Hypoxic training - the path to health and longevity

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 oxidation process in cells is the source of energy release, which is necessary for life. Humanity in the process of its development, studying the processes of breathing, has learned to use this ability of the human body with even greater benefit for itself. As a rule, the methods are aimed at rejuvenation, improvement of the body.

So, one of the types of training, based on breathing, or rather productive breathing, is widely used by athletes to achieve high results. It is called hypoxic training. About what it is and what it is, let's talk further.

What is more curative: oxygen or carbon dioxide?

People have long known that the air of the middle reaches is very beneficial for the human body. Why is this happening? Mountain air is discharged 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, it is necessary to stay in such conditions for at least 30 days. Mountain air has a curative and fortifying effect.

But besides this, there are also negative sides to stay in the mountains:

• Reduced atmospheric pressure.
• Radioactive and ultraviolet radiation.
• We should not forget about low air temperatures.

Not all people tolerate a set of these factors.

It has been observed that the benefit lies in a mild oxygen starvation. In the plains, this state can be achieved with the use of a technique for delaying breathing of different duration, reducing breathing, and by performing certain physical exercises.

Scientists point out that if a patient is given breathing oxygen with carbon dioxide, his condition will improve significantly, unlike if he breathed oxygen simply. Carbon dioxide promotes better absorption of oxygen. When you exhale, we lose carbon dioxide, and if these losses are reduced, it will have a beneficial effect on the body.

So, thanks to exercises that limit external breathing, contribute to a delay, 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 Yuri Borisovich.

Scientists noted that its regular implementation brings more benefits than frequent stays in the mountains. Which is very good, since most of us do not live in a mountainous area. Those who are engaged in hypoxic training, mark the following positive changes in the body:

• The work of the respiratory apparatus improves.
• Immunity is strengthened.
• Easily removes stress stress.
• Breathing becomes right, complete.
• Improves the work of the brain.
• Blood pressure is normalized.
• Fatigue is not so pronounced.
• The energy processes at the cellular level are improving.
• Sleep is normalized.
• Improves working capacity.
• Indicators of carbohydrate, protein, fat and electrolyte metabolism are changing for the better.

Also note which diseases can be treated and improved while overall health:

• Diseases and prevention of respiratory system.
• Treatment of vascular diseases.
• Malignant tumors.
• Hypertension.
• Hormonal diseases.
• Treatment of obesity.
• Protect your body from stress.
• Rejuvenation of the body.

It should be noted that hypoxic training shows good results in the early stages of rehabilitation of patients after:

• Prolonged and serious diseases.
• Myocardial infarction.
• Postponed stroke.
• After surgical interventions for oncological diseases.
• After severe surgery.

It should be noted that hypoxic training has contraindications.

Who should pay attention to

Do not recommend hypoxic training if the following occurs:

• Intolerance to lack of oxygen.
• Period of acute infectious diseases.
• Acute somatic diseases.
• Hypertensive disease of the 3rd stage.
• Ischemic heart disease 4 FC.

• Congenital pathologies of the heart and large vessels.
• Chronic diseases with symptoms of function decompensation.

Let's consider how the respiratory training is done.

Technique for the implementation of

The following methodology for the development of hypoxic breathing is proposed.

One of the conditions for training in groups is observance of a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. But you can easily master hypoxic training at home.

Let's consider its stages.

1. Begin training with breath holding at rest.

• Breath holdings are made on an empty stomach.
• The interruption between delays is not less than 1 minute, not more than 3 minutes.
• In between interruptions, breathing should be maintained.

2. Restriction of breathing in everyday life.

• You need to constantly feel a slight lack of air.

3. Delayed breathing on the go.

4. Delayed breathing with tilts.

5. Stepped breathing.

6. Short-term breath retardation.

General recommendations for all stages of training can be given the following:

• Daily breathing restriction.
• 3 times a day enhanced training with severe hypoxia-hypercapnia.
• Observe the frequency of the strong influences and the gaps between them.
• It is necessary to allow the body to adapt to new conditions.

Consider the simplest method of hypoxic training.

The instruction for simple breathing delay looks like this:

1. The following conditions must be met:

• Sit and relax the muscles.
• Hold breath between inspiration and exhalation.
• Look at the clock, marking time.

