We caught up with Reggie Scott, Director of Sports Medicine and Performance for the Los Angeles Rams, to discuss the impact PR Lotion made during the Rams Super Bowl season and why it will be part of their program in the future.
What do you look for when you’re exploring new performance and recovery methods for the L.A. Rams?
Our Performance Team is looking for products that can have a meaningful impact on our players. My job is to help our team win football games; which means I have to maximize our athletes’ ability to prepare for competition, increase their consistency of play and facilitate recovery strategies so they can perform again.
How do you evaluate if something new is worth using?
In our evaluation of something new like PR Lotion, there are three areas our Performance Team looks at before we get behind it. First, the science behind the theory needs to support efficacy. There are a ton of products out there with flashy packaging and a bunch of money spent on marketing. But does it work? Second, application needs to be simple. There are a lot of different recovery products out there but the question is, “How do I get this to 53 players?”, “How do I get this to 90 athletes?”. Lastly, the athletes need to notice a difference. When athletes are coming back and asking for a product, something good is happening.
Why did you decide to implement PR Lotion with the team?
I’ve been aware of the benefits of sodium bicarbonate for a while, which is a proven aid for athletes, but has had some major limitations for use in the past. NFL support staffs have used it intravenously to help with muscle function and cramping. So a noninvasive delivery of the same substance that is practical and scalable is really interesting.
When it comes to PR Lotion, we’re looking at a cutting edge technology on the front lines of sports performance. There is solid evidence based research and Amp Human is committed to really dialing in the technology and application and continuing to do more research. Implementation is easy and individualized based upon the size of the athlete and doesn’t take a ton of resources from me and my team. So PR Lotion checks off the first two boxes easily, which is a great start. The final piece is what type of feedback we get from the players.
What benefits did you see after implementing PR Lotion?
We found that PR Lotion allows us to take advantage of all the proven benefits of bicarbonate, which was a key piece of the puzzle in our 2018-19 season. We implemented it by having our players use it before practice and games. PR Lotion improves practice performance, leads to quality outcomes in a game and reduced post-game muscle soreness and fatigue. In a nutshell, the implementation was easy, the theory makes a ton of sense and the evidence behind it is really compelling.
Since player feedback is key, what did they think?
After 2-3 uses in practice sessions, most athletes felt comfortable using the lotion in a game. If I had to pick one spot where the players felt they benefited the most from PR Lotion, it would be using before workouts and games. They felt like it helped them get through games, led to quality outcomes in a game and reduced post-game muscle soreness and fatigue. To me, that’s a super win.
Will you keep PR Lotion around the Ram’s locker room for your next Super Bowl run?
The simple fact that the team really, truly came back and asked about PR Lotion and wanted to give feedback related to it says a lot about the product. The feedback from players on how their muscles felt really good in the 3rd and 4th quarter is huge. On top of that, the reduction in cramping is a big win. To top it off, Monday post-game workouts feel a little better and it helps them attack their recovery. The sustainability due to less breakdown over time is important. PR Lotion is part of my program and helps our team win games.
Want to know more about how the Rams use PR Lotion? Download the full white paper here.
