In episode 5 of the Cool Cast, Impact chats with Rex about how cryotherapy, powered by Impact, fit in Mizzou’s student-athletes training regimens.
Rex Sharp is the Head Athletic Trainer and Associate Athletic Director of Sports Medicine at the University of Missouri. Rex oversees 18 certified athletic trainers, two graduate athletic trainers and 90 undergraduate athletic training students – all of whom combine to provide an integrated and comprehensive athletic care program for the university’s student-athletes.
Highlights from this episode:
- The University of Missouri utilizes not one but two Impact Cryotherapy cryosaunas in their training facility. “We’re always looking for the best possible alternatives for recovery and regeneration and when I first saw the Impact units I was sold on the efficiency and so, I wanted to make sure we could implement them at our facility. We purchased two units and our student-athletes love them. They love the efficiency of the treatment, and they love how invigorating it is when they get out,” comments Sharp.
- The program runs an estimate of 200 cryosauna sessions per week. “I would like to think that we would probably get a few more in except that there’s just not enough time in the day. There’s so many demands placed upon our student-athletes now, all sports. Between their workout schedule, their travel schedule if they’re competing, their class schedule, tutor sessions – but they are making cryotherapy a priority. And with that I’m very happy because we really talk a lot about sleep, we talk a lot about recovery, regeneration, and hydration, and they’re doing their part,” adds Sharp.
- All teams at Mizzou use cryotherapy. “Football, that’s always a big user. We typically have men’s and women’s swimming and diving in here also, potentially another 65 athletes that might well have been in here as well. Our athletes are probably our biggest proponents for the units. They’re the ones who are gonna go out and tell their teammates, and tell everybody else how invigorated they feel when they get done and how much better they feel – how much better a recovery they get.”
- Rex was introduced to the Impact cryosauna at the SEC Sports Medicine Conference – but it was also recommended to him by his peers. “I talked to Nick over at the Kansas City Royals, you know, they’ve got a unit. I talked to Ron Courson at Georgia, he has a unit or two, and there was no question in my mind what I wanted to do, and we’ve done it. In the last year and a half, it’s been a big part of our student-athlete experience here.
- Mizzou has plans to add more Impact cryosaunas to their offerings. “When we open the new sports medicine facility for our football program, which should be August of 2019, we’re gonna buy two brand new units, and put those down there. We’ll keep these two up here, we’ll put two down there, and we’ll keep doing that as much as we can to benefit our student-athletes.”