Elevation Training Mask 2.0 is a great tool for amping cardio

ali55

White Belt
Joined
May 22, 2015
Messages
17
Reaction score
6

Awesome training tool. Highly recommend
 

Mephisto

Black Belt
Joined
Sep 26, 2014
Messages
594
Reaction score
236
I'm curious about these things. How do they work? Do they just make breathing harder? Do they force you to focus on breathing technique more? I've seen a guy use one at my boxing gym, but I only see him around on occasion and he doesn't always use it. I'm a little skeptical of these things. It seems like a gimmick. I'd think if they worked that great they'd be more widely used. It seems like you could just up the intensity of the workout you're doing and get a similiar or better effect.
 

drop bear

Sr. Grandmaster
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
23,337
Reaction score
8,070
I'm curious about these things. How do they work? Do they just make breathing harder? Do they force you to focus on breathing technique more? I've seen a guy use one at my boxing gym, but I only see him around on occasion and he doesn't always use it. I'm a little skeptical of these things. It seems like a gimmick. I'd think if they worked that great they'd be more widely used. It seems like you could just up the intensity of the workout you're doing and get a similiar or better effect.

They are pretty widely used.

It is a mask with a little air hole so you don't get enough air. And so you are forced to breath more efficiently. And it is a psychological hurdle.

Comes sort of from divers and apnea training.
 

Tez3

Sr. Grandmaster
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Messages
27,608
Reaction score
4,901
Location
England
or you can use the MOD issued gas masks which is what our guys use, no sense in buying things when you get them issued!
 

Andrew Green

Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
8,627
Reaction score
452
Location
Winnipeg MB
I'm curious about these things. How do they work? Do they just make breathing harder? Do they force you to focus on breathing technique more? I've seen a guy use one at my boxing gym, but I only see him around on occasion and he doesn't always use it. I'm a little skeptical of these things. It seems like a gimmick. I'd think if they worked that great they'd be more widely used. It seems like you could just up the intensity of the workout you're doing and get a similiar or better effect.

There is a lot of mixed opinions, and there have been studies that don't show they do what they say they will do (increase VO2 Max).

Lot of people seem to like them, and they will definitely make you feel like you are achieving something, but I think so far the science says you aren't.
 

Dirty Dog

MT Senior Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
23,360
Reaction score
9,097
Location
Pueblo West, CO
The science is very clear on this. There is absolutely zero actual benefit to these stupid things. Don't use them. If you own one, throw it away.
 

Tez3

Sr. Grandmaster
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Messages
27,608
Reaction score
4,901
Location
England
The science is very clear on this. There is absolutely zero actual benefit to these stupid things. Don't use them. If you own one, throw it away.


I've read that too. Our guys wear them anyway on exercise etc and training in them I think amuses them when the civvies are impressed lol.
 

Dirty Dog

MT Senior Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
23,360
Reaction score
9,097
Location
Pueblo West, CO
A longer answer, now that I am home...

Training at altitude has a number of benefits. These masks claim (falsely) to provide the same benefits without requiring you to go to altitude.
When training at altitude, athletes are breathing air at a lower pressure than at lower altitude. The composition of the air remains the same.
The only way to duplicate this at low altitude would be to enter a sealed chamber and use vacuum pumps to reduce the air pressure.
These masks do absolutely nothing to the air pressure. They do one thing and one thing only. They restrict the FLOW of air by forcing you to, in essence, breath through a straw.
There is no benefit from this. Masks of this sort do an excellent job of simulating one thing. Breathing with an obstructive airway disease, such as asthma or emphysema.
Do you ever hear of athletes intentionally giving themselves emphysema to improve their athletic performance?
I didn't think so.

Training at altitude is (pay attention, because this is key...) not about the respiratory system.
Altitude training doesn't really do anything to the respiratory system at all.
What it does do is force the body to produce more oxygen carrying red blood cells.
Gases cross between the lungs and the blood because of differences in pressure. Lower pressure means less gas crosses over. To compensate for this, the body produces more oxygen carrying red blood cells. That is the benefit of altitude training. The lungs are capable of providing FAR more air than the body can use.
Altitude training is about increasing the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood by increasing hemoglobin production. That's it.

These masks will not, and cannot, cause the same increase in hemoglobin production. Because they do not and cannot affect the pressure of the air inside the lungs. All they do is make you work harder to move the same volume of air volume.

