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Altitude 22-Mar-2005 At 9:45:51 AM Romfrantic

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On 21/03/2005 JohnK wrote:
>Just following on on this topic, anyone have any thoughts on increasing
>lung capacity as a means of reducing the effects of altitude?
>Is there evidence that training through things like swimming which is
>known as a means of increasing lung capacity can help with preparing for
>altitude?
I had a discussion about this with my doctor a long time ago, when I was going for my diving medical. As he made several lung capacity measurements, he mentioned that for my height/built I had a large lung capacity. I mentioned to him that I was a smoker for some years late 10s/early 20s. Since I quit, I continued the aerobic training (if not actually increased it) and he commented that if I hadn't told him that he would not have guessed I was a smoker a few years back, given the results. He told me the smoking would've decreased my lung capacity (in terms of oxygen take up) but through exercise it managed to spring back to my normal if not actually increased it. But like it has been said here already, the 'capacity' has more to do with how much oxygen you can effectively use as opposed to the volume of air you're able to take in. Exercise def. helps, and not just for aerobic capacity - you need a good pump, the heart is a muscle too.

>As well, there appears to be a number of breathing type devices on the
>market designed to simulate oxygen deprivation? Anyone operating these
>here in Melbourne?
You mean a hypoxicator? I saw someone in the gym the other day on the step machine and he was strapped to one of these. Apparently to simulate exercising at altitude. I think he said he hired it. I found this link, has details of contacts in Oz who distribute them http://www.altipower.com/travel.htm