Episode 80: Anthony Kjenstad - 72 Hours to 28: The Nerve Hack Cutting Athlete Recovery Time - Behind the Sports Medicine | Lyssna här

72 Hours to 28: The Nerve Hack Cutting Athlete Recovery Time

How can athletic trainers and human performance professionals cut through the noise of trendy gimmicks to build truly effective, scientifically validated recovery protocols for their athletes so they can perform at their best when it truly counts?

In this episode, recorded live at the 2026 NATA Convention, Anthony Kjenstad, President of Firefly Recovery, joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to explain how Firefly evolved from a medical device designed to prevent post-surgical blood clots into a portable recovery tool used by athletes and athletic trainers. He breaks down how the technology differs from traditional electrical stimulation and pneumatic compression, why the lower-extremity "foot pump" is central to its effect, and what research has revealed about circulation and recovery.

The conversation explores where wearable recovery technology fits into an athlete's broader recovery plan, including how it could help a young athlete travelling between games, why portability and implementation matter, and why sleep and nutrition still come before any recovery gadget. Kjenstad also discusses Firefly's emerging upper-extremity applications, new research into heart rate variability, how athletic trainers can distinguish evidence-based technology from trends, and what he believes the future of recovery science and wellness will look like.

Firefly Recovery is offering Behind the Sports Medicine listeners an exclusive discount!

Visit https://www.fireflyrecovery.com/discount/BTSM15 to claim your discount and learn more about Firefly Recovery’s approach to recovery and circulation.

MEET THE GUEST

Anthony Kjenstad

– President, Firefly Recovery

TOPICS DISCUSSED

How Firefly uses the nervous system to increase circulation
Firefly vs. traditional pneumatic compression and electrical STIM
Making recovery technology practical for travelling athletes
The role of circulation alongside sleep and nutrition
Evaluating recovery technology through research and evidence
The future of wearable recovery and wellness technology

HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 – Introduction

00:52 – How Firefly's Recovery Technology Works

01:56 – Using Firefly for Athletic Recovery

03:27 – How Firefly Compares to Other Recovery Modalities

04:20 – Expanding Firefly to the Upper Extremity

05:28 – Sponsor: Beck Bode

05:56 – Where Is Recovery Science Heading?

07:14 – Practical On-the-Go Recovery for Traveling Athletes

11:03 – Balancing Recovery Tools with Sleep, Movement, and Nutrition

14:34 – How Firefly Is Applied, Worn, and Replaced

16:22 – Can Athletes Move Around While Using Firefly?

17:04 – From Blood Clot Prevention to Athlete Recovery Tool

18:05 – Trend or Treatment? Evaluating Recovery Technology

19:41 – The Future of Recovery Science and Longevity

21:25 – Lightning Round: Travel Hacks, Career Advice & Peloton

QUOTES:

02:15 - “What we identified is that by palpating the perineal nerve with our modified muscle stim technology, you can cause a slight dorsiflexion of the foot. I call it a ‘foot pump’ or a ‘Firefly flutter’. If you think about it, 70% of our blood's in our lower extremity, we're basically just using your nervous system to pump it back up.”

08:29 - “What we do know about our research is two to four hours is optimal wear time to maximize recovery. You can take that athlete from 72 hours to 28 hours. Early on I wanted to say the quote, ‘We take the day out of recovery’ because by increasing circulation at this dramatic effect, we can actually reduce recovery rates to that effect.”

LINKS

Anthony Kjenstad - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-kjenstad-74951219/

Firefly Recovery - https://www.fireflyrecovery.com/

NATA - https://www.nata.org/