Power Breathe -Sports, Fitness and Wellness- www.livingiseasy.co.uk
Added: (Sat Oct 23 2004)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
What the Experts say aboutPower Breathe -Sports, Fitness and Wellness
Dr Alison McConnell is a Reader in Sport & Exercise Physiology at Brunel University, where she is Head of the Centre for Sports Innovation. More than a decade ago, Alison recognised that breathing was a potentially limiting factor to athletic performance and is now a leading authority on breathing and exercise, working with some of the UK's top athletes on breathing-related issues. Her team of human performance scientists at Birmingham University researched and developed the POWERbreathe product.
Dr Alison McConnell's expert opinion…
Breathing is an often practised, but seldom mastered art. In the course of a normal day (24hrs) we take over 20,000 breaths. If you're physically active and walk to work, take the stairs, and go to the gym, this figure could be as high as 30,000. But even top athletes can fail to breathe optimally and recent research has shown that specific training of the breathing muscles can improve the performance of highly trained athletes.
In addition to their role in sucking the air in and out of our lungs, the breathing muscles (principally the diaphragm, the muscles of the rib cage and the abdominal muscles) play a vital role in stabilising and rotating the upper body. In sports such as rowing, boxing and racquet sports, this secondary function of the breathing muscles has obvious implications for an athlete who is also trying to breathe as hard a possible at the same time.
The demand upon the breathing muscles increases enormously above what is known as the 'lactate threshold'. This exercise domain is associated with short, intense bursts of activity and places the breathing muscles under sufficient strain that they show fatigue. Above the lactate threshold, breathing is driven to high levels because lactic acid stimulates it to increase as part of a compensatory strategy to overt fatigue of other muscles.
Wellness
Breathing problems due to illness, or simply getting older, can become a barrier to doing the things we used to enjoy. Our research has shown that using POWERbreathe restores breathing power and reduces breathlessness in those with conditions such as asthma or emphysema.
Fitness
My experience as a sport scientist and respiratory physiologist has demonstrated that good (comfortable) breathing technique is only possible if your breathing muscles are in good shape. Our research has shown that training with POWERbreathe gives breathing 'power and reserve', making a workout more comfortable and enjoyable.
Sports Performance
My research over the past decade has convinced me that the work associated with breathing limits athletic performance. Athletes who want to maximise their performance should address their breathing specifically, because their normal training fails to do so. Our research shows that training with POWERbreathe increases the power and endurance of breathing and improves athletic performance significantly.