Facemask?

[New]

So, in my new digs, I noticed someone working out while wearing a facemask that seemed to double as a breathing apparatus. Would any of you lovely gentlemen know anything about such a device?

And before you ask...yes, he did look like Bane.

 

[Benwise]

Sounds like an altitude training mask, probably is an athlete looking to build muscle and endurance during the off season. It makes you have to breathe harder to get sufficient oxygen (I think) so when its off and you're breathing without it you can get better breaths and more oxygen, the equivalent of high altitude training etc. Google it, I'm sure the site that will probably be the first result for 'altitude training mask' will tell you plenty.

 

[Mycophile]

I've heard about this and I know a lot of people who train heavily in martial arts and know about altitude training who say that this mask is pointless.

From what I have heard (though I could be totally wrong) in order for altitude training to work you need to really be exposed to high altitude MULTIPLE hours a day...like, probably at least 8 or more hours a day, every single day for weeks.

Unless you are wearing the facemask that much, you probably won't get major effects from it for your cardio, and it's very dangerous to sleep with it on because you could potentially suffocate, even though that might be the only way to have it on long enough to help you.

If you work out with it on you are only making things harder for yourself as you won't be able to run or workout as hard or for as long cause you are getting less oxygen and you could potentially pass out or get hypoxic.

The one effective way I have heard to do altitude training is "sleep high-train low", meaning to sleep at a high altitude or in a hypo-baric chamber and then train at low altitude.

That way, you have the benefits of the high altitude on your red blood cells, but you push your cardio when at sea level so you won't basically be metaphorically working out with a bag of rocks on your back so that you cannot push yourself as hard. That way, the true effects of the altitude training will be felt.

But again, I really don't know jack squat, it's only what I have heard from others who know more than me.

 

[Animal Mother]

See:hypoxic training.
When re exposed to normal air pressure, the body has inreased hypertrophy or some shit

 

[New]

Sounds like an altitude training mask, probably is an athlete looking to build muscle and endurance during the off season. It makes you have to breathe harder to get sufficient oxygen (I think) so when its off and you're breathing without it you can get better breaths and more oxygen, the equivalent of high altitude training etc. Google it, I'm sure the site that will probably be the first result for 'altitude training mask' will tell you plenty.

Yes! That is the exact thing I am talking about!
Thank you!

 

[Serotonin101]

There's also altitude chambers that endurance athletes lime cyclists use to increase rbc production. They usually sleep in them.

 

[Mycophile]

There's also altitude chambers that endurance athletes lime cyclists use to increase rbc production. They usually sleep in them.

Right, but I think the point is that you need hours and hours of high altitude exposure daily to really help your cardio, like basically living at high altitude or at least sleeping at high altitude.

I don't know much, but again, from people I've talked to who know more, I don't really know hypoxia training has real benefits.

It might be one thing to restrict oxygen when NOT training, I guess I could see that benefit if done often enough.

But if you do it while doing your sport of choice some studies I've read say that you just won't train as hard because you can't push your body as hard, so I think it would have diminishing returns.

I mean, is it better to run as hard as you can for 2 mins with an altitude mask or taped up snorkle on and then fall over gasping for air, or to run as hard as you can for 12 minutes and feel great? (Just an analogy of course...)