Powerlung

Spartan359 · 05-02-2005, 00:13

I was wondering if anyone has either used or heard of the product Power lung? www.powerlung.com. It’s been advertised in a plethora of magazines and websites including Military.com. I run and swim on a daily basis and was wondering if the hype is real or just a farce. Just looking for another edge. I'm going back to lurking.

scubasam · 05-02-2005, 03:22

I've used one a handfull of times... They've been around for a pretty long time, not sure why their now getting all the hype.

Without any medical or biological background, I would say it seems to be a good workout for the lungs. Just like any muscle group, you have to train your lungs for altitude changes, swimming and so on.... so it washes for ME. I guess the next step is to see if we've got a Delta on here who can shed more light!

Spartan359 · 05-02-2005, 08:26

So...Delta's, QP's....is it worth it?

jatx · 05-02-2005, 09:11

I am not a QP, but I am a very long-time endurance athlete, and I'm inclined to say it's a BS gimmick. The top endurance athletes in the world have very high VO2 max due to a combination of genetics and training, and that high VO2 max allows them to move oxygen to their muscles in larger volumes and more efficiently than your average bear. Their training includes a mix of longer aerobic workouts and structured anaerobic workouts, both of which do a perfectly fine job of training your "breathing muscles" IMHO. I would wager that most individuals who feel the need to use one of these devices have never trained properly at or near their anaerobic threshold. Ccrn may have some thoughts of his own on this.

My advice to people looking for quick wins in their training is always to (1) purchase a HR monitor and use it religiously, (2) build a plan based on periodization and recovery, (3) be disciplined about your intensity level during LSD workouts and (4) learn where your anaerobic threshold is and how to operate right at its edge without going over. If you do these things, whether running, cycling, swimming, rucking or whatever, you will see marked improvement over time and will avoid most injuries related to over-training. BTW, 3 & 4 are quite a challenge at first for most people, even those who think of themselves as trained athletes.

Good luck.

chipw · 05-02-2005, 09:25

Not a QP but I don’t think you will gain much if anything from this device. A healthy person not suffering from a breathing disorder has roughly twice the lung capacity to handle the gas exchange needed for an endurance type event(ironman, marathon ect.). The limiting factor in the system is gas exchange; getting oxygen in and carbon dioxide out. It’s a matter of cardiac out put rather than lung capacity.
When you are redlined and your lungs feel like you cant get enough air, its not because of lung capacity. It is because you cant exchange the carbon dioxide for the oxygen in your lungs fast enough.

chipw · 05-02-2005, 09:29

I was working on my reply when Jatx posted his. What he said is spot on with what most coaches will tell you. A Heart rate monitor is one of the best investments I ever made in regards to my training.

Spartan359 · 05-02-2005, 10:01

Thanks for the timely reply. I work out on a daily basis and was just looking for another edge to make myself a better person. Time to stop surfing the net and add another 10 pounds to my ruck.

Thanks again Jatx and Chipw.

scubasam · 05-02-2005, 23:34

Oh well... so much for what I thought. Guess I'll stay away from these med questions.

Though quick Question. I know they use things similar to this for asthma. But also, Asthma victims have better... um... oxygen exchange/larger lungs?.. than normal athletes. I heard this was because of all the exercise their lungs got from the weezing and so on. (I believe its a pretty prevolent problem with track athletes, but not swearing on it)

If thats so, wouldn't this device do something similar? (if used correctly, however that might be)

chipw · 05-03-2005, 08:25

. Hey Sam,
You are right they do use something similar for asthmatics and folks with Emphysema. But those disorders are actually an inability to EXHALE. They cant get ride of the carbon dioxide in their blood. I have never heard that asthmatics have better gas exchange than normal folks but I'm no expert so you may be right.
You are correct that the proportion of asthmatics in endurance sports is higher than in the normal population. "Sports induced" asthma is very common. Why that is I am not sure but I will put it out there that maybe the athlete feels, mistakenly, that the use of an inhaler will give him an edge. Very similar to why the powerlung is so enticing. It only takes a doctors prescription to be able to use an inhaler in pro cycling. We all look for that extra edge, even as amateurs, throw some money in there and we all know what happens.
That being said, if someone believes that an inhaler or a powerlung helps their performance, then it probably does. Even if the physiological benefits are non existent, the psychological benefits are important too.