Lifting can strengthen our muscles. There is evidence that strengthens the muscles we breathe in. A new study shows that a daily dose of muscle training for the breathing muscles can help promote heart health and reduce high blood pressure.
Daniel Craighead is a researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. To test what happens when these muscles are given a good workout, he and his colleagues recruited healthy volunteers of all ages to try a resistance-breathing training device called PowerBreathe. One of the machines on the market looks like an inhaler. Resistance provided by the device makes it harder to inhale.
Craighead says that doing 30 breaths a day for six weeks lowers blood pressure. He says that the reductions are similar to what would be expected with aerobic exercise.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a normal blood pressure reading is less than 120/80mmHg. Some health care professionals diagnose patients with high blood pressure if their average reading is more than 130/80mmHg.
The impact of a sustained 9mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure is significant. Joyner says that a reduction with a blood pressure drug is like that. A 9mmHg reduction can be achieved with many common blood pressure medication. A 10mmHg reduction equates to a 25% drop in the risk of heart disease and a 35% drop in the risk of strokes.
Strength training for the respiratory muscles could be integrated into preventive care. He says that it could be beneficial for people who are unable to do traditional aerobic exercise and that the simplicity is appealing.
Joyner concluded that taking a deep, resisted, breath offered a new and unconventional way to generate the benefits of exercise and physical activity.
Breath training lowers blood pressure. The production of nitric oxide is a key compound that protects the heart. The build up of plaque in arteries can be prevented with the help of nitric oxide. Craighead says that six weeks of strength training will increase the function of the vessels.
Deep breathing can help lower blood pressure. The PowerBreathe device can be used to engage the breathing muscles and promote the production of Nitric oxide. Craighead says that the helpfulness of the device is that it takes less time to get the benefit because it adds resistance to the muscles. His research is funded by a government agency.
The previous study found that strength training for the respiratory muscles is beneficial for all ages. Craighead says that they were surprised to see how effective IMST is. He thought that young adults might not benefit as much from the results. He says that there was a decline in blood pressure for everyone. He says the finding shows that it's possible to prevent heart disease and the rise in blood pressure when you're young.
There may be benefits for elite cyclists, runners and other endurance athletes according to the data.
"We think that 30 breaths per day is enough for an endurance exercise event," Craighead says. Athletes can add it to their training regimen. Craighead's personal best marathon time is 2 hours, 21 minutes.
He cautions that the technique isn't meant to replace exercise or medication for people with high blood pressure who are at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It would be a good intervention for people who are doing other healthy lifestyle approaches.
Theresa D.Hernandez sees the breathing exercises in a different way. She is from Boulder and has a family history of high blood pressure. She had blood pressure readings that were close to the threshold at which doctors recommend medication.
It was a surprise that breathing exercises could have such a profound effect. She says that it took her blood pressure to under the threshold so that she wouldn't have to take medication.
She plans to keep her blood pressure under control by sticking with it for five minutes a day.
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