Forums >Gears and Wears>Alter G treadmill + calories burned, and random musings
ultramarathon/triathlete
I've been running on one a few times now as part of my PT (hip adductor/flexor strain, uggg). It's kinda cool, though I think calling it Anti Gravity is misleading, it feels more like being pulled up by imaginary suspenders where the shorts connect to the machine, like my body is being pushed away from the treadmill... it's hard to explain but it doesn't feel like what I imagine less gravity would feel like, but then again, what do I know. It was still pretty cool.
Running on the Alter G at 60% body weight the other day was great. I banged out 9.5mph for my 30 minutes easily and with no pain (it is sore to run on the road or regular treadmill right now). I'd like to see what I could do the mile in, but I think I'll wait till the hip problem is gone first.
Anyway, I noticed the calorie counter thingie seemed to be spitting out the same numbers as a normal treadmill's does. Maybe 120ish calories per mile? BUT, can this be right given I was running at 60% weight? Seems like it would be a hell of a lot fewer calories burned. My heart rate (perceived) was nowhere near where it would have been if I had been at full weight on the road or regular machine.
Also, could someone really train on this thing regularly and reap the same benefits but with fewer negative side effects of normal high milage? I mean, when running with less weight, is it really the same or is it just like running less overall?
HTFU? Why not!
USATF Coach
Empire Tri Club CoachGatorade Endurance Team
It's no different than the assisted pull-up machine. It has it's place, but not really. (unless you're injured) Anyone who says differently is trying to sell you one.. Having never used one, I am an expert.
You are burning less calories. And I don't think your muscles, tendons, bones, etc. adapt to running as well with the lower weight.
It's no different than the assisted pull-up machine.
That's a great analogy. That killed any interest I had in trying one for fun. It's like riding a bike down hill and saying 'look how fast I can ride...'
Super B****
You're burning fewer calories... when I run on the AlterG and use a Garmin that calculates calorie burn by HR, I get a much lower number than with my FR70. Because -- duh -- your HR is lower. (Though it calculates about 75 calories per mile for me, which is pretty much what I burn when I'm running on solid ground.)
As for its benefits -- hell, yeah, you can reap benefit from it. Especially for someone like me, with crappy bones... I would never be able to run anything approaching the mileage I do without an AlterG. I've improved vastly as a runner since I've started using one. Though I guess there's no way of knowing whether that's due to the AlterG itself, or to the fact that I finally managed to string together a consecutive streak of training without breaking something.
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
Probably a pretty good estimate would be to multiply your regular calorie rate per mile by the % you have it set at. To the extent that it effectively reduces your weight by that much, then that's also how much less your muscles are working.
Even elites train on Alter-Gs, and not just when they're injured -- they use them for speedwork. I think the idea is that you can get a much higher turnover (improving neuromuscular coordination at high speed) than you could on the road with equivalent wear on your body.
Probably a pretty good estimate would be to multiply your regular calorie rate per mile by the % you have it set at. To the extent that it effectively reduces your weight by that much, then that's also how much less your muscles are working. Even elites train on Alter-Gs, and not just when they're injured -- they use them for speedwork. I think the idea is that you can get a much higher turnover (improving neuromuscular coordination at high speed) than you could on the road with equivalent wear on your body.
I've ran on an alter-G a few times recently and I find it really hard to get use to my hips being locked. Perhaps that's a sign I move around too much normally. Perhaps that very thing can be used to identify and correct form problems.
But, speaking of "elites and speedwork " on a treadmill, check out this Woodway treadmill:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD90E6iF19k
it can go up to 28 MPH.
Which elites train on Alter-G's and what percent of their training are they doing on them?
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for non-injured runners, to me.
Runners run
Working on it. But in the meantime...
The revolutionary device, typically favored by distance runners, has found a new user: sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross.
NEW YORK — When Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross had toe surgery last September, she turned to an unusual aid to help heal her ailing right big toe: the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill. Commonly used by elite level distance runners, Richards-Ross is one of the few known top level sprinters
Somehow I don't think that's quite what they meant. This is one of those cases where grammar matters, like "Let's eat, Grandma" vs. "Let's eat Grandma".