The following sensations are possible:

• Discomfort.
• Choking.

2. After this condition becomes unbearable, it is necessary to start making respiratory movements, namely, to simulate breathing. At the same time you need to try to keep from the real breath for a while.

With prolonged respiratory arrest, further sensations are possible:

• Lack of air.
• Redness of the skin.
• Feeling of heat first in the face, then in the limbs and then in the whole body.
• The pulse rate increases.
• Vessels are expanding.
• A mild sweat appears.
• There may be tears in my eyes.

3. At this point it is recommended to interrupt the delay and start breathing. But you do not need to breathe deeply. Do not give in to the desire to catch your breath, but slightly to maintain mild hypoxia. After rest, proceed to the next delay. Break - from 1 to 3 minutes.

The breath delay is estimated as follows:

• Up to 15 seconds - very bad.
• 15 to 30 seconds is bad.
• 30-45 seconds - satisfactory.
• 45-60 seconds - good.
• Over 60 seconds - excellent.

Knowing your time, we can give an assessment of the body's resistance to oxygen starvation. Assess your level of vitality.

What are the hypoxic drills

There are several of them:

1. Mountain climatic therapy.

About how useful the mountain air, it was told earlier. But there are significant disadvantages of this type of therapy. These are:

• For treatment and prevention of the disease, it takes from 30 to 60 days.
• There is no individual selection of a hypoxic factor.
• There are cases of poor tolerance of mountain climate.
• The aggravation of the disease forces us to return to flat conditions.
• Location of the mountain resort.
• The high cost of treatment with a course of 30 days.

But the medicine does not stand still, and other types of hypoxic training have been developed.

2. Hyperbaric treatment.

This treatment involves the use of special pressure chambers. However, there are also some disadvantages here:

• Barotrauma.
• Isolation of the patient from the staff.
• The individual approach to the patient is limited.
• High cost of equipment.
• Required staff to maintain the pressure chamber.

All these disadvantages such treatment make difficult of access not only to patients, but also to health care, impractical.

3. Normobaric hypoxia. This is a method that increases the body's resistance by adapting 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 cyclic-fractionated mode. There is one more name for normobaric hypoxia - this interval hypoxic training. Let's consider it in more detail.

Interval Training

Consider what includes the concept of normobaric interval hypoxic training.

• Normobaric. This indicates that at the time of training, atmospheric pressure remains within the norm of 730-760 mm Hg. Art.
• Hypoxic. During the session, the patient inhales air with a reduced oxygen content. The norm is set by the attending physician in the range of 16-19%.
• Interval. The gas mixture is inhaled at certain intervals, which have strictly limited time frames. So, after a portion of gas, the patient breathes oxygen, the content of which in the air is 20.9%.
• Workout. 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 selection of dosage of hypoxic effect.
• Individual selection of exposure mode.
• Has no adverse effects.
• Excludes the influence of unfavorable factors of mountain climate.

It should be noted that in order for hypoxic training to be effective, it is necessary to adhere to the following conditions:

• Hypoxic effects on the body should last 3-10 minutes, not more.
• The duration of the session per day should be such that the body is able to develop adaptive responses.
• The total duration of the session per day is no more than 1,5-2 hours.
• Training should be regular in order to achieve the desired result.

Classes can be divided by complexity, taking into account the oxygen content in the air:

1. Moderate hypoxia. It develops when the oxygen content in the inhaled air decreases from 20-15%.
2. Acute hypoxia. The oxygen content is within the range of 15-10%.
3. Over-hypoxia. The presence of oxygen in the inspired air is below 10%.

Hypoxic training of athletes

It is known that the combined method of training is more effective than prolonged in the mountains or in artificial conditions the state of hypoxia in the pressure chamber.

During the training of the athlete it is necessary to highlight the main parameters:

• Planning of training loads.
• The direction of classes.
• Volume and intensity in microcycles of sports activities.

This is necessary in order to determine when to perform interval hypoxic training in the time free from sports.

Two kinds of hypoxic loads are popular in sport.

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 the saving of time. You can exercise physically, and hypoxic combine with sleep.

Negative aspects: incorrect dosing of oxygen with its lower content can cause side effects: headache, heavy recovery after training, loss of appetite, joint pain.

