Lung Capacity

[joethejudge]

Is there a way of increasing your lung capacity?
This would make everything easier

[Maverick00]

Lung capacity itself cannot be improved, however your ability to use oxygen does improve with training. Swimming is often a good training aid, especially at high intensities, as you are forced to limit your number of breaths and this encourages your body to use oxygen more efficiently. Other than that just train! Hard!

[AdamR]

You can buy little gadgets that you breathe through, they restrict your breathing making your lungs work harder thus increasing their effectiveness, although this isn't anything that can't be done by training normally.

[Benw]

I have found hill sprints to be really useful in improving my 02 intake.

Pick a long steep hill and run up it as fast as you can. Jog back down slowly as you rest and then start again. Do this as many times as you can in one session.

Also try interval training - http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/conintrn.htm

Do one each of these sessions a week. It will help no end.

[mr-cooper]

If your serious about it, the best thing is 'altitude training'

It is not lung capacity that you need to worry about, it is more the amount of heamoglobin that can be carried by your blood.

At sea level, there is a high partial pressure of oxygen which we take in then this joins with your red blood cells and is carried round the body.

When training at altitue, the partial pressure is much lower which makes the red blood cells abitlity to hold oxygen and the efficiency of it far better. This means that when you run back at sea level, with a higher pressure, running becomes literally a breeze and you will find it far easier.

But thats kinda impracticle really - but hey, might as well add some input.

Coops

[andy_s]

i agree with maverick swimming under water for a length then a length without will get your body used to the lack of oxygen,mountain climbers do it to get used to working in thin air at high altitudes

[SLWILSON]

u can try what i do, breath through your nose aslong as you can istead of just opening your mouth this deprives u to some extent......works for me

[Cronkilla]

Your all wrong

There is a device(endorsed by a world class swimmer,forgotten who thou) which you basically blow into(not while exercising,just in the morning and night). Its been proven to increase capasity within a few weeks. Its on one of those fancy gadgets for men sites.

[Maverick00]

Sorry Cronkilla we're not all wrong...if you're talking about what I think you're talking about its called a powerbreather and is designed to strengthen your respiratory muscles...i should know they designed them at my uni!!! they having nothing to do with lung capacity they just reduce the onset of fatigue in these muscles hence a reduced perception of breathlessness

[Jordiman]

If your serious about it, the best thing is 'altitude training'

It is not lung capacity that you need to worry about, it is more the amount of heamoglobin that can be carried by your blood.

At sea level, there is a high partial pressure of oxygen which we take in then this joins with your red blood cells and is carried round the body.

When training at altitue, the partial pressure is much lower which makes the red blood cells abitlity to hold oxygen and the efficiency of it far better. This means that when you run back at sea level, with a higher pressure, running becomes literally a breeze and you will find it far easier.

But thats kinda impracticle really - but hey, might as well add some input.

Coops

Thats blood doping isnt it.

[Maverick00]

not quite, blood doping involves adding a certain chemical called EPO to the blood to increase red blood cell production, a very dangerous and banned practise. im sure the corps wouldnt approve of it...

[J.M.C]

Do tall people have greater lung capacity??

[norhtengit]

theres a few interesting points here,

the train at altitude wil help, im going snowboarding this friday in france, its not exactly training but its over 2 miles above sea level and boarding really does take alot outta you.

also interval training works great, was with my personnal trainer (im no snob just put my drinking cash iinto a trainer) and he loves the stuff he's a nut case proper screws me up

[daywalker]

The device you are referring to is on

http://www.loadsmorestuff.com/catalog/p ... 81227faa51

I do know of a lot of swimmers that used them and they said they work quite well. And swimmers have a good lung capacity to start with!

If you want to check your lung capacity and see if it's improving you need to monitor yourself on a spirometer, and see if you are improving.

[AdamR]

Thing is though doesn't altitude training only benefit you in the short term, IE once you get back to ground level your body thinks 'Hey I'm making too much haemoglobin here, time to cut back a bit.'
Concerning blood doping I do know that a lot of Olympic athletes (particularly long distance runners) go and do altitude training before the games.