Introduction to Vasper
Unit Basic Operation (Vasper Bike, SA Unit, Tablet Software)
Vasper is a patented health and rehabilitation technology designed to promote systemic health gains. Compression and cooling are used with a low-impact recumbent bicycle to stimulate the natural production of anabolic hormones, which have wide-ranging health, rehabilitation, and performance benefits.
Vasper’s mission is to provide non-invasive technology solutions that allow people to actively engage their body’s natural systems to achieve optimal health and wellness.
Vasper’s vision is to achieve optimal health and wellness for everyone, regardless of age, ability, or health status, such that they live their most fulfilling life.
Vasper is based on three scientifically proven principles – compression, cooling, and interval training. When all principles are working together, the results are extraordinary: creating the effect of high intensity exercise without the time, effort, and muscle damage it takes to achieve the same results with conventional exercise. Instead of feeling tired and sore, Vasper leaves you energized and rejuvenated, alleviating your body aches and pains and elevating your performance.
Vasper Technology Principles
Compression: Applying compression on the arm and leg muscles while exercising at a low intensity has been scientifically shown to create the physiological effect of high intensity exercise. Compression cuffs safely compress the muscle to quickly build up lactic acid, mimicking the physiology of an intense workout that would typically take extensive time and effort to achieve. Compression builds metabolite concentration quickly and activates fast twitch muscle fibers. These signals trigger a systemic recovery response, including the natural release of anabolic hormones such as Growth Hormone.
Cooling: Cooling the body on Vasper enhances performance, mitigates further physical stress, and reduces existing pain and inflammation. When your body temperature increases, blood vessels near the surface of the skin dilate, increasing blood flow to the skin, leaving less blood and oxygen in the deep muscles. When there is not enough blood flow to deliver oxygen and remove lactic acid, the body hits a wall and fatigues. Thus, cooling during exercise keeps blood oxygen levels high, which makes exercising more efficient and pleasant. Lastly, cooling dramatically reduces or eliminates the need to sweat.
Interval Training Software: Each Vasper protocol is a 21- minute interval training protocol, delivered on a fully-integrated tablet. Interval training involves a warm-up period followed by a succession of sprint and rest intervals. This pattern of exercise is scientifically proven to increase the efficiency of an exercise session. Each section of the interval training protocol is fully customizable, allowing for adjustments in duration, intensity, resistance, speed, pressure and cooling. Heart rate monitors and a graph of power output is displayed on screen to track performance. Session metrics are displayed at the end of the workout and can be emailed directly from the tablet.
Vasper Recumbent Bike
Stand Alone (SA) Unit
The SA Unit contains controls for the communications of the tablet with the Vasper Bike (via Bluetooth and Ethernet cable), refrigeration of the water, and controls for the pressure pumps to the compression cuffs, seat mat, footplates, neckpiece, and cooling bed.
There are two cords connecting to the Vasper SA Unit (see above, right). The black cord is the Vasper SA Unit power cord and should be connected to a dedicated circuit for a normal electrical outlet in the US (NEMA 5-15/5-20). The white cord is an Ethernet cable that connects the SA Unit to the NuStep from the bottom of the NuStep’s backside to the NuStep neck/head. The red switch next to these two plugs is the power switch (on/off). The red light should always be lit (in the on position) – the SA Unit stays on to keep the water cold, even overnight. While the SA Unit can be turned off for moving or for longer absences, repeatedly letting the water warm in a powered-down unit and then re-cooling wastes energy and time (cooling the ~8.5 gallons to 45F takes about 1-2 hours).
The SA Unit can be opened by accessing the front/nose and pressing in the latch to unlock the lid (see picture at right). This is how to open up the unit to add water to the reservoir. When adding water, pour in the reservoir to the high “H” line. The tablet will have a pop-up notification if there is a low “L” water level and water addition is needed. A cap full of iodine can also be added to the water to fight algae growth about once a month. If the unit is in a warm location with sunlight, expect to fill the water and add iodine more often than in a cool, shaded location. When the lid is closed, the green Bluetooth indicator light shines through the front grate (see picture at right). If the light is on, Bluetooth is connected. If the light is blinking, restart the SA Unit and the tablet, then connect Bluetooth again through the tablet's Vasper Application.
The ports on top of the SA Unit connect to the cuffs, seat, footplates, neckpiece, and cooling bed. Each component has two tubes and two ports associated with it.
The tubes are blue and red, for
outflow and return, respectively. Make sure to connect all tubes for each component: 2 sets of arms, 2 sets of
legs, footplates, neckpiece, seat, and cooling bed.
Each component must have both tubes properly attached at the corresponding ports to avoid mismatched pressurization. The ports are labeled accordingly on the top face of the SA Unit (see picture above).
- The neckpiece ports may be labeled as "Head"
- The seat tubes’ ports may be labeled as "Vest" (older models apply)
The ports function by plugging in the grey end of the cuff tubing into the port until you hear a 'click.' See the picture above (right) for correctly seated vs. non-connected unseated plug placement.
The SA Unit only needs light exterior dusting/wipe-down with a non-corrosive cleaner.
- Note: The SA Unit's top lid cover's paint has a thin layer of clear coat - be sure to use a plush microfiber towel and plenty of lubrication when dusting, to avoid micro-scratches.
- The Vaper bike, cuffs, seat, footplates, handles, and cooling bed should be wiped down after each use.
- Sanding sponges are best to preserve the luster and shine of the foot plates.
- Leaks are possible but rare, and when the unit and pumps are in use, a leak will be an obvious flow of water.
Starting the Vasper Tablet and Vasper Application
The tablet can be turned on and off by the button in the upper left-hand corner. To wake up the tablet from sleep mode, select the on/off button or the home screen button located at the center bottom of the tablet. Swipe the touchscreen from left to right to unlock the tablet. Select the Vasper app to begin.
The Bluetooth will automatically connect to the SA Unit by the VASPER_XXXX registered
signature. Once Bluetooth is connected, the
Self Test will begin (picture below – left). The items
tested are listed in the progress of the Self Test, including testing the communication between
the tablet, the SA Unit, the pressure board, and pumps. The results should say “All Passed."
In rare cases, if the SA Unit power trips or the tablet malfunctions, you may encounter a Scanning page - simply select the unique Bluetooth ID VASPER_XXXX from the to synchronize the SA Unit to the tablet. A screen like this will appear:* Note, each SA Unit has its own Bluetooth ID, so make sure that there is no other SA Unit that is unpaired to avoid synching bikes to different SA Units in you facility.
If the Self Test does not pass, a small grey warning will appear on the tablet screen which will say why the Self Test failed. First, try restarting the Vasper Application: press the windows button to the left of the home button to see all of the opened apps, click the "x" on the Vasper app window on the top-left to close it, lastly reopen the application on the home screen.
If that does not work, try restarting both the SA Unit and the tablet (especially if the Bluetooth indicator light on SA is blinking). Once the connection has been re-established and the Self-Test has been passed, the Select Workout Intensity screen will appear (picture below - right).
The application will receive automatic updates from Vasper as long as the tablet is connected to Wi-Fi and there is a Gmail l account linked to the tablet's account settings.
Be sure to bookmark support.vasper.com for the Vasper Support Portal for more information on system administration and tablet accounts, and articles on Vasper maintenance, Trouble-Shooting, differences between each Intensity Category, and more relevant articles.