2. Using the mask. First you need to breathe through a mask with a low oxygen content, and then with atmospheric air. The duration of the lesson is an average of 60 minutes.

The duration of the intervals and the concentration of oxygen are determined by the physician. 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.

Used masks, hypoxicators, can be applied not only by athletes. But they are also useful in the treatment and recovery of sick people.

Advice for athletes on IHT

A few tips for those who want to use hypoxic training. When preparing athletes they give a good effect. Do not neglect them.

In the training process, perform interval hypoxic training.

1. The plan should be modified to take into account the intensity of activities and the burden on the body.
2. IHT should be applied year round with pauses. Breaks should be no more than 4-6 weeks.
3. There are features for every age. They can be used in 11 years and at 75.
4. In adolescence, hypoxicators are not recommended for children.
5. You need to concentrate on strength training for endurance, speed and on improving equipment.
6. Reduce the number of functional trainings.
7. Pay attention to nutrition, taking vitamins and restorative measures.

A few words about the hypoxic mask. They are widely used in training, making mistakes that their use brings them closer to IHT.The mask helps to complicate the absorption of air, but does not reduce the partial pressure of oxygen, as in mountainous terrain, so the hypoxic mask promotes the training of the respiratory system. It should be borne in mind that at the same time the load on the heart muscle increases, 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 damage to hypoxic training was not noted, but there may be phenomena that should alert you. Thus it is necessary to reconsider hypoxic loadings, and can, cancel.

Possible manifestations:

1. Cough.
2. Pain in the stomach.
3. Pain in the gallbladder. Small stones and sand leave. Headaches, dizziness.
4. Numbness, tingling of limbs.
5. Exacerbation of coronary heart disease.
6. Exacerbation of hypertension.

At the initial stages of the study, the illnesses worsen and hidden diseases make themselves felt.

With stones in gallstones, hypertension and coronary heart disease, lowered hypoxic loads are needed. But the doctor does not recommend stopping the classes. Gradually the state is normalized. To the cores at an exacerbation it is necessary to lower hypoxic loading and to extinguish stress-reaction of an organism. Gradually bring the training to normal.

Recommend those who have low blood pressure, take adaptogens, which contribute to strengthening the body and increase the body's resistance to hypoxia.

What will help prepare for training

Not everyone can easily go to such training. Some need to prepare the body, namely, to increase the adaptive capacity. To do this, use the following methods:

1. Use adaptogenic plants. These include: Eleutherococcus spiny, Manchu aralia, golden root, Chinese magnolia vine, Zamaniha high, Leuzea safflower, Sterkulia Platanolina, Ginseng. Each of these plants has its own properties. But take them only in the morning, so as not to bring down the daily biorhythms. The miraculous properties of these plants and the employment of IHT together can enhance the positive properties of each, which contributes to a quick recovery.

2. Performing stretching exercises. With moderate exercise, endorphins are released, which reduce pain, 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 losing weight. Stretching exercises strengthen protein synthesis and increase the strength and endurance of skeletal muscles.

3. Steam bath. Its action is as follows:

• Reduction of thyroid hormones.
• Blood circulation in the vessels improves due to their expansion.
• Increased resistance of the body to colds.
• The mood improves.
• The ability of glucose to penetrate the cell increases.
• Increased endurance of the body and resistance to hypoxia.

4. Running classes. When a person runs, he develops persistent hypoxia as a result of increasing the body's oxygen demand. This is motor hypoxia. As a result of training, the mood improves, a feeling of euphoria appears, and the synthesis of endorphins, which have an analgesic effect and is able to improve one's health, is enhanced. Also there is an emission of hormones and insulin, which contributes to adaptation to the conditions of hypoxia.

5. Dosified fasting. This is a very powerful stimulant, which increases the adaptive properties of the body to hypoxia, but also has a healing effect. It strengthens the nervous system, strengthens the breakdown of cholesterol. Recommend to starve at least one day a week. It is very important to start right and then get out of starvation.

Having considered the positive and negative aspects of this type of exercise, it can be concluded that hypoxic training is the way to health and longevity. Currently, there are new generation hypoxicators that can be used at home. Therefore, training that benefits our body, contributes to the prolongation of life and the improvement of its quality, are already available to everyone. Take on arms and be healthy!