Breathing is very important for our body. The necessary oxygen enters the respiratory system, which contributes to the oxidation of organic substances, and carbon dioxide is released. The process of oxidation in cells is a source of energy release, which is necessary for life. Mankind, in the process of its development, by studying the processes of respiration, has learned to use this ability of the human body with even greater benefit for itself. As a rule, the techniques are aimed at rejuvenation, healing the body.
Thus, one of the types of training based on breathing, or rather productive breathing, is widely used by athletes to achieve high results. It's called hypoxic training. We will talk about what it is and what it consists of.
Which is more healing: oxygen or carbon dioxide?
People have long known that the air of the middle mountains has a very beneficial effect on the human body. Why is this happening? The mountain air is thin and has a low oxygen content. It is this factor that has a beneficial effect on all internal organs. But in order to feel it fully, you need to stay in such conditions for at least 30 days. Mountain air has a healing and restorative effect.effect.
But besides this, there are also negative aspects of being in the mountains:
- Reduced atmospheric pressure.
- Radioactive radiation and ultraviolet.
- We should not forget about low air temperatures.
The combination of these factors is not well tolerated by everyone.
It has been noticed that the benefit lies precisely in light oxygen starvation. In flat areas, this state can be achieved using the method of holding the breath of different durations, slowing down the breath and by performing some physical exercises.
Scientists note: if a sick person is allowed to breathe oxygen with the addition of carbon dioxide, then his condition will improve significantly, unlike if he breathes just oxygen. Carbon dioxide improves the uptake of oxygen. When we exhale, we lose carbon dioxide, and if these losses are reduced, then this will have a beneficial effect on the body.
So, thanks to exercises that limit external breathing, promote retention, you can create a state of hypoxia, that is, a lack of oxygen. And, as a result, there will be a state of hypercapnia - this is an excess of carbon dioxide. Developed a method of hypoxic training Bulanov Yury Borisovich.
Scientists have noted that its regular implementation is more beneficial than frequent stays in the mountains. Which is very good, since most of us do not live in the mountains.
Pros of the technique
Those who do hypoxic trainingnote the following positive changes in the body:
- Improves the work of the respiratory apparatus.
- Immunity is strengthened.
- Stress is easily relieved.
- Breathing becomes correct, full.
- Improves brain function.
- Blood pressure normalizes.
- Fatigue is less pronounced.
- Improve energy processes at the cellular level.
- Sleep is normalizing.
- Increases efficiency.
- Indicators of carbohydrate, protein, fat and electrolyte metabolism are changing for the better.
Also note which diseases can be treated and improve overall he alth:
- Diseases and prevention of respiratory organs.
- Treatment of vascular diseases.
- Malignant tumors.
- Hypertension.
- Hormonal diseases.
- Treatment of obesity.
- Protecting the body from stress.
- Rejuvenation of the body.
It is worth noting that hypoxic training shows good results in the early stages of rehabilitation of patients after:
- Long and severe diseases.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Has had a stroke.
- After surgery for oncological diseases.
- After major surgery.
It should be noted that hypoxic training has contraindications.
Who to pay attention to
Notrecommend engaging in hypoxic training if the following occurs:
- Intolerance to lack of oxygen.
- The period of acute infectious diseases.
- Acute somatic diseases.
- Hypertension stage 3.
- Ischemic heart disease FC 4.
- Congenital pathologies of the heart and large vessels.
- Chronic diseases with symptoms of functional decompensation.
Let's take a look at how the breathing exercise works.
Execution method
The following method of mastering hypoxic breathing is proposed.
One of the conditions for training in groups is to maintain a relaxed friendly atmosphere. But you can easily master hypoxic training at home.
Let's consider its stages.
1. Begin training by holding your breath at rest.
- Breath-holds are done on an empty stomach.
- The break between delays is not less than 1 minute, not more than 3 minutes.
- In the intervals between holdings, you need to hold your breath.
2. Restriction of breathing in daily life.
You should always feel a slight lack of air
3. Holding your breath while walking.
4. Breath holding while bending over.
5. Stepped breathing.
6. Brief breath-holds.
General recommendations for all stages of training can be given as follows:
- Daily restrictionbreathing.
- 3 times a day enhanced training with severe hypoxia-hypercapnia.
- Respect the frequency of strong impacts and the intervals between them.
- It is necessary to give the body the opportunity to adapt to new conditions.
Let's consider the simplest way of hypoxic training.
Instructions for a simple breath-hold look like this:
1. The following conditions must be met:
- Sit down and relax your muscles.
- Hold your breath between inhalation and exhalation.
