I used a "training Mask" for like 2 months in college. Don't think it really did anything

But no clue

Asthmatics have a similar response on a bad training day. Like today, with all the leaves, and my allergies, I can only run slowly. Does reducing one's sats lead to enhanced performance? I don't think it's a natural state for the body, hence, I think it's probably not ideal for training, racing, or living. Hypoxic training in swimmers has not been shown to do much, so I'm skeptical.

Good try though. You are thinking a little outside the box, imho.

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

could someone that's actually studied this chime in?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11256564


I was under the impression that hypoxic training was something to avoid. (Esp. for swimming - due to risk factors)


http://scholar.google.ca/...&ved=0CBwQgQMwAA

Im at work atm so I cant watch the video but I assume it is regarding trainingmask type device? (if not go ahead and ignore the rest of this)

TrainingMask and the like are not *strictly* hypoxic training. It more appropriately falls under the respiratory muscle training as the makeup of the gas being introduced into your lungs is not lower in oxygen content its just harder to get the appropriate volume. This type of resistance training has been studied with what could, charitably, be called mixed results. At best you will increased respiratory excursion, MVV and decrease RPE at increased efforts. At worst you are wasting your time and money. No one has shown an increase in O2 carrying capacity, VO2max or other physiologic indicators. What *may* have been shown is secondary gains which at the pointy end can be useful (see any of jackmott's posts trying to shave fractions of a gram of drag). However many of the same gains are reliably shown by increased work training volume as well. I've linked to a recent meta analysis that comes out on the positive side mostly cause I'm lazy and don't feel like linking to the 10+ individual articles that support one side or the other.

tl/dr does it work? maybe. Is it hypoxic training a la altitude? nope. Is it worth your time and money? entirely depends on how much of both you have.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22765281

I did a thesis on this subject in the early 1990's using the "Lung Trainer" device. There was no significant difference with this device.

This is the polar opposite of training with supplemental oxygen. I think the hypothesis is that you can train harder with additional oxygen. I have seen it done with actual supplemental oxygen (oxygen mask on a trainer or even using a small tank, as done by the U.S. long track skater in the late 1990's early 2000's). The cruder method is to sleep and recover at altitude, but go down to sea level to train. The big dollar solution is an altitude tent. I think the benefit of this approach is pretty well established, so it seems unlikely that restricted oxygen supply would be very beneficial.

I wouldn't hold my breath.

I was under the impression that athletes doing high altitude training camps try to find places to stay where they are able to live/eat/sleep at high altitude, but train at low altitudes. Training with oxygen restriction just makes for a shitty, low intensity session. This looks like the polar opposite of what one would try to achieve (with regards to oxygen).

thank you for your response, i use it in my coaching for age-group triathlet. conclusion so far, we find it easier to move to higher altitude for training, if the mask has been used for at least 6 sessions over 6 weeks prior of going to altitude. mentally it is also a kick, especially for athletes having had some breathing problems in the water at the swim start.