This is a list of the actual benefits of restricting air flow while exercising:
None.
Zilch.
Nada.
Bupkiss.
Zip.

These devices are a con game, playing to the gullibility of the buyer. That is all they are.
 

elder999

El Oso de Dios!
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2005
Messages
9,929
Reaction score
1,451
Location
Where the hills have eyes.,and it's HOT!
A longer answer, now that I am home...

Training at altitude has a number of benefits. These masks claim (falsely) to provide the same benefits without requiring you to go to altitude.
When training at altitude, athletes are breathing air at a lower pressure than at lower altitude. The composition of the air remains the same.
The only way to duplicate this at low altitude would be to enter a sealed chamber and use vacuum pumps to reduce the air pressure.
These masks do absolutely nothing to the air pressure. They do one thing and one thing only. They restrict the FLOW of air by forcing you to, in essence, breath through a straw.
There is no benefit from this. Masks of this sort do an excellent job of simulating one thing. Breathing with an obstructive airway disease, such as asthma or emphysema.
Do you ever hear of athletes intentionally giving themselves emphysema to improve their athletic performance?
I didn't think so.

Training at altitude is (pay attention, because this is key...) not about the respiratory system.
Altitude training doesn't really do anything to the respiratory system at all.
What it does do is force the body to produce more oxygen carrying red blood cells.
Gases cross between the lungs and the blood because of differences in pressure. Lower pressure means less gas crosses over. To compensate for this, the body produces more oxygen carrying red blood cells. That is the benefit of altitude training. The lungs are capable of providing FAR more air than the body can use.
Altitude training is about increasing the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood by increasing hemoglobin production. That's it.

These masks will not, and cannot, cause the same increase in hemoglobin production. Because they do not and cannot affect the pressure of the air inside the lungs. All they do is make you work harder to move the same volume of air volume.

This is a list of the actual benefits of restricting air flow while exercising:
None.
Zilch.
Nada.
Bupkiss.
Zip.

These devices are a con game, playing to the gullibility of the buyer. That is all they are.

And the process for increasing hemoglobin actually requires sleeping at altitude far more than training at altitude....if you could train at sea level and sleep eight hours at 10,000 ft., that would be best.....
 

Tez3

Sr. Grandmaster
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Messages
27,608
Reaction score
4,901
Location
England
And the process for increasing hemoglobin actually requires sleeping at altitude far more than training at altitude....if you could train at sea level and sleep eight hours at 10,000 ft., that would be best.....


You should see the Gurkha recruits who come from the mountain villages when they arrive here first, their stamina is great. It does wear off I've been told by my old shift partner, when he goes back to his village in Nepal he says he's breathless at first but gets used to it again after a week or so.
 

Dirty Dog

MT Senior Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
23,360
Reaction score
9,097
Location
Pueblo West, CO
And the process for increasing hemoglobin actually requires sleeping at altitude far more than training at altitude....if you could train at sea level and sleep eight hours at 10,000 ft., that would be best.....

It's not even sleeping, really. It's just plain being at altitude. The training part does the same thing it does at any other altitude. It's just that being at high altitude forces the body to adapt. By increasing hemoglobin production. Training at sea level would make them feel better while they're exercising, but it would actually slow the increase in hemoglobin.
Of course, it's not like a world class athlete trains at sea level 99% of the time and then goes to altitude 3 days before an event.
One reason the US Olympic Training Center is in Colorado Springs is the altitude (a touch over 6000 feet) and the ready availability of REALLY high altitudes to train in (12000+ feet in a number of places).

You should see the Gurkha recruits who come from the mountain villages when they arrive here first, their stamina is great. It does wear off I've been told by my old shift partner, when he goes back to his village in Nepal he says he's breathless at first but gets used to it again after a week or so.

Absolutely. Because that's about how long it takes his hemoglobin to lower, when he comes down hill, and increase, when he goes back up hill.
 
