the latest pieces of cutting-edge equipment that’s grabbing the attention of NASA and Olympic athletes is Vasper – the name stands for vascular performance – which uses cooling and compression systems to accelerate the activation of fast twitch muscles, placing them in an anaerobic state without the normal wear and tear associated with a longer workout.
But it’s not just for astronauts and elite sportspeople. Vasper has been created to optimise the health of any user at any level of fitness. So just how does it do this?
How it works Designed by Peter Wasowski, an entrepreneur from Hawaii, the Vasper workout consists of a 20-minute intensive interval fitness programme, tailored to people’s abilities, on a recumbent bike. Sounds normal so far... but there are two hi-tech features that make all the difference.
l Compression. Patented Vasper technology includes compression cuffs filled with cool liquid. According to Wasowski: “The cuffs place gentle pressure on the muscles of the upper arms and thighs to activate the fast twitch muscles and place them in an anaerobic state which, in turn, increases lactic acid. The build-up of lactic acid pushes the brain into a rebuild and recovery state, so it cranks up the production of anabolic hormones such as human growth hormones (hGH) and testosterone.”
These extra biochemicals help build muscle tissue ,as well as being responsible for other benefits associated with intense anaerobic exercise, such as fat loss, increased muscle growth, restful sleep, greater energy and an enhanced sense of wellbeing.
l Core body cooling. As well as the cuffs, the Vasper system includes a cooling vest, copper footplates and helmet. These are filled with chilled liquid to keep the body’s core temperature lower during exercise. Clients can push themselves a lot harder without sweating. It also means that fatigue is less likely to set in – as it does when the body’s temperature rises – and strength, endurance and cognitive functions don’t deteriorate as rapidly, if at all.
After the exercise, users rest for 10 minutes on a liquid-cooled mat to flush out lactic acid, lessen fatigue and further maximise the benefits of the workout.
The benefits Wasowski says the Vasper system has “been designed to reproduce the effect of a high-intensity anaerobic training session, but with less effort and physical damage.”
He adds: “Anaerobic exercise is traditionally only possible through heavy weightlifting or high-intensity interval training, which many people either can’t perform or don’t want to.”
Other media claim that the 20-minute programme gives the benefit of a two-hour workout, but Wasowski will not confirm this. What he does say is that: “Vasper provides easier access to these anaerobic benefits to anyone, regardless of their physical ability or age.”
He adds that the system should be used to complement existing workouts rather than replacing them.
Uptake to date For the moment, members of the public can only try Vasper at its offices in Silicon Valley, California and Hawaii, USA. Prices for a 30-minute session start at US$35 (€26, £21), but a number of different packages and memberships are available. Once funding has been raised, the idea is to roll out the system to rehabilitation centres and corporate clients.
The company’s corporate clients include Google, which installed Vasper at its California headquarters in May. It’s also being trialled by number of athletes who’ve written testimonials on the Vasper website.
Patrick Marleau, the star of the San Jose Sharks ice hockey team, says: “Within 20 minutes of my first use, I had the endorphin rush that you usually only achieve after a much longer workout. It helps with my recoveries after strenuous workouts… When I do Vasper before my workouts, I have some of the best workouts. I can maybe compare it to a runner’s high.”
Another advocate is US Olympic triple jumper Erica Ashley McLain (pictured), who used Vasper after a serious injury. She says: “I was told I’d never run again. A year later, I posted the top triple jump distance in the US. I feel confident that adding Vasper to my standard rehabilitation programme helped me beat the odds of my injury and helped me recover faster than any of my doctors expected.”
In 2011, Vasper also signed a three-year agreement with NASA. Astronauts have to exercise for a least four hours a day in space to prevent muscle and bone loss, and NASA is interested in seeing how Vasper might reduce these workout time.
Dr Jeffrey Smith at the NASA Ames Research Center told CBS San Francisco: “We’re not here to endorse them [Vasper], but we want to understand what they’re doing, how it’s scientifically possible, and what the potential of this technology might be for NASA.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2014 issue 3
Letters: Letters
Bill Bensley gives his opinion on where spa design is heading in the future
Luxury brands: The high life
We take a look at the spa concepts of luxury brands such as Dior, Guerlain, Armani and Versace
Country focus: The Maldives
Neena Dhillon takes a look around Cheval Blanc Randheli and Velaa Private Island – two of the hottest new spa destinations in the Maldives
Q&A: Morgan Lefrançois
The spa business development manager at Clarins on working with Velaa Private Island; plus a first-person account of the resort by Liz Terry
Therapy: Well seasoned
An underground salt mine offering subterraneotherapy and herb spas feature in this report by Sophie Benge
Holiday village spa: Full steam ahead
The unique hydrothermal spa concept at Center Parcs UK attracts 300,000 guests a year and brings in £15m in revenue. Katie Barnes visits its latest site
Marketing: Screen star
Professional spa brands are using TV shopping channel QVC to increase footfall in spas and can sell up to £4m of products in just one day
Mineral Spa: Mission accomplished
With 168 pools and 90 treatment rooms, Mission Hills Haikou has one of the world’s largest spa and mineral springs. Jennifer Harbottle finds out more
Fitness: Cool customer
We explain the science behind Vasper, a high-tech fitness system that’s being used by athletes and astronauts
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
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