Vibrated training is something new to me. No, nothing to do with vibrator, you dirty minded fellow. After doing some research, found out that this technique actually has been used by few celebrities, including Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia, Jonathan Ross and Simon Cowell. They were devotees of the system which involves performing exercise whilst standing on a vibrating platform or connected in some way to a vibrating device.
Why do all these celebrities go for the so called vibrated training?
According to the manufacturers of vibration equipment, results can be obtained in much less time compared to using vibration-free equipment. As these celebrities are so busy, they spend less time working out on these machines which give the same results.
One of the well known vibrating equipments is Galileo dumbbells. This hand held device is specifically designed to improve muscle strength and tone in the upper body. It provides a highly intensive work out, yet requires fewer repetitions than traditional resistance equipment. Targeted muscles are given 25 to 30 impulses per second, causing the muscles to contract and relax. If you buy in to this interesting vibrated training concept, read on.
The current methods of vibration delivery do have their limitations. Many users are not able use these devices as the vibration has causes nausea, and if used incorrectly can cause the vibration to be sent straight up the spine to the base of the skull. For these reasons, Dr Paul Sumners, a technologist at London South Bank University, prefer the idea of targeted vibration directly to the exercising muscle. By doing so, more specific training stimulus is ensured and therefore eliminating any of the unpleasant side effects. Three months ago, Dr Paul Sumners has sent me an e-mail introducing one of his inventions, YouBreathe. After few e-mails exchange, decided to write an article about his invention.
Dr Sumners told me that it is scientifically proven that training the chest and respiratory muscles leads to improvements in breathing efficiency and body performance. But how do train that? According to him, Youbreathe will be able to do that. It targets the benefits of vibration to a much ignored but vital function for everyone’s fitness – the respiratory system. He believes that athletes could benefit by improving their respiratory systems.
One of the first athletes to benefit from regular use of Youbreathe is Paul Mill, a bronze medallist at the 2003 World Masters Cycling Championships. After using Youbreathe for six weeks, his peak flow (a measure of the maximum amount of air the lungs can expel in one breath) rocketed to levels that he had never produced before.
Not everyone will appreciate this improvement, but in a competitive sports, athletes may want to try it since a few seconds can make a difference. Dr Paul Sumners said, “When we exercise, there is an assumption that breathing takes of itself. The majority of people don’t see it as something they need to worry about and very few actually train their respiratory system - but that is changing.”
What, training our respiratory systems? Some of us may still not buy into the idea. However, now, with the rising popularity of yoga, martial arts and tai chi, advocates of healthy living are realizing the importance of better breathing. Yes, I remember “breathe in” and “breathe out” in my Yoga classes. Now, it starts to make sense.
So, how actually Youbreathe works? It uses a patented technology to develop the vital muscle groups in the chest and diaphragm. Its technology is deeply roted in science and research stemming from the Russian Space Programme in an attempt to increase the amount of time an astronaut stay in space. It delivers a vibrating pulse into the respiratory system that helps users breathe deeper and stronger. The diaphragm, abdominals and chest muscles work harder during the breathing cycle which leads to improved circulation, increased blood oxygenation and faster removal of carbon dioxide. Bottom line, you spend less time working out to get the same results.
Youbreathe is claimed to be the world’s first portable device that delivers the benefits of vibrated training to the respiratory system. This device is not much bigger than a typical mobile phone. So, it is definitely small enough to keep in kit bag. The mouthpiece can be removed and washed with soapy water ready for next use.
Based on the feedback I found from the Internet, they said it was strange to use at first as they breathed in and out. They had tickling sensation in chest and abdomen. However, most users adapted to it and now breathing in this new way has become second nature. One simply hold Youbreathe in her mouth and breathe through it for 40 to 60 breaths per day for beginners, and during light exercise for athletes. The company claims that training for about 5 minutes a day and 5 days per week are sufficient to see the benefits to your cardiovascular health and exercise performance. It sounds simple for the large benefits it may bring.
I believe that it may be too soon to draw conclusions from the real fitness benefits of this new vibration technology. Whether it will help enhancing athletes’ performance , one may need more facts to be convinced. In addition to elite athletes, research is still being carried out whether Youbreathe can also help those who suffer from asthma.
However, based on the common sense, a stronger stimulus supplied to relevant muscles can increase the specific muscle. As Youbreathe is at the forefront of the application of vibration technology for enhanced breathing performance, it therefore seems well worth experimenting with Youbreathe for serious athlete. After all, it is a bio-medical drug free product.
Youbreathe is the flagship product invented by a team at London South Bank University which also has invented FitFlop (fitness shoes help women firming their butts).
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Paul // Aug 22, 2007 at 4:12 pm
We also have some prelim results showing that youbreathe can increase growth hormone production. We currently have it being trialled by cystic fibrosis patients and asthmatics. We can now deliver to other countries. Thanks for making people aware of this Mun.