Sports
How the AlterG Treadmill Aids Athlete Injury Recovery
Air-pressure technology unweights up to 80% of body weight, allowing athletes to maintain training and biomechanics without overload.
The AlterG anti-gravity treadmill has emerged as an essential tool in sports physical therapy and injury rehabilitation. By unweighting up to 80% of body weight, it allows runners to maintain training volume while preserving proper biomechanics.
For runners and triathletes, dealing with an injury at the peak of race prep is one of the most frustrating scenarios in endurance sports. It is precisely in this context of rehabilitation and impact control that differential air pressure treadmills, popularly known as the Alter G (or anti-gravity treadmill), have established themselves as a strategic tool in sports physical therapy.
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How Alter G technology works
Although the name suggests a physical nullification of gravity, the equipment operates using a differential air pressure system. The athlete wears specialized shorts that zip into an airtight chamber enclosing the treadmill deck. The machine injects positive air pressure and, via an integrated force plate in the base, precisely measures and reduces the user's body weight, offloading up to 80% of joint impact.
Preserving biomechanics and progressive loading
As physical therapist Rafael Tambascia explained in a conversation with Bruna Mahn on Stemma Performance, the Alter G was not designed for pure performance gains, but rather for functional rehabilitation. The key advantage over alternatives such as pool running (deep running) or simply slowing down on asphalt is the preservation of natural running biomechanics.
When runners try to train through pain, they often develop compensations—such as limping or wearing knee braces—that place excessive strain on other muscle structures. On an unweighting treadmill, athletes can maintain their normal movement patterns without pain, enabling continuous training and even long runs during pre-competition phases.
The technology also enables progressive tissue loading by applying small increments of body weight—such as 5% to 6% each week—as injured tissues heal and can tolerate more impact.
Clinical applications beyond elite sports
Beyond benefiting athletes struggling with stress fractures, tendinopathies, and joint pain during peak training cycles, the treadmill is used for early gait training in overweight individuals, patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis, and post-joint replacement rehabilitation. The technology also delivers a strong emotional and psychological boost, restoring the joy of running to those sidelined for years.
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