registered usar

i think my weakness right now are my lungs. i don't have asthma or anything but lungs don't match my heart or leg muscle capacity. i do not smoke....i think i got shortchanged with lung genes or something

is there some kinda of device or machine i can buy that can hopefully build up my lung capacity. hmmm. just now the thought of researching what those swimmers who hold their breath and try to dive as deep as they can do seems like a good place to start. i need some sleep now though. surpise me with responses when i wake up

VT to CA

Yeah, there are devices you push breath into that are supposed to increase lung strength/capacity...

They basically look like inhalers, but instead of a canister of medicine on top, there's a clear plastic tube with little ball in it. You're supposed to do exercises where you keep the ball levitated by blowing for a certain amount of time...

Don't know how well they work... but I think doctor's prescribe them for people recovering from lung surgery and other lung trauma?... anyone know if this is correct? If I'm right about that, I would assume they must be effective...

blackjack51

I think it's called training.....

I have read somewhere that slow, deep breathing helps however. That and altitude training. Both, i guess, are effectively the same thing in which you are training your body to become more effective at utilising the oxygen that is inhaled.

KevinF

I didn't think it was possible to physically increase the size of your lungs, but it is possible to increase their efficiency (via training).

GuitarWizard

In 3-4 years of solid training, you will/should hit your VO2max potential....so after you hit that, you're pretty much just working on your lactate threshold. Having a high lactate threshold is more important than having a high VO2max anyway....

austinspinner

Hmmmmm, while Lance had a great but by no means record setting VO2 max, his lactate production levels were freakishly low any human. You could be onto something here...

Lecterman

fmw

Have tried inhaling and never exhaling?

lvleph

They use Yoga and meditation. I love free diving and one of my goals is to be able to hold my breath for 8+ minutes.

ericgu

What makes you think that your limit is your lungs? What sort of things are going on?

If you're running at a high cadence (or a cadence that is higher than you can ride efficiently) - for example - that can leave you out of breath.

CrimsonKarter21

I sing whne I shouldn't when I'm riding. If I'm climbing a big hill, I like trying to sing a verse without gasping.

DrPete 

No, you can't make your lungs bigger. You can improve oxygen delivery (DO2) and consumption (VO2Max) and the amount of power your legs can generate on the bike, but if you're fully grown there's nothing you can do to increase the size of your lungs.

2Tired2Shift

Not to argue with an MD, but I've read several articles about deep single-depth diving that stated the divers do exercises to increase their lung capacity. May not be what the real effect is, though.

huytheskigod

swim.

fit24hrs

Trust me, you don't want to increase total lung capacity. That's emphysema. X-rays of folks with emphysema have HUGE ballooned out lungs. The physiology is quite complicated but imagine being able to inhale but not exhale. That's how their lungs get like that. As for advice, try "turning your breathing upsidedown." I read book about this a long time ago. Focefully exhale as you train and let the recoil of your ribcage draw air. Works well for me when I remember to do it.

Rocke

Dave, my friend and coach had me when we were spinning or moderate climbing, inhale and stop (hold it just for a moment) then exhale before the next breath. He and his father’s theory was that it trained the body to be better at exchange. I improved vastly riding with him, but also increased distance, cadence, intervals, etc. Riding at altitude will vastly increase exchange rate and increase red cells to boot.

Squint

I think a large overpressure event might do it, such as being a bit too close to a fuel-air explosive when it detonates.

andrew.wetdog

Technically smokers will have larger lung campacity. Back in "high" school, I had the largest lung capicty in the biology class. The teacher though I was a swimmer, but I just had one too many laps on the bong.

rollin

Yogic breathing techniques help you to "train" how much of your lung you actually use to to take in O2. This helps build stamina - see below:

DrPete 

There are a lot of markers of pulmonary function, and many are trainable/changeable. "Lung capacity" is a blanket term that is frequently used but seldom actually means what is medically referred to as total lung capacity (TLC).

rollin

I used yoga for free diving and it helped. There was a lot of "dead air" in my lungs that wasn't being exchanged during normal breathing.

This all worked well for me when taking long sustained breaths, such as pre diving, but not sure I notice any effect on a bike of running. It has improved my scuba air consumption but general fitness also helps there so seems inconclusive.

mleess

In my college years and for a while after, I did a lot of training inhaling on a 2-foot plastic tube, followed by holding my breath as long as possible. Always worked well for me.

merlinextraligh

What makes you think the limiter is your lungs? I'm assuming that you're actually saying that you get short of breath before your muscles fatigue. If that's what you mean its highly unlikely that genetically small lungs is the problem.

The answer is training.

There also is a cadence issue. The old saw actually contains some wisdom: If your lungs hurt raise the gear, lower the cadence; if your legs hurt, lower the gear raise the cadence.

If your legs feel fresh but your too winded to push harder it may be you're riding too low of gear. However, in common practice most people ride too low of cadence.

Greg180

You can increase your lung capacity doing Bong Hits?

CrimsonKarter21

At least it feels like it.