- Look at the clock, noticing the time.
You may experience the following sensations:
- Discomfort.
- Suffocation.
2. After this condition becomes unbearable, it is necessary to begin to make respiratory movements, namely, to imitate breathing. At the same time, you need to try to refrain from real breathing for some more time.
When holding the breath for a long time, the following sensations are possible:
- Lack of air.
- Redness of the skin.
- Sensation of heat first in the face, then in the limbs and then in the whole body.
- Pulse speeds up.
- Vessels expand.
- A light perspiration appears.
- Possible performance of tears in the eyes.
3. At this point, it is recommended to interrupt the delay and start breathing. But you need to start breathing shallowly. Resist the urge to catch your breath, but maintain mild hypoxia slightly. After rest, proceed to the next delay. Break - 1 to 3 minutes.
Breath-holding is rated as follows:
- Up to 15seconds - very bad.
- 15 to 30 seconds is bad.
- 30-45 seconds is fair.
- 45-60 seconds is good.
- Over 60 seconds - excellent.
Knowing our time, we can assess the body's resistance to oxygen starvation. Assess your level of resilience.
What are hypoxic workouts
There are several types:
1. Mountain climatic therapy.
The benefits of mountain air have been discussed earlier. But there are significant disadvantages of this type of therapy. This is:
- It takes 30 to 60 days to treat and prevent the disease.
- There is no individual selection of the hypoxic factor.
- There are cases of poor mountain climate tolerance.
- The exacerbation of the disease forces us to return to flat conditions.
- Location of the mountain resort.
- High cost of treatment with a course of 30 days or more.
But medicine is advancing and other types of hypoxic training have been developed.
2. Pressure chamber treatment.
Such treatment involves the use of special pressure chambers. However, some disadvantages can also be identified here:
- Barotrauma.
- Isolation of the patient from the staff.
- Limited individual approach to the patient.
- High equipment cost.
- Required staff to maintain pressure chamber.
All these shortcomings are such a treatmentmake it difficult to access not only for patients, but also for he alth care, impractical.
3. normobaric hypoxia. This is a method that increases the body's resistance by getting used to hypoxia. It is achieved by breathing a gas mixture in which the oxygen content is reduced to 10%. At the same time, normal atmospheric pressure is observed in a cyclically fractionated mode. There is another name for normabaric hypoxia - this is interval hypoxic training. Let's consider it in more detail.
Interval Training
Let's consider what the concept of normobaric interval hypoxic training includes.
- Normobaric. This suggests that at the time of training, atmospheric pressure remains within the normal range of 730-760 mm Hg. st.
- Hypoxic. During the session, the patient inhales air with a reduced oxygen content. The norm is set by the attending physician within 16-19%.
- Interval. The gas mixture is inhaled at certain intervals, which have a strictly limited time frame. So, after a portion of gas, the patient breathes oxygen, the content of which in the air will be 20.9%.
- Training. This is the process of training physiological and biological systems that contribute to the alignment of the body. Namely: respiratory organs, blood circulation, biochemical processes in the body, hematopoiesis.
The method of interval hypoxic training has a number of advantages over previous methods:
- Possibility of selecting the dosage of hypoxic exposure.
- Individualselection of exposure mode.
- No side effects.
- Excludes the influence of adverse factors of the mountain climate.
It is worth noting: in order for hypoxic training to be effective, the following conditions must be adhered to:
- Hypoxic effect on the body should last 3-10 minutes, no more.
- The duration of a session per day should be such that the body can develop adaptive responses.
- Total session duration per day - no more than 1.5-2 hours.
- Training must be regular to achieve the desired result.
Classes can be divided according to the degree of difficulty, taking into account the oxygen content in the air:
- Moderate hypoxia. It develops with a decrease in the oxygen content in the inhaled air from 20-15%.
- Acute hypoxia. Oxygen content within 15-10%.
- Superacute hypoxia. The presence of oxygen in the inhaled air is below 10%.
Hypoxic training of athletes
It is known that the combined method of training is more effective than a prolonged state of hypoxia in the mountains or under artificial conditions in a pressure chamber.
During the training of an athlete, it is necessary to highlight the main parameters:
- Planning training loads.
- Line of study.
- Volume and intensity in microcycles of sports activities.
This is necessary in order to determine when to perform hypoxic interval training in your free time from sportstime.
Two types of hypoxic exercise are popular in sports.
1. In a pressure chamber or in a special room, in a tent with a low oxygen content, with normal atmospheric pressure. The positive side of the method is time saving. You can carry out physical training, and combine hypoxic with sleep.
