Lung Exercises (Blow Thing)

Future 2050

I heard recently about a device you can get to strengthen your lungs. Some sort of device you keep blowing into. It sounds a bit over the top. Has anybody used this device?

If so did you notice a difference?

Also, if good where do you get these devices ??? Thanks

Beasty

Powerbreathe - you can get them from Argos

I tried one a few years ago when I was swimming a lot. There is no doubt they strengthen the lungs - not sure if they will show much of a difference to a fit and healthy cyclist

Lumen

As I understand it, you use several sets of muscles to breathe - intercostal muscles around the ribcage and the diaphragm underneath.

Neither are a limiting factor in cycling, as far as I am aware. Neither is lung capacity.

Have you ever felt too tired to breathe?

Dave11

Lumen wrote: »

As I understand it, you use several sets of muscles to breathe - intercostal muscles around the ribcage and the diaphragm underneath.

Neither are a limiting factor in cycling, as far as I am aware. Neither is lung capacity.

Have you ever felt too tired to breathe?

I have never found myself to tired to breathe but is the idea of these things not to help you increase your capacity and I would think the more oxygen your taking in the better no??

Lumen

Dave11 wrote: »

I have never found myself to tired to breathe but is the idea of these things not to help you increase your capacity and I would think the more oxygen your taking in the better no??

Lung capacity is not a limiting factor, so even if you could increase your lung capacity it wouldn't make you any faster. The problem is not getting air in, it's generating the demand for the oxygen in the first place (recommendation: training) and then getting the oxygen through the bloodstream (recommendation: EPO).

I can maybe see the point with swimming, if it worked, since you can't breathe underwater. But in cycling you can breathe all you want.

Obviously this doesn't apply to people with medical issues (asthma etc), but in that case I'd expect it to be clinically proven and recommended by my doctor.

Dave11

Lumen wrote: »

Lung capacity is not a limiting factor, so even if you could increase your lung capacity it wouldn't make you any faster. The problem is not getting air in, it's generating the demand for the oxygen in the first place (recommendation: training) and then getting the oxygen through the bloodstream (recommendation: EPO).

I can maybe see the point with swimming, if it worked, since you can't breathe underwater. But in cycling you can breathe all you want.

Obviously this doesn't apply to people with medical issues (asthma etc), but in that case I'd expect it to be clinically proven and recommended by my doctor.

Very good.... as I say in most of my posts, I'm new, so still learning!!!

Lumen

Dave11 wrote: »

Very good.... as I say in most of my posts, I'm new, so still learning!!!

I should qualify all that by saying that I am completely unqualified. This is the internet, after all.

petethedrummer

You should learn the trumpet.

RobFowl

The power breathe devices have been shown to improve Peak expiratory flow scores in research funded by the manafacturer.
The have not be shown to have any effect on performance at all.

PS lung capacity is a limiting factor in cycling (one of many). It's unfortunately one you can not change.

leftism

Lumen wrote: »

As I understand it, you use several sets of muscles to breathe - intercostal muscles around the ribcage and the diaphragm underneath.

Neither are a limiting factor in cycling, as far as I am aware. Neither is lung capacity.

Have you ever felt too tired to breathe?

+1

Oxygen transfer from the lungs into the bloodstream is not a major limiting factor in aerobic exercise (the only exception to this is swimming).

Oxygen delivery to the muscles is the major limiting factor (muslce capilarization, red blood cell content, stroke volume of heart). A secondary factor is lactate tolerance. In endurance exercise like cycling, glycogen depletion and hydration status are also limiting factors.

And when you're breathing like crazy at the end of a race, that is not because your body needs the oxygen (even though it might feel like it). It is your bodys way of buffering the lactic adic produced by your muscles. Blowing off more CO2 by hyperventilation returns the blood to a normal pH.

You'd be better off not buying this Powerbreather and spend the money on a nice pasta meal before your next big race. It'd probably do you more good...

Lumen

Hmmm

Beasty

Lumen wrote: »

Hmmm

As I am not young, this clearly has no relevance to me

Lumen

Beasty wrote: »

As I am not young, this clearly has no relevance to me

Two of the subjects were over 40.

Since I spent over a week drinking litres of beetroot juice, I should really buy one of these things. On scale of plausibility this surely ranks a bit higher.

leftism

Lumen wrote: »

Hmmm

Interesting study! I'm surprised by the results, as quite a bit of literature has showed no performance effect with the powerbreather, however a significant increase in respiratory variables.

I'll have a good read of it over the weekend anyways. Interesting study...

Garlic Suplmnt

Lumen wrote: »

Two of the subjects were over 40.

Since I spent over a week drinking litres of beetroot juice.....

Intriguing! Any particular reason?

RobFowl

leftism wrote: »

Interesting study! I'm surprised by the results, as quite a bit of literature has showed no performance effect with the powerbreather, however a significant increase in respiratory variables.

I'll have a good read of it over the weekend anyways. Interesting study...

Interesting but extremely low numbers and in an obscure journal.
Also a post grad study of questionable quality.
TBH I've had sh*t research published in better ones

Beasty

Garlic Suplmnt wrote: »

Intriguing! Any particular reason?

I think it was part of his special training regime for Goldsprints
Backfired spectacularly though:)

Lumen

Garlic Suplmnt wrote: »

Intriguing! Any particular reason?

This