athlete breathing on track

Improving breathing strength and stamina can really make a difference in athletic performance, especially in sports like those seen at the Olympics. And using drug-free POWERbreathe Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) and Expiratory Muscle Training (EMT) devices helps athletes get the most from their respiratory muscles. This is because breathing muscle training also reduces breathing fatigue, which affects overall performance. Here’s how you can add these breathing exercises to your training:

Why is Breathing Training Important for Athletes?

Breathing exercises are super important for athletes because they:

  • Increase inspiratory muscle strength, which helps get more oxygen to working muscles.
  • Boost expiratory muscle strength, helping with carbon dioxide clearance.
  • Improve breathing stamina and endurance by delaying when breathing fatigue kicks in.
  • Help you recover faster between high-intensity efforts.

How to Improve Breathing Strength with POWERbreathe IMT

Track and Field

Sprinting (100m, 200m, 400m)

Middle-Distance Running (800m, 1500m)

  • Tip: Integrate POWERbreathe IMT to help keep up during high-intensity efforts.
  • Benefit: Improves breathing stamina so you can keep pace without getting tired too quickly.
  • Training: Take 30 breaths with POWERbreathe IMT twice daily, focusing on steady, deep inhalations.

Long-Distance Running (5000m, 10,000m, Marathon)

  • Tip: Incorporate POWERbreathe IMT and POWERbreathe EMT into your training regimen for improving endurance.
  • Benefit: Increases lung function and reduces breathing fatigue during long runs.
  • Training: Do 30 breaths with IMT twice a day plus 5 exhales with EMT five times a day.

Swimming

Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly

Cycling

Track Cycling, Road Cycling

Cycling Time Trials

Rowing

Single Sculls, Double Sculls, Eights

Gymnastics

Floor Exercise, Vault, Uneven Bars, Rings

  • Tip: Use POWERbreathe IMT to help control your breath while performing your routines.
  • Benefit: It builds strength in the core, which helps with stability, and reduces anxiety through improved breath management.
  • Training: Perform 30 breaths with POWERbreathe IMT twice a day.

Football

Tennis

POWERbreathe IMT Breathing Trainers

The K5, K4, and K3 from POWERbreathe come equipped with an electronically tapered flow-resistive loading valve; these offer advanced levels of testing and monitoring, along with software capabilities in the case of the K5 and K4 models. Each mechanical POWERbreathe Plus device uses a precisely calibrated, spring-loaded pressure threshold valve for manually adjustable resistance settings. This type of training has given POWERbreathe IMT the accolade of being “a dumbbell for your diaphragm.”.

POWERbreathe EMT Breathing Training Devices

POWERbreathe EX1 EMT devices are fitted with precisely calibrated, spring-loaded pressure threshold valves. It’s this widely studied and applied method of breathing training that provides variable resistance levels, which are great for achievable and effective expiratory muscle training.

Benefits of Using POWERbreathe for Athletes

Training your breathing muscles with POWERbreathe improves athletic achievement by strengthening the breathing muscles, leading to:

  • Improved Aerobic Capacity: Better breathing efficiency helps maximise oxygen intake, leading to better oxygen delivery to the muscles and therefore oxygen exchange.
  • Less Breathing Fatigue: Stronger respiratory muscles slow down fatigue onset, enabling longer training sessions that are more effective for sustained performance, thus boosting results.
  • Superior Stability and Posture: Strong breathing muscles aid trunk stability and efficient movement overall.
  • Extended Stamina: Helps you perform high-intensity efforts over longer periods without feeling like you need to give up.
  • Optimised Lung Function: Guarantees maximum utilisation of your lung capacity when it’s needed.
  • Faster Recovery: Scientifically established IMT cool-down and recovery processes help with speedier lactate clearance, breathing muscle recovery, and a faster return to a resting state.
  • Mental Focus: Can help improve relaxation and stress management during competition.

Including POWERbreathe breathing training into a regular, daily routine provides significant advantages since athletes have noted that increased breathing efficiency leads them closer to achieving their peak performance.

How Often Should Athletes use POWERbreathe IMT & EMT?

To see real changes, athletes need consistent usage. Daily incorporation into a scheduled training regimen is key to building breathing muscle strength and endurance.

POWERbreathe IMT

The scientifically proven protocol to achieve benefits from POWERbreathe Inspiratory Muscle Training is to perform 30 breaths twice a day.

Using POWERbreathe IMT for Warm-Up

Incorporating POWERbreathe IMT into your warm-up routine can significantly enhance your performance by preparing your inspiratory muscles for the demands of your sport. Warming up with POWERbreathe IMT improves inspiratory strength and stamina, leading to more productive oxygen uptake and better overall lung function. This makes a difference to your body’s preparedness for physical effort, decreasing the chance of injury and improving your capacity to perform at your best right from the start. By including POWERbreathe IMT in your warm-up, you can guarantee that your breathing system is prepared and ready for action.

Using POWERbreathe IMT for Recovery

Recovery is a crucial part of any training regimen, and using POWERbreathe IMT can help accelerate this process by aiding in faster breathing recovery. Post-exercise, your body requires efficient removal of carbon dioxide and replenishment of oxygen. POWERbreathe IMT helps you to handle this by improving the strength of your breathing muscles, making your lungs more efficient, and decreasing post-exercise breathlessness. Integrating POWERbreathe IMT into your cool-down schedule can encourage a speedier return to a resting breathing rate, guaranteeing you’re prepared for your following training session or competition.

POWERbreathe EMT

The training protocol for achieving benefits from expiratory muscle training is typically 25 breaths a day, made up of  5 x exhales, 5 times a day.

Can Breathing Exercises Improve Performance in all Sports?

Yes, improved breathing efficiency benefits athletes in all sports by enhancing oxygen delivery and oxygen exchange, reducing breathing fatigue, and aiding faster recovery, leading to overall better performance.

Breathing Exercises For Athletes

Adding POWERbreathe IMT and EMT to your training routine can significantly boost your breathing strength and stamina, reduce breathing fatigue, and improve performance across various Olympic disciplines. Whether you’re a sprinter, swimmer, cyclist, rower, gymnast, or participate in any sport, these breathing exercises can help you achieve your peak performance. Start today and experience the difference in your athletic performance.