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As a child I had chronic bronchitis.
Today, as an adult, despite excessively doing running and Judo for several years, I feel that I haven't reached my stamina maximum by far.
During my last pulmonary function 2 years ago, the doctor said, my lung capacity is below average, although I don't smoke and live a healthy life style. I assume, that are the consequences of my long-time lung-problems in my childhood.

So I was wondering, whether I could benefit from breath training (inspiratory and expiratory muscle training) using a device like that:

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According to their description, they enhance "strength and endurance of the muscles used to breathe". Not only they improve medical conditions, such as short breath, but also the stamina so that you are able to perform better in sports.

Does anybody have any experience with such devices?

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  • Please check the book : The oxygen advantage
    – Michael C.
    Mar 20, 2019 at 20:28

2 Answers 2

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Try out some Wim Hof breathing to expand the lung capacity.

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  • 2
    Can you provide details of Wim Hof breathing to improve this answer?
    – Dark Hippo
    Mar 20, 2019 at 9:17
  • Sure thing, here's an official tutorial from Wim himself: youtube.com/watch?v=nzCaZQqAs9I - exploring many of his lectures and talks will further expand on the benefits, however practicing it myself has revealed even more. It takes about 10-15 mins of effort each morning, but the energy boost and clarity lasts deep into workouts and throughout the day! Practice reveals ways to enhance your technique as well - personally I've found mouth breathing more effective - holding retentions for 1-2mins - and then that first recovery inhale another 30 seconds with a very slow exhale.
    – johnabrams7
    Mar 20, 2019 at 16:48
  • As it stands, this is a low quality answer. Please elaborate, reference sources, and make this more complete if you'd like to keep it as an answer.
    – Eric
    Mar 20, 2019 at 22:08
  • 3
    You need to put the explanation in the answers, not the comments.
    – Sean Duggan ♦
    Apr 11, 2019 at 20:12
  • +1 Because Wim Hof is the way to go!
    – Marcus
    Feb 8, 2020 at 20:18
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Those devices are designed to increase the strength and endurance of the muscles used by breathing by providing a resistance to the air flow. Your body must work against the increased resistance. It simulates the situation, when you need to breathe quickly, like by extreme cardio (fast running/cycling) or by swimming (where you have to inhale in a very short time period).

However, just like hyperventilation (a'la Wim Hof), they do not necessarily contribute to increasing air capacity. Because you can breathe strong, fast, and nevertheless flat. In worst case, it can even worsen your lungs capacity because of bad habits.

To increase lungs capacity, you should do deep breathing exercises, like those for freediving. They are designed to increase your lungs capacity and overall breathing performance.

Please be aware that air resistance devices can lead to the sour muscles. I've got this when I was starting mountain running, and I was waking middle in the night with pain and problems with breathing. Those were sore muscles. This is temporary, but because of your lung problems history, it could be a miserable experience that could make you give up, so it's better to go slowly, and be careful with such training devices.

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