OP
ali55

ali55

White Belt
Joined
May 22, 2015
Messages
17
Reaction score
6
I'm curious about these things. How do they work? Do they just make breathing harder? Do they force you to focus on breathing technique more? I've seen a guy use one at my boxing gym, but I only see him around on occasion and he doesn't always use it. I'm a little skeptical of these things. It seems like a gimmick. I'd think if they worked that great they'd be more widely used. It seems like you could just up the intensity of the workout you're doing and get a similiar or better effect.
Its love hate with people. Obviously you cant really simulate the same altitude effect as being at high altitude instead. Any idiot can say that. But Its definately a good tool for mental training and breathing technique. It forces you to breath properly or you dont get enough air . Because sometimes people breath too shallow, so this makes you breath properly in a situation with less air. So good mental and technique training. Absolutely not ********. Never claiming that it will produce same effects as the real altitude but its a great tool that I have been using past 2 years and my stamina results can be seen. watch my other videos for my fitness if you want to see for yourself! All the best!
 

Dirty Dog

MT Senior Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
23,360
Reaction score
9,097
Location
Pueblo West, CO
Its love hate with people.

No, it's gullible vs reality.

Obviously you cant really simulate the same altitude effect as being at high altitude instead.

So it's false advertising then. It's good that you can admit this.

Any idiot can say that.

I'd say "idiot" is more appropriate to someone who makes false claims...

But Its definately a good tool for mental training and breathing technique. It forces you to breath properly or you dont get enough air .

No, it doesn't. It forces you to struggle to breathe IMPROPERLY.

Because sometimes people breath too shallow, so this makes you breath properly in a situation with less air.

Your understanding of the physiology is...lacking...

So good mental and technique training. Absolutely not ********.

You have an erroneous "not" in that sentence...
It is absolute ********.

Never claiming that it will produce same effects as the real altitude but its a great tool that I have been using past 2 years and my stamina results can be seen. watch my other videos for my fitness if you want to see for yourself! All the best!

It is an idiotic waste of money with zero benefits.
 

chan jackson

White Belt
Joined
Jun 10, 2015
Messages
7
Reaction score
1
No, it's gullible vs reality.



So it's false advertising then. It's good that you can admit this.



I'd say "idiot" is more appropriate to someone who makes false claims...



No, it doesn't. It forces you to struggle to breathe IMPROPERLY.



Your understanding of the physiology is...lacking...



You have an erroneous "not" in that sentence...
It is absolute ********.



It is an idiotic waste of money with zero benefits.


You made your point that you think its ********, while others support it.
Everyone just wants to help in their own way, even if its offering advice you dont like. Just dont make it personal attacks.
Its just like how some people love and others hate a martial art.
lets keep this friendly and not too rude man. We all just want to become better, in our own ways.

All the best!
 

Dirty Dog

MT Senior Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
23,360
Reaction score
9,097
Location
Pueblo West, CO
You made your point that you think its ********, while others support it.
Everyone just wants to help in their own way, even if its offering advice you dont like. Just dont make it personal attacks.
Its just like how some people love and others hate a martial art.
lets keep this friendly and not too rude man. We all just want to become better, in our own ways.

All the best!

Except that I actually have an understanding of the physiology involved.
These masks are in no way helpful. They're a con, scamming money from the gullible.
 

Andrew Green

Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
8,627
Reaction score
452
Location
Winnipeg MB
Both the martial arts industry and the fitness industry are full of things that make claims that can't be backed up, this is just one more. I think it is a good thing that the industry speaks out against these claims, after being burned by false promises people start distrusting the industry as a whole.

The diet industry has probably gotten the worst of this, but fitness devices aren't too far behind. Training masks have been proven to not do wha they claim to do. Maybe some people do get a psychological boast from pushing through the obstacle, maybe not. Doesn't matter, the masks claim to do something they have been proven to not do, any effect they are having is basically a placebo effect.
 

Brian R. VanCise

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
Messages
27,758
Reaction score
1,520
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
As DD, Elder999 and Andrew have said this product does not do what it claims.
Do not and I repeat, do not waste your time with one!
 

Buka

Sr. Grandmaster
Staff member
MT Mentor
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
12,952
Reaction score
10,444
Location
Maui
I don't know anything about masks. But I did enjoy Dirty Dog's list :) and with his knowledge, that's all I need to know.

But altitude training I'm more than a little familiar with. Lived at 4,000 feet for ten years, and used to go to the top of the mountain twice a week and work out at 10,023 feet. Helped us develop killer cardio. Not a bad view, either.
My wife...

2yy4fwx.jpg
 

Latest Discussions

Top