REFLEXIVE PERFORMANCE RESET: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Reflexive Performance Reset, more commonly known as RPR®, is a set of pressure-based neuromuscular wake up drills designed to enhance speed, strength, agility, and flexibility in athletes by improving neural feedback during exercise. Many athletic programs, including the Division I athletic programs at the University of Arizona, have implemented RPR in their training. The protocol includes three "zones," each including drills focused on different muscles and regions in the body. Zone 1 includes the diaphragm, psoas, and gluteus maximus wakeups. The diaphragm wakeup refers to using one's fingers to put pressure beginning at the interclavicular notch and working down vertically until fingers reach bottom of chest, after which the pressure must extend outwards radially from the center of the base of the chest along the ribs into the side abdomen on either side. The psoas wake up involves locating the psoas muscles on either side of the lower abdomen and applying inward pressure using your fingers. The gluteus wakeup works by applying pressure beginning at the center base of the skull and slowly working outwards radially along the occipital bone towards the ear until reaching the temporomandibular joints and applying deep pressure for 10 seconds in this area. Each RPR drill involves a similar pattern to activate certain muscle groups in the body. While there is not much current scientific research on this topic, which is relatively new, this review discusses and evaluates several of the existing studies on RPR as well as its neurological mechanisms and proposes a new study to test the effectiveness of RPR in improving athletic performance.