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less lung capacity = sad.

Old 07-27-20, 05:16 AM
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thehammerdog
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less lung capacity = sad.

my lung capacity i fear has diminished to were it is now obvious and that makes me sad. not sure if it is allergic reaction or poor air quality but the past few weeks I have struggled. was feeling strong a month ago.
riding in the crazy heat maybe why but I fear maybe mother nature got me.
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Old 07-27-20, 05:27 AM
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I think it's all about dealing positively with the changes as we get older. I find that as I became older, I had to raise my handlebars so they are now that more or less level with my seat. Fatter tires became a beautiful thing as my speed went down. I also keep an eye on my intensity level. I still like to go hard but I know my recovery times are longer and I keep any eye on my sleep.
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Old 07-27-20, 05:37 AM
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Originally Posted by thehammerdog
my lung capacity i fear has diminished to were it is now obvious and that makes me sad. not sure if it is allergic reaction or poor air quality but the past few weeks I have struggled. was feeling strong a month ago.
riding in the crazy heat maybe why but I fear maybe mother nature got me.
Heat and humidity always slows me down BUT THEN AGAIN I just accept the consequences of aging (mother nature) no matter what the weather might be. I have resolved to OWNING UP to my degrading physical life.
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Old 07-27-20, 06:36 AM
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There are advantages to going slower; all those things you sped by without noticing before are now there to be gawked at. As Monty Python said: "Always look at the bright side of life." 😎 With the 30+ lb tank I ride, going fast has never been an option for me. Just doing 40 miles yesterday took me 4 and a half hours, but it was a fun 4.5 hours, with many white-tailed deer, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, one groundhog, flowers (where one would least expect them), horseshoe lake, and several interesting characters out on the trail (I know, I'm one of 'em!)
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Old 07-27-20, 06:55 AM
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We've had what the weather folks in this area describe as "Amazon air" or "the air you wear". Dew point has been way up, making it feel lots hotter that the temp would indicate. Air quality has been poor off and on. There have been days where I was really feeling it, even without a lot of exertion. Hopefully, it's the air, and not your lungs. I don't think it's my lungs, but I've felt it more this year that I ever remember in the past. Looking forward to fall.
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Old 07-27-20, 07:38 AM
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The slower you go the more you will see. Heat and humidity have their effect but you will inevitably reach a point in your life where going a bit slower will seem a good idea.
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Old 07-27-20, 09:17 AM
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I thought the same thing 3 weeks ago when marathon training started back up and I had to start running again. That first weekend run I couldn't go more than 100 yards trying to hold a pace before I was gasping/couldn't breathe. I starting actively concentrating on my breathing trying to make it as efficient as possible, even exaggerating it to move as much air as possible. I sounded/sound like a fool going down the road, but the problem went away. In fact, once I started doing that, the difference in heart rate was noticeable. The heart rate starts dropping when I step up the breathing efforts. It wasn't that my lung capacity had decreased, it was that I wasn't using it properly. Not even close. I had gotten lazy. Give it a try before you give up.

Edit: I missed the 2nd weekend run. Evidently the first run was so bad, some people thought I needed to see a doctor. At the start of Saturday's run, some of the other runner's ask about my condition. They thought I was having problems on that first run. I'm glad they cared enough to ask.

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Old 07-27-20, 09:47 AM
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Have you been checked for asthma or other lung issues? They (docs) say I have asthma and/or COPD. I used the Treligy inhaler for a while 2 years ago and now I use Albuterol before a longer ride and it helps my breathing.
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Old 07-27-20, 10:11 AM
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Originally Posted by bikemig
I think it's all about dealing positively with the changes as we get older. I find that as I became older, I had to raise my handlebars so they are now that more or less level with my seat. Fatter tires became a beautiful thing as my speed went down. I also keep an eye on my intensity level. I still like to go hard but I know my recovery times are longer and I keep any eye on my sleep.
This is soo true!
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Old 07-27-20, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by bikemig
I think it's all about dealing positively with the changes as we get older. I find that as I became older, I had to raise my handlebars so they are now that more or less level with my seat. Fatter tires became a beautiful thing as my speed went down. I also keep an eye on my intensity level. I still like to go hard but I know my recovery times are longer and I keep any eye on my sleep.
I haven't changed anything. Bike setup is the same as it's always been, just bigger cogs. What changed is my power. I have to do a little less than what I used to do because of recovery, but not all that much. Power is down a lot more than can be explained by any obvious physical sign. Nothing works quite as well as it used to. It feels good being able to make the same effort as always. I could say results are down, but not really, not compared to my age group. Results might even be better.
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Old 07-27-20, 02:39 PM
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I've always felt limited by my lungs. They simply don't blow off enough CO2 and take in enough O2.

It's pretty much the limiting thing for many of the pros too.

I do try on a daily basis to take as deep a breath as I can and then expel as much as I can, slowly. If it makes you cough, then you definitely need to do them regularly. A handful of reps each day does wonders.

