Respiratory devices or breathing trainers are used by athletes to build strength in the muscles that are responsible for breathing. In turn, it is believed this will improve the efficiency of your breathing and improve your ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles.
Also, they can improve lung function in people with lung conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Furthermore, respiratory devices can also help with breathing techniques for health and mindfulness.
In this article, I shall explain why breathing and lung function are important for health and fitness. But I will also provide a list for a range of breathing trainers available on the market.
Why Breathing is Important for Health and Exercise
Breathing is an essential part of any exercise routine, yet it’s often overlooked and underestimated. Particularly, thinking about the quality and efficiency of your breathing. Also, breathing properly helps you to get more out of your workouts by improving circulation and allowing muscles to receive more oxygen-rich blood which can enhance performance and prevent fatigue. 1,2
Why Breathing is Important for Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a powerful tool for reducing stress and creating mental clarity, but it can only be effective if you are mindful of your breathing. So, our breath has the power to calm our nervous system and regulate our emotions, which makes it an essential part of any mindfulness practice. By focusing on your breath, you can become more aware of your body’s needs and create a sense of inner balance that will help you stay present in the moment. In addition, proper breathing techniques can also help improve concentration levels and reduce anxiety levels. Hence, why both are important factors when practising mindfulness. Therefore, learning how to breathe deeply and efficiently during meditation or other mindfulness activities is essential for achieving maximum benefits from the practice. 3
Why Improving Lung Function is Important for Fitness
Essentially, improving your fitness requires your ability to efficiently deliver oxygenated blood to your working muscles. So, by improving your lung function you are increasing your body’s ability to utilise oxygen and resist fatigue.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that exercise will improve the size of your lungs or total lung capacity (Total lung capacity is the maximum volume of air in the lungs following inhalation). But it improves your maximum rate of oxygen uptake during exercise, often referred to as V02max. Simply, the higher your V02max the greater amount of oxygen your body can consume. This will result in your body being able to efficiently use the oxygen to generate energy for the working muscles.
How Do Breathing Trainers Improve Lung Function?
It is claimed regular use of breathing trainers can strengthen your respiratory muscles and maximise oxygen intake. So, this helps you to increase your performance in sports or physical activities as it improves the strength of the diaphragm. In turn, this will improve your ability to control your breathing and increase oxygen supply to the muscles.
Also, they claim it increases lung capacity by decreasing the residual volume (the volume of the air that remains in the lungs after maximum exhalation) in your lungs and therefore increasing your ability to intake usable air.
However, this does not mean that breathing trainers will have a direct improvement on V02max. Their purpose is to train the respiratory muscles like you would train any other muscle in the gym.
Does the Science Back it Up?
Yes, although the science for the improvement of respiratory function through the use of respiratory devices has proven to help patients with lung conditions. 4,5. Further studies at larger scale need to be conducted to truly understand the efficacy of breathing trainers in fitness populations.
The Aerofit device has been tested for efficacy in exercise settings. The study which was conducted by Manchester Metropolitan University tested if Aerofit provided improvements in lung function and performance in exercise. They tested 19 participants (which is a small sample size) if Aerofit improved performance following a 6 week cross-fit programme. The results found that:
- Maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures increased by 45% and 20%, respectively.
- An increase in diaphragm muscle thickness of about 30%.
- Power output per unit of oxygen improved by 7%, suggesting an increase in exercise efficiency.
- Greatest improvements in those with the weakest, thinnest diaphragms.
How Do Breathing Trainers Work?
The device is not used during exercise or during your training activities. Instead, it forms part of your daily routine where regular sessions each day are recommended to see performance improvements.
Using a breathing device is relatively simple. Breathing trainers usually feature an ergonomic design with a mouthpiece that enables you to inhale and exhale into the device. They will include adjustable resistance settings, that you select to increase or decrease the resistance of your breathing.
Airofit, has also developed an app the connects to the device via bluetooth. So, the app records your data and allows you to track your progress. Also, they have various pre-designed breathing training programmes to choose from.
