PowerBreathe - Any Good?

use a bigger gear

With respect, that's not answering the OPs question is it?

Supposed to be an aid for warmup and build up the intercostal muscles so they are more efficient and use less blood for a given workload. I've had one for years and find the biggest problem is just remembering to put in the time with the thing and I do feel a bit hesitant using it with a high resistance. There have been studies purporting its ergogenic properties - google around a bit. Kind of thing I thnk you just have to try for yourself.

If that contraption works, asthma should be advertised as potentially strengthening your lungs.
Fact is, it takes very little muscular strength to breath properly, it is more the amount of air you allow in and out.
Pushing a bigger gear at the start may help if your muscles are warmed up but your CV system still struggles to deliver the oxygen.

I was lucky enough to be in some of the early Inspiratory Training research trials (not PowerBreathe but their competitior) and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that IMT (Inspiratory Muscle Training) is effective at making you less breathless.

The biggest benefits were found in "pathological" populations, like Cystic Fibrosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, but elite athletes also found major benefits. For instance, the Welsh National 1500m champ took 3secs off his PB after 6 weeks of training, and the 100m Butterfly-er cut the number of breaths needed for his race from 3 to 1.

The chances are in this instance, that the PowerBreathe will not help the first five minutes of the race, as it is unlikely that you are suffering by not getting enough oxygen in, more likely that you are going out too fast and as a result your HR is above your anaerobic threshold (boring explaination but probably true) and you end up feeling like you are breathing out of your........saddle area?

My advice - get a lactate test done, learn where your HR zones are and train accordingly. It worked.....is starting to work for me.

and as for:
"If that contraption works, asthma should be advertised as potentially strengthening your lungs " is the equivalent of saying if all you did was cycle all day at the same pace it would make you a better/stronger cycler, ie not really . The IMT works by giving you bursts of increased resistance above your normal, much more like saying if you lifted weights twice a day you would get stronger muscles.

Like weights, you need to IMT regularly and increase the load as it gets easier - and yes it is BORING! You would probably benefit more from a PowerBreathe if you were a triathlete struggling with your swim.

Good luck to all
Spender

Sorry I re-read what I writ there.

The 1500m man was a runner, the 100m butterfly-er was the swimmer.

Offer your national champion a 3 sec improvement in his PB and see him bite your hand off. Improvement was made without any other alteration in "standard" training regime, ie it was the only change to the training .

Research has indeed showed no improvement in VO2 max using IMT, but an improvement in sensation of breathless ness and also performance in relation to times.

I agree that there is indeed no evidence that IMT works in improving endurance cycling, but there is also no evidence that says it does not (not that I am aware of anyhoo).

Just because it has not been proven does not mean it does not work - only when it has been disproven can it be discounted - in my humble opinion of course.

When all is said and done - it isnt likely to help in the original situation, but it has been proven to have some benefits in some sports.