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A new Blood Flow Restriction training tool is being used by players at Leicester Tigers, Bath and Newcastle Falcons to aid muscle recovery.
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Hytro was launched in 2019 by Dr Warren Bradley, a former nutritional coach at Munster and England 7s. After completing a PhD in human physiology and performance nutrition, Bradley began to study why BFR was being used almost exclusively to build muscle size and power in rehab.
From his research he saw an opportunity to start using this blood flow technology during and after training sessions for recovery. Few have verged into this territory, largely because of the financial implications.
“Cost was the main reason it wasn’t being done and it can also be dangerous if the tool isn’t used in the right position,” Bradley told RugbyPass. “But what if we created is a product that circumvented this that was simple and easy to use. That’s what we did by integrating BFR into sportswear to make it much safer and easier to use.”
Hytro aims to provide a practical and usable mechanism for developing muscular growth that is less expensive and fiddly than popular BFR training tools. It works by creating a strong pressure around the upper limbs of the arm or leg, much like the cuff in a blood pressure gauge. The muscle swells as deoxygenated blood and lactic acid begins to build up.
“Those are the conditions you want to create to optimise recovery. Your muscles are stressed for several minutes at a time which makes it more intense and then when the restriction is released, the muscles recover a lot quicker.
“You can feel it and when you release it you have a flush. It removes all the inflammation and waste in the muscle when the cuff is released.
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“Rugby player can increase muscle strength and power gains if they use this at the end of a session. You can do the same for endurance capacity on a bike.
“We integrated the BFR into clothing so it’s in the correct position all the time with the help of a Velcro strapping mechanism. If it’s in the wrong position, it can be dangerous.
“This is the first BFR device that is safe to use on your own. There is no need for supervision.”
Bradley is quick to point out that the BFR process does not negatively impact muscular development and is a safe way for athletes to enhance their physical performance.
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“It doesn’t damage the muscles. It creates swelling, not tearing, so they don’t break. It means you don’t get the muscle soreness afterwards and you can get bigger and faster without the threat of injury.”
The company boasts that their BFR is being used in over 20 elite team training rooms. Leicester Tigers, Bath, Catalan Dragons and Newcastle Falcons are some of the rugby teams involved and each have bought units for their players to use.
Getting sports stars to buy into the product is of paramount importance to Bradley, who revealed that athletes from various codes continue to feel the benefits of Hytro.
“We’ve had a very high strike rate with this. Rugby players are used to putting their bodies through hell so we have had a high player buy-in because of its simplicity.
“You think: ‘Will the players use it, will they enjoy it and do they feel better afterwards?’ Ice baths for example work, but I’ve seen plenty of athletes reject them.
“With this you can use it when you want. When you’re having a protein shake, when you’re in front of the TV or when you go for a walk. You can seamlessly integrate it into your daily life. All you need to do is some stretching or mobility work.”
The next step for Bradley is expansion in America. After getting a foothold in rugby, Premiership football and cricket in the UK, Hytro will open its arms to the NFL, MLB, MLS and NBA.
“We’ve got a big footprint in the UK. Most leagues in most sports are aware of us now. By getting other clubs to engage we hope to create uplift, and by organically growing to America we hope to achieve that.”
Regardless of where he markets Hytro, Bradley is keen to help players recover in as simple and safe a way as possible, without changing their daily routines.
