Introduction

Until recently it was impossible to selectively train the respiratory muscles. In the past, increases in respiratory muscle strength and conditioning depended on stressing both the cardiovascular and muscular skeletal systems to produce a high lactic load/excess carbon dioxide which triggers hyperventilation. Recently however Professor Urs Boutellier and colleagues (1-4) of Switzerland have shown that selective training of respiratory muscle is possible. The results demonstrated that untrained volunteers increased their endurance performance on a bicycle ergometer up to 50 percent. Highly trained athletes increased their endurance up to 10 percent. The device is painless in that it allows fast breathing to occur in the absence of generalized muscle exertion. Fast breathing (hyperventilation) by itself is not possible unless there is a reservoir of carbon dioxide to prevent hypocapnia (low blood carbon dioxide). Attempting fast breathing without a special carbon dioxide reservoir will produce dizziness. The advantage of the new device is that it allows training of the respiratory muscles in the absence of high carbon dioxide or lactic load.

How it works

The SpiroTiger is about the size of a book and is battery operated. The device is shown in figure one. It is a hand held device that includes a mouth piece, mouth tube, piston valve and a respiratory bag. It is connected to a computerized base station which measures inhalation, exhalation, volume of air, breathes per minute and total volume of air per minute and per session. The device monitors and displays the respiratory rate breathing patterns, and tracks data from each breathing session. During each session it monitors and analyzes the individual breathing rate to create a personalized pattern for inhalation and exhalation. The display provides instructions such as breathe faster and a bar graph showing depth of respiration's.

Figure One:

Actual use

The training recommendations are outlined in table 1. Minimal sessions initially are 4-5 times a week for approximately 4 weeks at medium breathing frequency of 25 to 35 breathes per minute. Typically an average size man will breath at 25 times per minute for 5 minutes for the first session and move approximately 80 liters per air in 1 minute. In 5 minutes the total amount of air moved will be approximately 400 liters. This is documented in the computerized log book. The duration of breathing is increased over a 4 week period to approximately 20 minutes at 5 times a week for a trained athlete. By four weeks the breathing rate is at least 30 times per minute for 20 minutes, moving 140 liters of air per minute. The total amount of air moved per session is 2800 liters of air.

The numbers shown in table 2 are very modest. In the original work (Spengler, 1999) there were 20 healthy subjects. In the first week the minute volume (VE) averaged 123 liters/per minute (range 100-150). By week number four average VE increased to 162 liters/per minute (range 132-201).

Like other types of muscle training, training during the competitive season is at a slightly higher frequency. During maintenance the breathing sessions are decreased to 2 times a week. Like any training program there is a tapering period before a major competition.

Results

A typical example is included in table 2 . This is a 32 year old middle distance runner with exercise induced asthma. In this case the minute volume increased and the total volumes per session increased as noted.

There are usually minimal changes in routine pulmonary function tests. See table 3. Most people notice an immediate improvement in their recovery after interval training. In the above athlete the anerobic threshold increased from 169 to 173 beats per minute.

Summary

References

1. Spengler, C.M., M. Roos, S. M. Laube and U. Boutellier. Decreased blood lactate concentration after respiratory endurance training. Eur. J. Appl. Physical, 19: 299-308, 1999.

2. Perret, C., Spengler, C.M., Egger, G. and U. Boutellier. Influence of endurance exercise on respiratory muscle performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exer., 32: 2052-2058, 2000.

3. Markov, G., Spengler, C.M., Knopfli-Lenzin, C. Stuessi, C. and U. Boutellier. Respiratory muscle training increases cycling endurance without affecting cardiovascular responses to exercise. Eur. J. Appl. Physical. 85: 233-239, 2001.

4. Steussi, C., Spengler, C.M., Knopfli-Lenzin, C., Markov, G. and U. Boutellier. Respiratory muscle endurance training in humans increases cycling endurance without affecting blood gas concentrations. Eur. J. Appl. Physical 84: 582-586, 2001.

Table 1

Training Recommendations

Table 2

Training Log

Partial training log showing progression of air moved per session. This progression occured over one month.

Table 3

Pulmonary Function
Before and after 1 month of SpiroTiger training.

Abbreviations:

FVC=Forced vital capacity, in liters.
FEV₁=Volume of air expired in 1 second.
PEFR=Peak expiratory flow rate
VO₂MAX=Maximum ml of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per min.
AT=Anerobic threshold in beats per minute.