Want to Recover Faster and Better?
The Marc Pro and Marc Pro Plus will allow you to recover more effectively than normal through traditional active recovery techniques; however, when looking at the unit, you may be wondering, “What happens if I crank this button up all the way on high? What happens if I raise the intensity? When is it better to keep the intensity lower?”
The experts at Marc Pro have the answers so that you can get the maximum benefit out of your Marc Pro or Marc Pro Plus for your specific needs.
Using the Marc Pro for Better Recovery
Generally speaking, higher intensity levels yield better and faster results. The reason is simple: more intensity translates to stronger muscle contractions. This means that you’re pumping out more waste (i.e. damaged tissue) and bringing in more nourishment (i.e. oxygenated blood) to the area being targeted. (if you remember one thing from this post, think “Waste Out, Nourishment In.”)
However, if the contractions are causing any type of discomfort or pain, the raised intensity could be causing more harm than good. In this situation, intensity levels should be reduced. Also, if the strength of the contraction doesn’t allow you to relax and you find yourself resisting the muscle activity, you should also reduce the intensity.
Using the Marc Pro Plus for Pain Relief
With the Marc Pro Plus, you need to choose what frequency (mode) to use before cranking up the intensity. Low Frequency is the setting of the standard Marc Pro. This is where all of the recovery and conditioning benefits come from. Low Frequency contracts muscles to flush out waste and deliver nutrients to the area. If pain or soreness is related to a lack of recovery or to a buildup of congestion, then Low Frequency is the setting to alleviate those issues.
On the other hand, if you are experiencing aches and pain that seems to be more related to an irritated nerve as opposed to a lack of muscle recovery, then the High Frequency mode of the Marc Pro Plus is the way to go. There are no muscle contractions in this mode as the objective of the strong, yet comfortable stimulus is to directly calm down irritated nerves and shut down stubborn pain related to your sport or activity.
After shutting down pain with the High Frequency Mode, you will typically want to still flush and help that area recover using the Low Frequency setting. In some cases, you can use the two settings simultaneously (e.g. one channel is using High Frequency directly through the knee joint to calm down that area while the other channel is simultaneously contracting the quad and calf muscles to move nourishment and waste).
When using the High Frequency Mode, stronger intensity levels yield longer lasting pain relief, without the use of over-the-counter drugs or side effects. The intensity level should be turned high enough to eliminate the sensation of pain during the session. By continuing to work the intensity level up higher throughout the session, you’ll feel the most significant results. As with Low Frequency, the signal may feel strong and intense, but should never be raised to a level that causes pain or discomfort.
Being able to control the intensity levels associated with the Marc Pro allows you to customize your recovery to ultimately deliver the best individual results. Have more questions about how to incorporate intensity levels into your Marc Pro recovery? Shoot us a tweet @theMarcPro and we can help you learn more about stepping up your recovery game.