Which elites -- for starters, Ritz, Goucher, Radcilffe. I don't know what percent of their training they are doing on them. I can't find the relevant links I've read in the past at the moment.
But again, I think the idea is to explore a turnover regime that is normally too draining. This should improve neuromuscular coordination and range of motion at faster paces.
I ran on the Alter G from Dec 2012 - Feb 2013 due to a calcaneal stress fx. I started around 70% and once I could do 94-95% painfree, I was ready for the roads. It was a lifesaver to transition back to running. I was still super sore (muscle wise) after using the Alter G because I could run much faster on it. You will definitely get muscle/tendon benefits from running on one. A lower HR will help you burn fat and avoid burning through your glycogen stores (roughly 2000 calories stored in the liver). Runners typically train too hard and do too many moderate runs that they don't know how to appropriately use their aerobic engine. Keep the hard runs hard and the easy runs easy!. I am a physical therapist/athletic trainer and a big believer in this piece of equipment.
You won't burn as many calories with the lesser body weight. This is why people on the biggest loser can lose 15-20 lbs a week! The lighter you are, the less you burn. I wouldn't worry about calories. They shouldn't even exist on any piece of cardio equipment. So many factors go into metabolism/burning calories at rest and with exercise.
One of my friends owns an Alter G (wouldn't that be awesome). He was an alternate on the Olympic team in the marathon back in the 80s. His knees are so bad now and has had many surgeries but he can still run super fast. He qualified for Triathlon Age group Olympic Distance Worlds Champshipships and Worlds 70.3 both in Canada this year. Most of his runs are on the Alter G.
Ritz is always injured and as far as I know Radcliffe only turned to the Alter-G when she was recovering from stress fractures. And she absolutely bombed in the marathon where she tried to do a lot of her speedwork on it.
The idea of exploring turnover doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Anyone can turn their legs over if they don't have to do it while supporting their whole body weight. Get on a bike and turn a low gear. It's pretty easy to maintain a cadence of 200 or more. The turnover that matters is the turnover while running.
Whatever man don't do too much research. There are some elites doing just about everything. I don't really care that much. If you have the money then knock yourself out.
I'm very skeptical of calorie burning calculators/calculations; I think we're all clueless on how many calories we burn.
Feeling the growl again
The part of neuromuscular training I struggle with is getting the recruitment of sufficient fast-twitch engagement to propel my entire body far enough to keep up with turnover. Simply turning over quickly free of weight -- lacking the requirement to generate sufficient force -- doesn't strike me as doing nearly the same thing.
Long ago and far away when I had a need to develop mid-distance ability in a matter of weeks when I was recruited for a specific race, I found sprint drills very, very useful. It wasn't the turnover I had issues with...it was generating the explosive power in the stride.
Now the range of motion part, I'll buy into that line of thinking.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Well, regardless of how helpful the Alter G is for non-injured runners, looks like I'm going to need to keep at it as an injured runner. :-(
I just can't seem to get this adductor/flexor strain to go away. Ran an easy pace for 30 minutes last night on the normal treadmill and it was uncomfortable the whole time. Slightly better after 10 minutes, but not much.
Afterwards, I foam rolled the hell out of my legs and did all the stretching the PT has me doing, but my hip/groin is somewhat sore today and I know if I run it will be very uncomfortable. And I'm an official pacer for a BIG half marathon next weekend, sooooo that's gonna hurt.
I have an MRI scheduled for next Tues (earliest I can get in) and my PT and a PA I saw both say it's very unlikely there is a real tear since the pain level is low and I can stand, hop, move in all kinds of directions standing on either leg without issue. It just hurts to run. :-(
But still, I'd rather have them show me nothing is torn than just keep hoping nothing is despite the continued discomfort.
This decreased mileage from 60-75/week to like 10 a week is killing me! (and I'm getting fat).