UTILIZING THE G-SUIT AS A TRAINING METHODOLOGY TO REDUCE INJURIES ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF AFL.
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UTILIZING THE G-SUIT AS A
TRAINING METHODOLOGY TO
REDUCE INJURIES ACROSS ALL
LEVELS OF AFL.
This article is co-authored with
Renuka Pinto
Renuka is an internationally trained
and traveled physical therapist with
over a decade of experience with
elite athletes in sports medicine
and manual therapy.
In a full contact environment such as At the Highest levels of AFL,
AFL, the nature, speed, and force of the
Hamstring injuries account for
game can lead to many injuries.
6.1 new injuries per team and
The majority of injuries experienced in equate to a total player game
AFL are focused on the lower body with outage of 21 games per season.
Hamstring, Groin, and ACL issues as the
Groin injuries at 16 player game
top 3 injuries. Followed closely by
Concussions due to impact either with
outages per season and ACL or
another athlete or the ground. other knee injuries at 12 player
game outages per season. *
*Sports Medicine Australia/ Asian Journal of Sports Medicine
Supplemental to the aforementioned soft tissue and joint injury rate is the
significant propensity for concussion or CTE in AFL. The overall incidence rate is
6 concussions per 1000 player hours which equates to an average of 6-7 injures
per team per season.** A recent study by Professor Alan Pearce cites that nearly
80% of the 162 AFL/VFL retired players he tested were suffering from some form
of brain damage as a result of concussion in their playing years.
The G-Suit can be a significant training tool to help
reduce the opportunity for these injuries to occur and
thereby keep the athlete on the field of play for a longer
time with a stronger and faster performance.
Concussions: How does the G-Suit Protect the Neck,
Head, and Brain?
There is now enough data to show that A “Hit is a Hit” and a good hit in
the concussive forces of significant Rugby is reveled across all levels.
impacts in AFL can have lasting and During impact, the head is
devastating health effects well beyond controlled by the neck. When the
the playing days of any level Rugby head hits the ground, another
athlete. player, or incurs the force from
bodies colliding, increased stability
Training in the G-Suit and effectively of the neck can soften the blow.
activating the Deep Core Muscles to
create an optimal “Ready State” will
increase stability across key physical
domains of the body.
** British Journal of Sports Medicine
Whilst a blow is a blow, training in the G-Suit and achieving
the “Ready State” can play a key role in reduced whiplash
and cervical injury from cervical spine components. The key
takeaway is PROVIDING A SAFE BASE FOR THE HEAD.
The G-Suit training methodology Think Newtons third law: equal
allows the athlete to hold and opposite reaction: More force and
maintain optimal disc space through can be countered with more
axial loading which creates more stability
space and lesser shear force at the
occipital level and disc of the The ability to hold head steady in
cervical spine. space and stabilize the neck when
high velocity force is applied
This equates to Improved control of through it is key to reducing the
the head weight and reduced impact of brain.
impact
The G-Suit is the ONLY
training garment that allows
for active lengthening and
stabilization of the deep neck
flexors. These muscles hold
the head weight in optimal
position over the spine.Shoulder injuries: How does the G-Suit reduce the
opportunity for these injuries to occur?
Mobility and Speed are assets of the Training in the G-Suit gives
joint yet stability makes the shoulder INCREASED TOLERANCE TO
vulnerable. Disposal by handball LONGITUDINAL compressive force
across multiple times in a game which results in greater joint integrity
combined with the speed and and increased harmony in stabilizers.
distance / power to generate a good
handball comes at the costs of The G-Suit is the ONLY
stability leading with labral and
training garment that offers
rotator cuff tears. Player to Player
contact only adds to the scenario compressive and axial
with additional forces comprising a loading force to the arm. No
joint system that is susceptible to
other system exists with ball
loading.
in hand to train for and
reduce this type of injury.
Shoulder power comes from scapula
and the position of scapula decides
the safe engagement of the joint due
to capsular pattern. Therefore, the
position of scapula determines
SAFETY and VULNERABILITY of
shoulder (rotator cuff and Labrador
tears).Groin, ACL, and other lower body soft tissue injuries: How does
the G-Suit reduce the opportunity for these injuries to occur?
Factors of Groin Injuries. Multidirectional running and cutting at
high speeds (especially on slippery
Multidirectional running and conditions) create demands of unequal
cutting at high speeds. loads on the legs, resulting in inlet
limb discrepancy to prevent falling or
Unequal Loads on Legs
excessive trunk lean.
Wet Conditions
Adductor Breves and Gracilis As a result the groin must act in
stability. lengthened position and provide both
braking and stability forces. This
demand of forces leads to tears.
Training in the G-Suit
allows lengthening of the
torso from foot to head
while using the bodies anti-
gravity systems (adductor
breves) as the key to
stabilizing which is
harnessed as a result of
utilizing the G-Suit training
methodology.Groin, ACL, and other lower body soft tissue injuries: How does
the G-Suit reduce the opportunity for these injuries to occur?
Factors of ACL injuries and other soft
tissue sprains include The G-Suit is the ONLY
training garment that
·Muscle Imbalance allows for a transfer of
·Poor knee angles during
energy between core and
running or cutting
foot to optimally fire the
·Foot locking at the time of
calf to control the knee
fall.
·Slippery playing surface. during cutting and braking
When the surface is slipper and
speeds are high the ankle and knee are
the two sitting ducks. Foot muscle
strength which is an important part to
send information to stabilize core is
compromised after just ONE ankle
sprain.
If you can't POWER UP the system
from its roots -- the system isn't as
powerful as it looksACL and other lower body soft tissue injuries: How does the
G-Suit reduce the opportunity for these injuries to occur? (cont)
An often-overlooked component is
Sports happens in motion.
hamstring tensegrity (elastic recoil
of fascia and muscle) or the spring Training the ankle and knee
effect of hamstring muscle to with a tool (The G-Suit) that
absorb force and lengthen during
works as a whole system
braking of knee. This failure in the
hamstring that goes unchecked allows the body to
results in an ACL injury integrate past injuries and
improve brain
Training in the G-Suit to achieve
“The Ready State” allows for the neuroplasticity to and
transfer of loading and optimal achieve new performance
firing of hamstring by the foot sling
gains equated to better
as a result of axial loading built
within the G-Suit. There by creating muscle and movement
an increase knee stabilization and memory.
off set ligament overload.Travel and Recovery time in the G-Suit:
How can the G-Suit benefit the athlete when not on the
field of play or training in the weight room?
Athletes spend hours on planes and
buses, or on the couch when not Traveling and recovering in the
training. The cumulative effect of G-Suit can serve
sitting creates a microgravity
environment within the athlete that
as a charging
can affect core firing. In many cases, station for the
long travel can switch off the core athlete’s
resulting in more injuries in season.
power
In this age of personal electronic supply
devices, we all spend many hours a with
week in poor body position. Sitting
on your couch and lounging hunched
continued
over your smart device, results in a deep core
poor pelvic position and harmful
activation
body posture.
to stay in the
The smart devices demand a “Ready State”
forward head posture and rounded
and allow the
shoulders. The excess looking down
strains the neck and If done while body to develop
walking changes the pelvic motion new metabolic
rhythm. These poor patterns of
pathways through
movement desensitize an otherwise
powerful athlete. increased
neuroplasticity.
The Result: Athletes are draining
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