What Are The Different Types of Breathing Trainers Available?
| Product | Image | Features | App | Price | Link |
| Airofit |  | 3 different models: Pro 2.0, 1.0 and Active Adjustable mouthpiece Adjustable resistance | Yes Pre designed programmes Tracking and monitoring Feedback and insights | £112 to £302 | Amazon |
| Powerbreathe K Series |  | 5 different models: K1 to K5 Adjustable mouthpiece Adjustable resistance | No but has Mac and Windows compatible software (connects to K4 and K5 models) | £475 to 675 | Website |
| Ultrabreathe |  | Adjustable mouthpiece Adjustable resistance | No | £24.99 | Amazon |
| Air Physio |  | Simple device Dissemble to clean | No | £64.95 | Amazon |
This allows users to measure and optimise their breath for improved performance during physical activity or mindfulness practices. The app also comes with various guided breathing exercises tailored to different levels of experience as well as specific goals such as relaxation, focus, or energy
A Close Up on How to Use Airofit for Fitness
The Airofit Breathing Device was first developed by a medical device company called AMBU, based in Denmark. It was developed for helping people with Asthma and COPD. So, Airofit naturally claim the device can help improve lung function in people with these type of lung conditions. Their claims for improving mental well-being and stress levels are based on the benefits of conscious breathing.
Airofit has 3 different models. The Airofit Pro 2.0 and 1.0 (priced at £302 and £259 respectively) include Bluetooth connectivity whereas the Aerofit Active (priced at £112) does not.
The Bluetooth connectivity enables the user to connect to the app. Also, the app provides a range of different breathing exercises for different functions and monitors your respiratory performance.
We explain more about the app in the Airofit app section below. However, it’s worth mentioning that the app begins with a lung function test to create a baseline for your current level of respiratory performance. If you are using the Pro model, this is a good place to start with your respiratory programme.
The device is not used during exercise or during your training activities. Instead, it forms part of your daily routine where Airofit recommends 2 x 5-10 minute sessions each day to see performance improvements.
Using the Airofit Breathing Device is relatively simple. The device comes with a removable mouthpiece and adjustable resistance settings that you select your desired level. But users who are subscribed to the app can receive live feedback on any of its 17 pre designed programmes.
Users report that the device is fairly comfortable to use while exercising. But some have also reported it can be a messy affair with saliva and mucus building up around the mouthpiece.
Furthermore, Airofit provides numerous guided audio-visual sessions tailored to different levels of experience and goals such as productivity, relaxation or energy stimulation. These sessions are designed to help users stay focused on their breath while providing feedback about their technique so they can adjust accordingly if need be.
The Airofit App
The Airofit App helps users to get the most out of their experience. The app includes a host of features to ensure users are able to effectively track their progress, set goals and stay motivated. Among these features are breathing exercises tailored to different levels of experience, guided audio-visual sessions, auto-tracking for activity, real-time feedback on breathing technique, an interactive dashboard to visualize data and various reports that give insight into performance.
Furthermore, users can also use the app for relaxation sessions which offers a combination of audio guidance with visualisations that help bring awareness to your breath and body.
In addition, the Airofit App also allows users to track their oxygen intake during physical activities such as running or cycling. This functionality gives users an accurate depiction of how their performance is progressing over time so they can work towards reaching personal goals. However, this feature is only available to paid membership subscribers to the app.
The app has a free and paid for membership subscription to access more features. The membership is reasonably priced at £34 per year or £2.83 per month and you can cancel anytime. The membership unlocks access to:
- personalised programs,
- advanced statistics,
- training tips.
Whereas the free subscribers have access to all the sessions and lung function test.
Our Verdict
Clearly, the evidence supports that respiratory devices are beneficial for people with lung conditions such as Asthma and COPD.
Although, there is some research to suggest that breathing trainers can improve your lung efficiency to improve your ability to perform exercise. But larger-scale research is required to conclusively determine its benefits.
But for the athletes or fitness enthusiasts who are looking for every competitive edge, then breathing devices may be worth your consideration.
If you are planning on using it purely for mindfulness and mental well-being then breathing devices are a great way to focus on your breathing.
References
- Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness (2020) Éva Csepregi, Zoltán Szekanecz, Sándor Szántó: The effects of breathing exercises in comparison with other exercise programs on cardiorespiratory fitness among healthy female college students
- Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology (2020) Iffat Jahan, Momtaz Begum, Shahin Akhter, Md Zakirul Islam, Nusrat Jahan, Mainul Haque: Effects of alternate nostril breathing exercise on respiratory functions in healthy young adults leading stressful lifestyle
- Annals of the New York Academy of Science (2009) Richard P Brown, Patricia L Gerbarg: Yoga breathing, meditation, and longevity
- International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (2018) Jirakrit Leelarungrayub, Rungthip Puntumetakul, Thanyaluck Sriboonreung, Yothin Pothasak, Jakkrit Klaphajone: Preliminary study: comparative effects of lung volume therapy between slow and fast deep-breathing techniques on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, oxidative stress, cytokines, 6-minute walking distance, and quality of life in persons with COPD
- The Clinical Respiratory Journal (2018) Marc Beaumont, Patrice Forget, Francis Couturaud, Gregory Reychler: Effects of inspiratory muscle training in COPD patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
