Powerlung Review: PowerLung Trainer for Sports and Health

Powerlung breathing device

PowerLung breath trainer is a breathing device used to train respiratory muscles by creating resistance that can be independently regulated for inhalations and exhalations. It has some similarities with Powerbreathe, UltraBreathe, and Expand-A-Lung. PowerLung was invented by Mr. Barry Jarvis who wanted to improve his sport fitness after a heart attack. Several small trials tested the effects of the PowerLung on various groups of people, including: young soccer players, cross country runners, intermittent sprint athletes, competitive Soccer game: sports performance marathoners and triathletes, SCUBA divers, elite international swimmers, older females, and the elderly (see the link below for all research studies). The device became popular in many sports for improving fitness in swimming, rowing, triathlon, and some other sports, as well as for asthma.

Reviews and research pilot studies have found improvements in various measured parameters, such as higher VO2max (not in all studies), better lung function (PEF, FVC, and VEmax), lower heart rate for the same load, and some others.

While the claimed purpose of this breathing device is to improve the strength of the respiratory muscles, it is also important to consider PowerLung's effect on automatic breathing patterns and body oxygen levels (see the test below). These effects depend on changes in alveolar and arterial CO2 during breathing sessions and after them. PowerLung trainer has adjustable resistance and some additional dead space (leading to increased volume). However, since PowerLung guidelines are not adjusted to the initial breathing patterns and health states of people, the effects of the PowerLung are going to vary depending on the specific breathing pattern of the users and their initial state of health.

Due to the use of resistance, PowerLung has some similarities with the Frolov breathing device, Samozdrav, Breathslim, DIY Breathing Device, and pursed lip breathing. However, the Frolov breathing device, Samozdrav, Breathslim, and Amazing DIY Breathing Device have a larger extra dead space to trap exhaled CO2. In addition, their instructions suggest to breathe with extended exhalations.

PowerLung for asthma, COPD, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, and hypertension or heart disease

People with health problems In my view, PowerLung trainer can be beneficial for people with chronic health problems (asthma, hypertension or heart disease, COPD, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, and so forth), when their CP (body oxygen level) is about 10-12 seconds or less, and they suffer from chronic hyperventilation. With increased CP (over 20 s), the effectiveness of common PowerLung trainer are reduced due to instructions that do not take into consideration differences in individual breathing patterns and body oxygen levels.

Therefore, there are chances of relative hyperventilation for more oxygenated athletes and users during their breathing exercises. Possible losses in arterial CO2 can explain why most people discover that they cannot practice for more than 10 minutes due to fatigue of the respiratory muscles. It is not a problem for most people to do 20-30 min breathing sessions with the Frolov breathing device, although some other factors may play a role in this respiratory fatigue effect.

PowerLung vs. Powerbreathe, Expand-A-Lung, UltraBreathe and other trainers

Young MDs smiling If we consider health benefits and changes in body oxygen levels, it is wrong to compare PowerLung vs. Powerbreathe or Expand-A-Lung vs. Powerlung since it is how you use it, rather than what you use, that matters for your health most.

In order to achieve improvements in VO2max and other parameters of endurance and sports performance, the PowerLung breathing sessions could be made progressively more challenging with possible breath holds (e.g., after exhalations) for advanced users to further increase their alveolar CO2 and body oxygen levels. Furthermore, application of correct lifestyle changes in order to improve body oxygenation are vital for long term success in breathing retraining and getting additional benefits from the PowerLung trainer for sports and better health. Review the links below for other devices and breathing-related effects.

Warning. There are numerous restrictions and contraindications for some health problems (anxiety, diabetes, hypertension, GI problems, and so on) in relation to specific breathing exercises. In addition, pregnant women, people with organ transplants, and some other groups of people should follow special guidelines in relation to their general breathing retraining progress. Finally, there are important preliminary requirements that make breath work safe and more effective (empty stomach, good thermoregulation, and so forth). All these factors can be found in the Learning Section of this website.

References and Related web Pages
Breathing Techniques - Overview and general information about most common or popular breathing techniques
Deviceless breathing methods and techniques:
Yoga Breathing: What is the main secret of yoga? What is so special in their breathing?
Pranayama Yoga - Yoga Pranayama: Who and How Gets Pranayama Benefits
Buteyko technique Overview
Pursed lip breathing - Overview, health conditions addressed, detailed instructions, its physiology, effects and purpose
Breathing trainers and devices:
Resperate - This paced-breathing device is used to guide breathing only. Resperate Reviews: How and Why Resperate Can Improve Health and Reduce Blood Pressure?
Frolov Breathing Device - General overview.
Frolov Device: How Does It Work - This article explains the main physiological mechanism (hypercapnic hypoxic training).
Breathslim - This breathing device is featured for weight loss. Learn about its effects.
Samozdrav - Review of the Samozdrav Breathing Device. (This device is also based on hypercapnic hypoxic training).
Inspiratory Muscle Training - Inspiratory Muscle Training Review: Who and how can get best benefits from breathing trainers, like Powerbreathe, Ultrabreathe, Expand-A-Lung, and PowerLung
Powerbreathe - This device is used to train inspiratory muscles due to resistance that can be regulated. It is popular among athletes, but its effects go far further than just to train muscles, if you know how to use it correctly.
PowerLung - This is another breathing device popular among athletes with the same key secret that many athletes ignore.
Expand-A-Lung - This is the smallest and lightest breathing trainer (among the reviewed ones) and it can produce miracles with correct application.
Ultrabreathe - This is a version or prototype of Expand-A-Lung and it can also boost your body oxygenation provided that you improve your automatic breathing and body oxygen levels.
Amazing DIY breathing device - This is the cheapest breathing device (do-it-yourself), but you need to know how to make and use it correctly.
Capnography and etCO2 monitoring: Are they useful for breathing retraining? How to apply capnometers for breathing retraining.

