Page 110 - Mind, Body and Spirit 2016/17

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Better Breathing for Better Performance
As you are reading this article then you are definitely breathing, but are you breathing in the most efficient and healthy way?
In a very recent study conducted at Loughborough University, by Dr Mark Faghy using Army devised protocols, a group using POWERbreathe® inspiratory muscle trainers (IMT) were able to complete an exercise carrying 25kgs back-packs two (2) minutes faster than the placebo group.
Breathing is unique in that it is automatic but you also have manual override. This can be good in sport but bad for people who hyperventilate (breathe too fast) upsetting the carbon dioxide and oxygen balance.
On average people breathe 12-15 times per minute at rest but this can go up to 40-50 breaths a minute when exercising. When breathing hard your breathing muscles can use up to 20% of your energy, so an efficient and strong breathing system will benefit your overall health and performance.
You cannot change the lungs but by using POWERbreathe inspiratory muscle trainers you can change your breathing technique to a healthier and more efficient breathing pattern, thus getting more out of the lungs you were born with.
Many people breathe in a dysfunctional way. They overuse their upper respiratory muscles and under use the diaphragm, the most effective breathing muscle you have.
These muscles also affect posture and core stability by maintaining abdominal pressure.
Breathing is a two-part process which should be smooth and coordinated.
The diaphragm, is a parachute shaped internal skeletal muscle. Breathing action results in the diaphragm pulling down and flattening, which results in air being drawn into the lungs through a change in pressure. At the same time, the ribcage is expanded using the intercostal muscles between the ribs. People who have poor technique tend to overuse the upper respiratory muscles, particularly the neck and shoulders.
Due to poor breathing technique many people draw their diaphragm up rather than down during inspiration. Anyone who has studied yoga will have heard of “belly” breathing which is essentially the diaphragm flattening and pushing the belly out during inspiration.
The good news is that you can easily retrain your breathing technique and strengthen the muscles used for breathing by using POWERbreathe’s proven, time efficient, easy to use and inexpensive equipment.
POWERbreathe’s variable loading inspiratory muscle trainers are hand-held devices through which you take in a strong breath using your diaphragm and intercostal muscles.
An internal valve opens when you reach a predetermined pressure threshold. You can adjust the level of effort required to open the valve. The objective is to progressively increase the training load over a period of time as your breathing muscles get stronger. Just like doing weights in the gym, but instead of progressively increasing the strength of your arms, you are working the breathing muscles.
Research shows that it only takes around four weeks to get a significant improvement in breathing muscle strength and power. By improving your breathing technique and using POWERbreathe IMT the performance of the diaphragm can be optimised.
The recommended training protocol is 30 breaths twice a day at between 40% and 60% of your maximum, which will take less than 5 minutes a day. As your respiratory muscle strength improves the resistance can be increased proportionally.
You can increase your lung volume and flow rates, as you expand the range of your inspiratory muscles.
POWERbreathe IMT has been the secret weapon of Ironman; Olympic and Paralympic athletes in numerous sports for many years, with cycling, triathlon, swimming, rowing, judo, boxing, middle/long distance running and biathlon teams gaining the maximum benefit.
Improved breathing technique and stronger breathing muscles allow greater blood flow to the working muscles, this combined with a lower perception of effort enables you to go further, faster for longer.
Training the inspiratory muscles improves running performance when carrying a 25 kg thoracic load in a backpack
Mark A. Faghya & Peter I. Brownb
a School of Science, University of Derby, Derby, UK
b EIS Loughborough, UK Published online: 14 Aug 2015
For more information go to: powerbreathe.com