I've sometimes tried to see if deep breathing helps while riding for things like climbing at short high efforts. But I get mixed results. Problem usually, I think, is that for me real deep breaths happen at too slow a rate.
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Old 07-27-20, 03:10 PM
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I just ride with my phone to record it to Strava and don't bother with a Garmin device (not that those are much help now!!!). The most important thing is get out and ride, no mind blowing epiphany there. Some days I feel charged and take on the hills and any rider that goes past me and other days I don't feel it so I just ride and enjoy the scenery. As I saw in a previous post, you never regret going for a ride but you regret not going. I do find the environment has an impact - hot days really drain me, if not during the ride, then the rest of the day after. High pollen time and my sinuses are stuffed up so that also has an impact. Nothing better than a perfect temperature, no humidity and no wind.

I guess if you are training for a triathlon or race then you are constantly monitoring your effort but that's not for me. Just follow a consistent pattern of getting out and getting exercise and fresh air and keeping the brain sharp by focusing on the road. I'm finding lately that some days my brain is a little slower then it should be but it clears up once I start riding.
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Old 07-27-20, 05:17 PM
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Originally Posted by big john
Have you been checked for asthma or other lung issues? They (docs) say I have asthma and/or COPD. I used the Treligy inhaler for a while 2 years ago and now I use Albuterol before a longer ride and it helps my breathing.
no not yet.
I checked o2 pulse ox. 97 so that's good I guess.
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Old 07-27-20, 05:33 PM
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If you got a O2 checker that is portable, then it might be interesting to check it at various efforts while riding. Not sure about the physiology of what that'll tell us or at what level it's bad and what is great. But it'd be interesting to see if the number is lower when at high effort.

But it definitely would not hurt to ask a doctor about your lungs health. A pulmonologist if you can.
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Old 07-27-20, 05:54 PM
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Originally Posted by thehammerdog
no not yet.
I checked o2 pulse ox. 97 so that's good I guess.
I don't know but what happens to me is my chest feels tight or it feels hard to take deep breaths. It's not terrible but annoying and when I use the Albuterol inhaler I can cough up some crud and then I can breathe easier. I don't use it all the time but it does help. If I'm riding and I have symptoms I can still ride but I don't feel like my lungs are working well, like you described.
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Old 07-28-20, 12:00 AM
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Yeah, my immunologist has done respiratory capacity tests on me this year, two or three times, and says my capacity is good for a 60something y/o. The new nasal and asthma inhalers help some. But I know I can't do what I used to. VO2 Max declines no matter what. I can still manage a good sprint and hard effort for a few minutes, but I can't sustain it for an hour or more now. On group rides with younger folks I fade after about 20 minutes and let 'em go.

I can't do back to back workout rides anymore, but can still manage one good hard ride a week. The rest of the time I ease up and don't worry about turning every ride into a workout.
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Old 07-28-20, 04:21 AM
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Heat + Humidity + Older= Lower VO2 & Power.

Just keep your HR down a little lower and keep pedaling!
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Old 07-29-20, 10:21 AM
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Originally Posted by thehammerdog
my lung capacity i fear has diminished to were it is now obvious and that makes me sad. not sure if it is allergic reaction or poor air quality but the past few weeks I have struggled. was feeling strong a month ago.
riding in the crazy heat maybe why but I fear maybe mother nature got me.
I would suggest you get yourself a simple spirometer from Walmart or Amazon. With this you can measure your lung function see what is considered normal for your age. I’ve suffered from asthma since age 4 and am now 80, with mild COPD. My lung function is about 70 per cent of what it should be for my age and height, so I know how you feel. These days it takes me two or more Albuterol puffs, 10 miles at 80rpm and 13 mph before my lungs are really working at their optimal level. Frustrating, but there it is.
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Old 07-30-20, 11:08 AM
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Even after recovering from CV 19, the resultant scar tissue means permanent loss of lung capacity..
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Old 08-04-20, 03:10 PM
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Talk to your doctor.

Bring up ............

https://www.advair.com/

https://www.wixela.com/
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Old 08-04-20, 04:52 PM
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Originally Posted by thehammerdog
no not yet.
I checked o2 pulse ox. 97 so that's good I guess.
97 isn't that great. My asthmatic wife is at 99, as am I. Pulmonologist appointment. My wife uses a peak flow meter. A toot on that thing keeps you knowledgeable about your current ability to move the air in and out.
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Old 08-05-20, 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Artmo
I would suggest you get yourself a simple spirometer from Walmart or Amazon. With this you can measure your lung function see what is considered normal for your age. I’ve suffered from asthma since age 4 and am now 80, with mild COPD. My lung function is about 70 per cent of what it should be for my age and height, so I know how you feel. These days it takes me two or more Albuterol puffs, 10 miles at 80rpm and 13 mph before my lungs are really working at their optimal level. Frustrating, but there it is.
What you are referring to is a peak flow meter.
Great tool with limitations.

Make sure you have a good professional diagnosis.
My buddy's "asthma" on rides, proved to be advanced 4 vessel obstruction and atypical angina.
He did much better after he got a "full metal jacket"
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