Will this help with high altitude training?

Question

will the powerlung product help me when i am running in high altitudes? (around 7.5 thousand feet above sea level).

here is the powerlung i am looking into

http://www.powerlung.com/region/us/products/sports-fitness/sport/

thanks!!

Answer 1

The powerlung is not meant to be a breathing supplement device. It does not help you breath while using it, it actually makes it more difficult to get in oxygen while working out in order to train your respiratory muscles to get more oxygen when you are not using it. People use them to strengthen their lungs so they do not get as tired when they are racing because they have trained themselves to breath more efficiently. However, the problem with high altitude is the fact that there is not as much pressure not that there is not as much oxygen. As the atmospheric pressure decreases as you go into higher altitude, there is somewhat of a vacuum effect and it becomes harder and harder to breath.  This device MIGHT help you if you use it down at sea level and then go up to altitude, but the point of going up to altitude is for the "lack of" oxygen, so when you get back to sea level you are in fact taking in more oxygen.

So if you are planning on using it in high altitudes I would not recommend that, but if you want to use it at sea level then go up to altitude, you can do that but there is no point if you are trying to train up there. I hope this helps!