Better Breathing Leaves More Oxygen For Other Muscles, Maybe

Breathing–just breathing, can use10 to 15 percent of the oxygen consumed during an endurance event. Largely because not breathing is not an option, researchers at Indiana University set out to learn if the muscles used to breathe–known as inspiratory muscles– could be trained to be more efficient, and therefor leave more oxygen for other muscles used for running, swimming, and other exercises. PhysOrg.com reports that the researchers worked with 16 male cyclists, aged 18 to 40, who used a hand-held device that provides resistance as one inhales
through it. For half of
the study participants, the device was set to a level that provided
resistance as the subjects took a fast forceful breath in. For six
weeks they took 30 breaths at this setting twice a day. The cyclists in
the control group did the same exercises with the device adjusted to a
minimal level. After six weeks, when the study participants mimicked the
breathing required for low, moderate and maximum intensity activities,
the inspiratory muscles required around 1 percent less oxygen during the low intensity exercise and 3 to 4 percent less during the high intensity exercise. PhysOrg reports that the researchers are now trying to learn if the gain in oxygen is
actually available to other muscles.

Read more in PhysOrg.com.