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I'm curious about these things. How do they work? Do they just make breathing harder? Do they force you to focus on breathing technique more? I've seen a guy use one at my boxing gym, but I only see him around on occasion and he doesn't always use it. I'm a little skeptical of these things. It seems like a gimmick. I'd think if they worked that great they'd be more widely used. It seems like you could just up the intensity of the workout you're doing and get a similiar or better effect.
I'm curious about these things. How do they work? Do they just make breathing harder? Do they force you to focus on breathing technique more? I've seen a guy use one at my boxing gym, but I only see him around on occasion and he doesn't always use it. I'm a little skeptical of these things. It seems like a gimmick. I'd think if they worked that great they'd be more widely used. It seems like you could just up the intensity of the workout you're doing and get a similiar or better effect.
The science is very clear on this. There is absolutely zero actual benefit to these stupid things. Don't use them. If you own one, throw it away.
A longer answer, now that I am home...
Training at altitude has a number of benefits. These masks claim (falsely) to provide the same benefits without requiring you to go to altitude.
When training at altitude, athletes are breathing air at a lower pressure than at lower altitude. The composition of the air remains the same.
The only way to duplicate this at low altitude would be to enter a sealed chamber and use vacuum pumps to reduce the air pressure.
These masks do absolutely nothing to the air pressure. They do one thing and one thing only. They restrict the FLOW of air by forcing you to, in essence, breath through a straw.
There is no benefit from this. Masks of this sort do an excellent job of simulating one thing. Breathing with an obstructive airway disease, such as asthma or emphysema.
Do you ever hear of athletes intentionally giving themselves emphysema to improve their athletic performance?
I didn't think so.
Training at altitude is (pay attention, because this is key...) not about the respiratory system.
Altitude training doesn't really do anything to the respiratory system at all.
What it does do is force the body to produce more oxygen carrying red blood cells.
Gases cross between the lungs and the blood because of differences in pressure. Lower pressure means less gas crosses over. To compensate for this, the body produces more oxygen carrying red blood cells. That is the benefit of altitude training. The lungs are capable of providing FAR more air than the body can use.
Altitude training is about increasing the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood by increasing hemoglobin production. That's it.
These masks will not, and cannot, cause the same increase in hemoglobin production. Because they do not and cannot affect the pressure of the air inside the lungs. All they do is make you work harder to move the same volume of air volume.
This is a list of the actual benefits of restricting air flow while exercising:
None.
Zilch.
Nada.
Bupkiss.
Zip.
These devices are a con game, playing to the gullibility of the buyer. That is all they are.
And the process for increasing hemoglobin actually requires sleeping at altitude far more than training at altitude....if you could train at sea level and sleep eight hours at 10,000 ft., that would be best.....
And the process for increasing hemoglobin actually requires sleeping at altitude far more than training at altitude....if you could train at sea level and sleep eight hours at 10,000 ft., that would be best.....
You should see the Gurkha recruits who come from the mountain villages when they arrive here first, their stamina is great. It does wear off I've been told by my old shift partner, when he goes back to his village in Nepal he says he's breathless at first but gets used to it again after a week or so.
Its love hate with people. Obviously you cant really simulate the same altitude effect as being at high altitude instead. Any idiot can say that. But Its definately a good tool for mental training and breathing technique. It forces you to breath properly or you dont get enough air . Because sometimes people breath too shallow, so this makes you breath properly in a situation with less air. So good mental and technique training. Absolutely not ********. Never claiming that it will produce same effects as the real altitude but its a great tool that I have been using past 2 years and my stamina results can be seen. watch my other videos for my fitness if you want to see for yourself! All the best!I'm curious about these things. How do they work? Do they just make breathing harder? Do they force you to focus on breathing technique more? I've seen a guy use one at my boxing gym, but I only see him around on occasion and he doesn't always use it. I'm a little skeptical of these things. It seems like a gimmick. I'd think if they worked that great they'd be more widely used. It seems like you could just up the intensity of the workout you're doing and get a similiar or better effect.
Its love hate with people.
Obviously you cant really simulate the same altitude effect as being at high altitude instead.
Any idiot can say that.
But Its definately a good tool for mental training and breathing technique. It forces you to breath properly or you dont get enough air .
Because sometimes people breath too shallow, so this makes you breath properly in a situation with less air.
So good mental and technique training. Absolutely not ********.
Never claiming that it will produce same effects as the real altitude but its a great tool that I have been using past 2 years and my stamina results can be seen. watch my other videos for my fitness if you want to see for yourself! All the best!
No, it's gullible vs reality.
So it's false advertising then. It's good that you can admit this.
I'd say "idiot" is more appropriate to someone who makes false claims...
No, it doesn't. It forces you to struggle to breathe IMPROPERLY.
Your understanding of the physiology is...lacking...
You have an erroneous "not" in that sentence...
It is absolute ********.
It is an idiotic waste of money with zero benefits.
You made your point that you think its ********, while others support it.
Everyone just wants to help in their own way, even if its offering advice you dont like. Just dont make it personal attacks.
Its just like how some people love and others hate a martial art.
lets keep this friendly and not too rude man. We all just want to become better, in our own ways.
All the best!