Reference Web Pages: Breathing norms, Medical Graphs and Tables about Breathing Rates (Minute Ventilation) and Body Oxygen in Healthy, Normal and Sick People
Breathing norms Parameters, graph, and description of the normal breathing pattern
6 breathing myths 6 myths about breathing and body oxygenation (prevalence: over 90%)
Hyperventilation Definitions of hyperventilation: their advantages and weak points
Hyperventilation Syndrome in the Sick. Table 1. Western scientific evidence about prevalence of CHV (chronic hyperventilation) in patients with various chronic conditions (34 medical studies)
Normal Minute Ventilation in Healthy Subjects: Easy and Light Breathing (14 Studies)
Hyperventilation Prevalence Present in Over 90% of Normal People (24 medical publications)
HV and hypoxia How and why deep breathing reduces oxygenation of cells and tissues of all vital organs
Body oxygen test How to measure your own breathing and body oxygenation (a simple DIY test)
Body oxygen in healthy Table 4. CP (body oxygen level) in healthy people (27 medical studies)
Body oxygen in sick Table 5. CP (body oxygen level) in sick people (14 medical studies)
Buteyko Table of Health Zones with clinical description of most common zones
Morning HV Morning hyperventilation effect or how and why critically ill people are most likely to die during early morning hours

References: CO2 Effects Web Pages
Vasodilation: CO2 expands arteries and arterioles facilitating perfusion (or blood supply) to all vital organs
The Bohr effect How and why oxygen is released by red blood cells in tissues
Cell Oxygen Levels and oxygen transport are controlled by alveolar CO2 and breathing
Oxygen Transport depends on breathing and these two effects (Vasoconstriction-Vasodilation and the Bohr effect) are parts of two diagrams that summarize influences of hypocapnia (low CO2 content in the blood and cells) on circulation and O2 delivery
Free Radical Generation takes place due to anaerobic cell respiration caused by cell hypoxia. Hence, antioxidant defenses of the human body are also regulated by CO2 and breathing
Inflammatory Response is controlled by breathing since hypoxia leads to or intensifies chronic inflammation through over-expression of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1, while normal breathing reduces these processes
Nerve stabilization takes place due to calmative or sedative effects of carbon dioxide in neurons or nerve cells
Muscle relaxation or relaxation of muscle cells is normal at high CO2, while hypocapnia causes muscular tension, poor posture and, sometimes, aggression and violence
Brochodilation - dilation of airways (bronchi and bronchioles) by carbon dioxide, and their constriction due to hypocapnia
Blood pH regulation and regulation of other bodily fluids
CO2: Lung Damage Healer: Elevated carbon dioxide prevents injury and promotes healing of lung tissues
CO2: Skin and Tissue Healer
Synthesis of Glutamine in the Brain, CO2 fixation, and other chemical reactions
CO2 myth "CO2 is a toxic waste gas" myth
Breathing control How is our breathing regulated? Why hypocapnia makes breathing uneven and erratic

References
Four Weeks of Respiratory Muscle Training Improves Intermittent Recovery Performance but Not Pulmonary Functions and Vo2 Max Capacity in Young Soccer Players, Emre AK and Can Ozgide; Middle East Technical University, Department of Physical Education and Sports; Orta Dogu Teknik Universitesi, Cankaya, Ankara, Turkiye

The Effects on Pulmonary Function and Performance from Training Respiratory Muscles in Collegiate Cross Country Runners with PowerLung, M.M. Barnes, D.M. McGee, A.K. Butler and R. Galbreath, Dept. of Physical Therapy, Wheeling Jesuit University, Dept. of Exercise Physiology, Ohio University Eastern, Dept. of A.R. Physiology, Ohio Valley C & R Surgery

The Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training Program Effects on Performance, Dyspnea, and Respiratory Muscle Fatigue in Intermittent Sprint Athletes, Clay Nicks, Richard Farley, Dana Fuller, Don Morgan, FACSM, Jennifer Caputo, Columbus State University (Columbus, GA); Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro, TN)

The Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training on Performance in Older Females, Watsford, M. L. & Murphy, A. J. (2008). Journal of Aging and Physical Activity. 16(3): 245-260.

The Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training on Older Females, Mark L. Watsford, Aron J. Murphy, Matthew J. Pine, Aaron J. Coutts. Human Performance Laboratory, University of Technology, Sydney.

The Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training on Maximal and Submaximal Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Measurements, William E. Amonette, BS, CSCS & Terry L. Dupler, Ph.D., Fitness & Human Performance Laboratory, University of Houston-Clear Lake, January 15, 2001.

Respiratory Resistance Training Increases Ventilatory Capacity in the Elderly, Nathan Andrew Trueblood, Earlham College, 2004

Respiratory Muscle Power Before and After Training (with PowerLung), Greg Wells, University of Toronto Respiratory Research Group, 2003

Five-week Respiratory Muscle Training Program Effects on Lung Function and Air Consumption in SCUBA Divers, Casey W. Fisher, Ann L. Gibson. Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida

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