Negatives: Improper dosing of oxygen with a lower oxygen content can cause side effects: headache, difficult recovery after training, loss of appetite, joint pain.
2. With the use of a mask. First you need to breathe through a mask with a reduced oxygen content, and then with atmospheric air. The duration of a class is 60 minutes on average.
The duration of the intervals and the oxygen concentration are set by the doctor. For each athlete, these values are individual and can be adjusted in the process. In one session, there may be several alternations of breathing through the mask and room air.
The masks used, hypoxicators, can be used not only by athletes. But they are also useful in the treatment and recovery of sick people.
IHT tips for athletes
A few tips for those who want to use hypoxic training. When preparing athletes, they give a good effect. Don't neglect them.
Introduce interval hypoxic training into the training process.
- The plan needs to be amended, taking into account the intensity of classes and the load onorganism.
- IGT should be used all year round with breaks. Breaks should be no more than 4-6 weeks.
- There are features for every age. They can be used at 11 and at 75.
- In adolescence, it is not recommended to use hypoxicators for children.
- Need to focus on strength training for endurance, speed and technique improvement.
- Reduce functional training.
- Pay attention to nutrition, vitamin intake and recovery activities.
A few words about the hypoxic mask. They are widely used in training, mistaken that their use is closer to IHT. The mask contributes to the difficulty of absorbing air, but does not reduce the partial pressure of oxygen, as in mountainous areas, so the hypoxic mask contributes to the training of the respiratory system. It should be borne in mind that this increases the load on the heart muscle, it is necessary to consult a cardiologist before training with its use.
Possible phenomena at the initial stage of training
It should be noted right away that the harm of hypoxic training has not been noted, but phenomena may occur that should alert you. At the same time, hypoxic loads should be reviewed, or maybe canceled.
Possible manifestations:
- Cough.
- Pain in the stomach.
- Pain in the gallbladder. Small stones and sand are moving away.
- Headaches, dizziness.
- Numbness, tingling of limbs.
- Exacerbation of coronary heart disease.
- Exacerbationhypertension.
At the initial stages of training, diseases worsen and hidden diseases make themselves felt.
With gallstones, hypertension and coronary heart disease, reduced hypoxic loads are needed. But at the same time, the doctor does not recommend stopping classes. Gradually the state is normalized. During an exacerbation, the hearts need to reduce the hypoxic load and extinguish the stress response of the body. Gradually build up to regular workouts.
Recommended for those with low blood pressure to take adaptogens, which help strengthen the body and increase the body's resistance to hypoxia.
To help prepare for training
Not every person easily transitions to such workouts. Some need to prepare the body, namely, to increase adaptive capabilities. To do this, it is recommended to use the following methods:
1. Use adaptogen plants. These include: eleutherococcus prickly, Manchurian aralia, golden root, Chinese magnolia vine, high lure, safflower-like leuzea, platanophyllous sterculia, ginseng. Each of these plants has its own properties. But they should be taken only in the morning, so as not to bring down the daily biorhythms. The miraculous properties of these plants and the use of IHT together can enhance the positive properties of each, which contributes to a quick recovery.
2. Doing stretching exercises. Moderate exercise releases endorphins that reduce pain.sensations, have a general strengthening effect, increase the adaptive properties of the body to hypoxia. And also it is a good remedy for depression, for lowering cholesterol, for weight loss. Stretching exercises increase protein synthesis and increase skeletal muscle strength and endurance.
3. Steam bath. Its action is as follows:
- Decrease in thyroid hormones.
- Blood circulation in the vessels improves due to their expansion.
- Increases the body's resistance to colds.
- Mood improves.
- The ability of glucose to enter the cell increases.
- Increases the body's endurance and resistance to hypoxia.
4. Running lessons. When a person runs, he develops persistent hypoxia as a result of an increase in the body's need for oxygen. This is motor hypoxia. As a result of training, mood improves, a feeling of euphoria appears, while the synthesis of endorphins increases, which have an analgesic effect and can improve well-being. There is also a release of hormones and insulin, which contributes to adaptation to hypoxic conditions.
5. Dosed fasting. This is a very powerful stimulant that increases the adaptive properties of the body to hypoxia, but also has a healing effect. Well strengthens the nervous system, enhances the breakdown of cholesterol. It is recommended to fast at least one day a week. It is very important to start right and then come out of fasting.
Having considered the positive and negative sides of this kindclasses, we can conclude that hypoxic training is the path to he alth and longevity. Currently, there are new generation hypoxicators that can be used at home. Therefore, training that benefits our body, helps prolong life and improve its quality, is already available to everyone. Take charge and be he althy!
