Float To Enhance Your Sporting Performance

The positive benefits of Floatation Therapy can be utilised as part of a training program for amateur to elite athletes. Floatation Therapy has been used in many areas of sports medicine, due to its numerous physiological, psychological and biochemical effects.

There are a number of ways in which Floatation Therapy can improve sport performance. These include:-

·       Stimulate muscle growth and muscle tone through; 

·       Reduce levels of lactate production, and speeds up elimination of lactic acid – thereby reducing fatigue, cramps and    
        pain;

·       Improve mental clarity, concentration, calmness and confidence;

·       Injury prevention through muscular tension release;

·       Enhance mental practice / motor imagery;  

·       Reduce or eliminate pain;

·       Increased physical relaxation, leading to greater stamina, speed, strength, coordination;

·       Quicken recovery time and enhance recovery process and rest;

·       Reduce stress hormones to enable balancing of nervous system;

·       Reduce physical and mental fatigue; and

·       Improve brain integration of left and right hemispheres

To improve and enhance mental practice of specific motor skills, this form of visualisation can done whilst inside the floatation tank. In our next blog, we will explore the idea of using mental practice for sports and motor skills during a floatation therapy session.

Further reading and research:

Lactate physiology in health and disease http://ceaccp.oxfordjournals.org/content/6/3/128.full

Baker D.A. (1990). The Use of REST in the Enhancement of Sports Performance- Tennis. Restricted Environmental Stimulation: Research and Commentary. pp.181-187. Toledo, Ohio: Medical College of Ohio Press.

Bond J. (1997). "To float or not to float"... is that the question? How to maximise your use of Sport Psychology float tanks.

McAleney P. & Barabasz A. (1993). Effects of Flotation REST and Visual Imagery on Athletic Performance: Tennis. Clinical and Experimental Restricted Environmental Stimulation: New Developments and Perspectives. pp. 79-86. New York: Springer-Verlag New York LLC.

Richardson S. (1997). Enhancing Rowing Ergometer Performance Through Flotation REST. 6th International REST Conference. San Francisco.

Stanley J., Mahoney M.& Reppert S. (1982). REST and the Enhancement of Sports Performance: A Panel Presentation and Discussion. 2nd International Conference on REST. pp. 168-183. Toledo, Ohio: IRIS Publications.

Wagaman J. & Barabasz A. (1993). Flotation REST and Imagery in the Improvement of Collegiate Athletic Performance: Basketball. Clinical and Experimental Restricted Environmental Stimulation: New Developments and Perspectives. pp. 87-92. New York: Springer-Verlag New York LLC.