Elevation Training Masks - Your Thoughts?

[snakeybizz]

Just doing a bit of research on these... a lot of hate for them, people claiming they are garbage, do not simulate altitude training just simply make breathing harder, does'nt give any cardiovascular benefit

on the other hand people swear that the workouts done using the mask have pushed there cardio to a whole new level

seems to be popular in MMA or training without contact (like hitting a heavy bag or) was thinking about wearing one during drilling bjj and for my kettlebell cardio workouts

Elevation Training Masks - Your Thoughts?-carlos-condit-elevation-training-mask.jpg

UFC Welterweight Carlos Condit

What are your thoughts?

 

[Was Exiled]

Drilling BJJ? I wouldn't drill or roll with you if you had that shit on your face, poking into me and shit.

 

[snakeybizz]

Drilling BJJ? I wouldn't drill or roll with you if you had that shit on your face, poking into me and shit.

Saw royler wearing one during rolling...just meant drilling stuff anyway

 

[Kiwi Tricker]

No no no no no no no.

 

[Kiwi Tricker]

How about using the search function so we don't have to go through this again?

 

[Tosa]

It's a dumb gimmick that doesn't miimic the reduced oxygen in the air at higher altitudes anyway.

Furthermore, limiting how hard you can work while training is counterproductive. Hence "Train low, Live High". Meaning you'd want to train with more oxygen, and live and sleep with less oxygen. But unless you live up a mountain, and descend it to train, or have a hypobaric chamber to sleep in, you're not really going to be able to take advantage of it.

 

[magick]

Fighters and people who go to the mountains to train do so that they get used to the thin air, NOT to train in thin air.

Elevation masks mean absolutely nothing in that regard.

 

[DrBdan]

Here is what I posted in a previous thread:

http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f13/elevation-training-mask-2-0-a-2175879/

The benefit of high altitude comes from living at high altitude for a long period of time and your body creating more red blood cells to compensate for the lower amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Training with an elevation mask on just makes it harder to breath which makes the training feel harder but really the intensity of your training is actually decreased.

More reading:

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f13/high-altitude-training-question-2134233/

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f13/does-elevation-mask-really-work-1746169/

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f13/elevation-mask-during-strength-training-1769107/

 

[blitzk]

sucks

 

[sub_thug]

We've already covered that there is no science behind these things, whatsoever. They are a gimmick. Their only positive is that when I talk to someone wearing one of these things at the gym, I get to talk like I'm Bane. It's super entertaining for me.

 

[Kiwi Tricker]

The only possible benefit would be as a device for strengthening the inspiratory muscles. There is some evidence for this, but it's likely not best accomplished during high-intensity training, but as a separate breathing exercise instead.

 

[troublefunk]

The inhalation/exhalation of breathing is 100% a muscular event. My guess is that using this mask, if it makes inhalation and exhalation more difficult, could improve the force output and endurance of the muscles that produce breathing. I don't know, but perhaps increasing the breathing muscles capacity in this way could increase cardiovascular performance.
However, I would be very reluctant to use this because of my strong suspicion that this process would damaging the lung tissue. I would want input for a pulmonary specialist before I used this.

 

[monkeyrhythm]

The only possible benefit would be as a device for strengthening the inspiratory muscles. There is some evidence for this, but it's likely not best accomplished during high-intensity training, but as a separate breathing exercise instead.

As Kiwi says there is potentially something in inspiratory muscle strengthening. If that was your aim you'd be better of using something specifically designed for it e.g.

http://www.powerbreathe.com/

 

[JauntyAngle]

Their only positive is that when I talk to someone wearing one of these things at the gym, I get to talk like I'm Bane. It's super entertaining for me.

Let's not ignore how valuable this is.

 

[selfcritical]

The inhalation/exhalation of breathing is 100% a muscular event. My guess is that using this mask, if it makes inhalation and exhalation more difficult, could improve the force output and endurance of the muscles that produce breathing. I don't know, but perhaps increasing the breathing muscles capacity in this way could increase cardiovascular performance.
However, I would be very reluctant to use this because of my strong suspicion that this process would damaging the lung tissue. I would want input for a pulmonary specialist before I used this.

I'm not aware of any study that has concluded that lung force production is the limiting factor in vo2max or aerobic power, mind you

 

[troublefunk]

I'm not aware of any study that has concluded that lung force production is the limiting factor in vo2max or aerobic power, mind you

Good point, and if anyone makes the claim that lung force production is a limiting factor, you should point that out to them.

 

[SMillard]

posted this before so here we go again.

As far as medical/research I don't know of any benefits. I do know that having had to perform work in the military wearing full MOP gear including playing softball, volleyball and football it is harder to do with the mask on than without.

Also I work in environmental remediation and for people to wear these types of masks they have to be medically cleared, there is extra muscular effort required just like if you were breathing through a straw. The main reason for the physical is to make sure that your lungs have the capacity and your heart is healthy enough to use the mask.

Now all that being said I can say two things very confidently;
1. if you are not medically cleared to wear a respirator for manual labor, the "therapy" for making you able to work while wearing a respirator is not to wear a respirator or mimic restricted breathing.

2. running around and playing sports with a gas mask/respirator had no impact on improving my ability to perform to same activities without the mask all it did was make me accustomed to doing the tasks while wearing a mask.

I will say that when I've gone for my annual physical and I do well on the dry spirometer test for lung capacity the first question I get asked is if I scuba dive, which I do. Though that is anecdotal, just thought I'd mention it.

 

[xilliun]

The only possible benefit would be as a device for strengthening the inspiratory muscles. There is some evidence for this, but it's likely not best accomplished during high-intensity training, but as a separate breathing exercise instead.

There's absolutely no value in strengthening inspiratory muscles for the normal person.

 

[monkeyrhythm]

There's absolutely no value in strengthening inspiratory muscles for the normal person.

I think Kiwi's statement of "some evidence" was fair enough:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11323552

http://www.powerbreathe-usa.com/study.htm

I think the jury's still out.

 

[cms9690]

It's a dumb gimmick that doesn't miimic the reduced oxygen in the air at higher altitudes anyway.

Furthermore, limiting how hard you can work while training is counterproductive. Hence "Train low, Live High". Meaning you'd want to train with more oxygen, and live and sleep with less oxygen. But unless you live up a mountain, and descend it to train, or have a hypobaric chamber to sleep in, you're not really going to be able to take advantage of it.

Almost read that as 'hyperbolic chamber'