Everyone has his own preferred piece of cardio equipment when at the gym for a workout. Most people opt for one of the standard machines: treadmill, stairmaster, bike, elliptical trainer and so forth. Recently emerging, however, is a machine that's entirely in a league of its own: the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill.
Originally developed by NASA scientists, the Alter-G was intended as a substitute for Earth's gravity for astronauts exercising in space. It is unique because it is able to vary the pressure inside its vacuum-sealed chamber, reducing one's weight by a certain percentage, which limits the pressure exerted on joints and muscles. Consequently, it has mainly been adopted for rehabilitation programs for injured patients, as well as the elderly and overweight. It is being further adopted in some settings for college and professional sports training.
The machine itself operates by using a system known as Advanced Differential Air Pressure Technology, according to the Alter-G Web site. The user is required to put on neoprene compression shorts that "zips" him into the device. The user then can regulate 'unweighing' in 1 percent increments, from 100 percent of one's body weight to as low as 20 percent. The Alter-G also features familiar, user-friendly speed, incline and body weight controls. It can accommodate body types within 90-400-pounds, with full range of motion while providing lateral support, which keeps users in place and prevents falls.
"It's a great rehab tool as well as conditioning tool," said Chip Schaeffer, the NBA Lakers Director of Athletic Performance/Player Development, in an interview with NBA news.
Moreover, Amy Burfoot, the editor at large of Runners World, told Alter-G.com that "the Alter-G is the most significant advance in training equipment for distance runners in the last half century."
So what's not to love?
When it comes to price and value, the Alter-G leaves room for critique. Depending on the model, the machine is priced anywhere from about $25,000 to $75,000, according to the Alter-G Web site.
"[It would be] nice to have but not necessarily a necessity, especially in the college athletics environment where there's a budget crunch just like anywhere else," said Rob Skinner, the University's director of sports nutrition.
He added that the machines are great recruiting tools but may be unrealistic for regular training at this current price.
"Think of a cross-country team that has about 60 athletes," he postulated. "Are there going to be sixty treadmills so everyone can do their workout?"
For a less expensive alternative, the Alter-G is similar in concept to that of a water-treadmill, which he said University Sports Medicine does have.
Skinner does, however, agree that the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill has its advantages.
"It would be good for someone training, like an endurance athlete, putting in lots and lots of miles to still go the distance but undergo less pounding and strain on the hip, knees, etc.," he said. "It's not a bad mode of training."
Skinner also noted that returning to earthbound running from the anti-gravity machine should not be problematic because the athlete should not solely train on the Alter-G. Similarly, an injured person would still slowly return to full weight-bearing activities.
"Like any other exercise regimen, the key is mixing it up and incorporating various forms of training," he said.
The possibilities that arise from this invention are expounded upon in Matt Fitzgerald's book "Racing Weight." The book's anti-gravity treadmill is used to show runners what it would be like if they lost a percentage of their body weight, considering that "endurance/distance running is one of the few sports where total mass truly matters," Skinner said. The experience of feeling lighter could provide motivation for the extremely overweight to want to shed their extra weight, as well, he said.
Another advantage is the aerobic conditioning that the treadmill provides. It allows for injured athletes and patients to more effectively retain levels of fitness while recovering from and rehabbing an injury.
After suffering an ACL tear, second-year College student Katie Knapp, a varsity field hockey player, received reconstructive surgery and lost months of training time.
"In my situation, being able to utilize the Alter-G treadmill as part of rehab would have been especially helpful because I did have substantial movement - I just could not put much pressure on my knee whatsoever," she said. "Leg lifts and other parts of therapy are helpful but nothing compares to being able to actually walk and keep that muscle memory and strength, which the Alter-G would have made possible"
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