Sporting Advantage From Floating

World over athletes use floating to enhance their performance and speed their recovery from injuries. It keeps them on top of their game.

Athletes are able to visualise success in the float tank, programming them for the win in the Theta state, the float tank lowers their cortisol levels allowing for more intensive training and muscle development, The Epsom Salts relax their muscles, the lack of gravity soothes their joints.

After years of mediocrity, the Philadelphia Eagles acquired a tank, and then went on to win the NFC championship in 1980.

The Philadelphia Phillies noticed the tank, and many of these players began floating too. This team went on to win its first world series in decades in 1980.

Other famous floating athletes include Carl Lewis, who used in-tank visualisation techniques to prepare himself for his gold medal long jump at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

The 1998 Ironman champion Peter Reid, the Dallas Cowboys, the US 2000 Olympic team, and the Australian 2000 Olympic team are just a few who have done the tank.

 Brett Dennis, a promising young cyclist who cycled off a cliff in the US Tour DuPont road race in 1994, falling 4 metres and smashing his femur through his hip socket. Doctors gave him little chance of walking properly again. Back home in Australia two weeks later, with a steel pin through his shattered pelvis, Dennis was understandably depressed and near to giving up his sporting ambitions. However, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is justifiably famous for its advanced training techniques and facilities.

At the AIS, Dennis was put onto a program of intensive physiotherapy. He also spent an hour a day playing "mind games" - closing his eyes and visualising a blue light traveling from his chest to his hip joint, washing away damaged tissue and replacing it with new cells.

Three times a week, he lay suspended in one of the AIS floatation tanks. Above him, a custom-made videotape played highlights of his own best races and those of his cycling heroes, with his favourite music playing in the background. Seven weeks after the accident Dennis started training again. Seven weeks after that, he won gold and - with his three teammates - smashed the Australian record in the 100 km team time trial at the Commonwealth Games.

The Chilean medical and Physiotherapy team visit the Floatworks to check us out.

When we asked "Why floatation?"

Dr Radice replied:

"Because it is the perfect therapy for our athletes! You get off the plane after many hours of flying and you arrive feeling tired and achy. A one hour float and you feel so much better. Also being super relaxed helps with sport as your muscles are more flexible and it helps you stay mentally focussed."

Carl Lewis 

Carl Lewis, said to be the world's greatest athlete, used in-tank visualisation techniques to prepare himself for his gold medal long jump at the 1988 Seoul Olympics

Dallas Cowboys

Winners of the 1993 Superbowl, have been using float tanks since 1981 to develop the physical and psychological skills of their players

MMA fighter Rose Namajunas shares her first floating experience

Research Papers

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 the 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 Inc. 

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 Inc. 

Other Atkinson R. (1993). Short-Term Exposure to REST: Enhancement Performance on 

a Signal-Detection Task. Clinical and Experimental Restricted Environmental Stimulation: 

New Developments and Perspectives. pp.93-100. New York: Springer-Verlag New York 

Inc. 

Barabasz M. & Barabasz A. (1997). REST Effects on Human Performance. 6th 

International REST Conference. San Francisco.* 

Melchiori L.G. & Barabasz A.F. (1990). Effects of Flotation REST on Simulated Instrument 

Flight Performance. Restricted Environmental Stimulation: Research and Commentary. 

pp.196-203. Toledo, Ohio: Medical College of Ohio Press. 

O’Leary D.S. & Heilbronner R.L. (1985). Flotation Rest and Information Processing: A 

Reaction Time Study. First International Conference on REST and Self-Regulation. pp.50-

61. Toledo, Ohio: IRIS Publications.