NAO president, Dr. Shawn Pourgol, MBA, DC, DO, DN, PhD has developed a method of advanced techniques called Osteopathic Sports Energy Technique (SET). This is the first time a Canadian manual osteopath originates an osteopathic technique. Until now all osteopathy techniques originated from the United States.
Dr. Pourgol’s interest in sports goes back more than three decades when he started practicing Judo, Shotokan Karate, Kan Zen Ryu Karate, Kung Fu To’A, Hyeong Taekwondo (ITF) and Pumsae TKD (WTF).
In 1985; Dr Pourgol received the bronze medal in the provincial Taekwondo championship of Gilan (Iran). As part of his mission to expand Taekwondo in Iran; Dr Pourgol authored a comprehensive book on Pumsae patterns in Tae Kwon Do in 1986.
Dr. Pourgol’s claim to fame in martial arts was due to his kicking techniques. Especially his flying kicks were revolutionary in design and his 180 degree split flying kick became the top selling poster in Iran for two years in 1985 and 1986.
Upon graduation in 1995, Dr Pourgol focused his practice on sports medicine and was chosen as the team doctor for three soccer teams in Canada and Portugal, including FC Porto.
Sports Energy Technique is a form of advanced osteopathic technique designed to improve athletic performance by increasing speed. This is achieved by working on the fast twitch type IIb skeletal muscle fibres. Athletes can achieve dramatic increase in speed often after the first session. They can run, kick, jump or punch faster often after doing the first set of S.E.T. techniques.
Muscle tissue consists of fibres (cells) that are highly specialized for the active generation of force for contraction. Because of this characteristic, muscle tissue provides motion, maintenance of posture, and heat production. Based on certain structural and functional characteristics, muscle tissue is classified into three types: cardiac, smooth and skeletal. Based on various structural and functional characteristics, skeletal muscle fibres are classified into three types: Type I fibres, Type II b fibres and type II a fibres.
Type IIb fibres, also called fast twitch or fast glycolytic fibres; contain a low content of myoglobin, relatively few mitochondria, relatively few blood capillaries and large amounts glycogen. Type II b fibres are white, geared to generate ATP by anaerobic metabolic processes, not able to supply skeletal muscle fibres continuously with sufficient ATP, fatigue easily, split ATP at a fast rate and have a fast contraction velocity. Generally people are born with an average of 50% slow and 50% fast twitch fibres. Sprinters with proper training change this ratio to 80% fast twitch fibres in the leg muscles while marathon runners change the ratio with advanced training to 80% slow twitch fibres in the lower limbs muscles.
Because fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism to create fuel, they are much better at generating short bursts of strength and speed than slow muscles. However, they fatigue more quickly. Fast twitch fibers generally produce the same amount of force per contraction as slow muscles, but they get their name because they are able to fire more rapidly. Having faster twitch fibers can be an asset to athletes since they need to quickly generate a lot of force.