Breathing: it’s something we do all day, every day without thinking twice about it. But most of us take our breath and the great things that it does for our body for granted. Did you know that around seventy percent of waste in the body is expelled by the lungs when breathing? The ability to breathe well affects virtually every part of your body. And nobody likes the dreaded feeling of being out of breath.
What is a Frolov Breathing Device?
We all have to breathe to function, whether relaxing on the couch or pushing it hard in the gym. A Frolov breathing device is tools designed to train the breath and help users improve their overall ability to breathe. This breath training is said to improve health in those with diabetes, asthma, COPD, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and more. Frolov devices can even help singers train their breath, which can improve the quality of their voice and breath control while singing. But how do they work?
How Do Frolov Breathing Devices Work?
Frolov breathing devices create resistance that users must inhale and exhale against. There becomes less oxygen available to inhale, and the composition of the air inhaled contains more carbon dioxide than usual. This simulates the feeling of breathing at high altitudes. Think of this breath training like any other kind of exercise: the more often you train with resistance, the stronger you will become.
With a Frolov device, the user inhales and exhales solely through the mouth. Resistance is created by adding water to the container cup. Then, the user should cover the mouthpiece on the breathing tube with their lips and inhale slowly and gently for three to five seconds. The user should pause for the same amount of time. After holding the breath for three to five seconds, exhale gently into the same tube for three to five seconds. Each training session should last several minutes, with the first one being no longer than about five to ten minutes. Now that we know what Frolov devices are and how they work, how did they come to be?
A History on Buteyko Breathing Tests and Frolov Breathing Devices
To understand how Frolov breathing devices came to be, we must first take a look at Buteyko breathing exercises. Dr. Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko invented a test that measures the body’s ability to tolerate carbon dioxide -- specifically by measuring your Control Pause (CP).
To test this, take a small and gentle breath in followed by a small and gentle breath out. The breathing should be silent. Then, hold your nose with your fingers. This will prevent any air from being able to enter the lungs. Begin counting until you start to feel like you need to take another breath. Release your nose and slowly exhale after you feel the need to breathe. Keep in mind that this should only be a measurement of when you begin to feel air hunger, not a measurement of how long you can hold your breath. The shorter your breath-hold, the greater your breathing issues likely are. If your CP is less than ten seconds, you likely have asthma symptoms like breathlessness or wheezing. If your CP is less than twenty seconds, you may experience chest fatigue or coughing. If your CP is between twenty and forty seconds, most symptoms of low oxygenation are likely gone. If your CP is greater than 40 seconds, you likely breathe with clarity and don’t experience any symptoms of low oxygenation.
Dr. Buteyko created exercises to help patients increase their CP and lessen the symptoms of poor breathing. However, few people can learn Buteyko breathing exercises easily. Vladimir Fedorovich Frolov knew about Buteyko’s work and wanted to invent a device to aid users to complete breath training without extra guesswork. Frolov and Eugene Fedorvich Kustov invented the first Frolov breathing device in the 1990s, which has been shown to increase the control pause faster than other techniques. That doesn’t mean there aren’t cons to the device, though.
Cons of Frolov Devices to Consider
If you have migraine headaches or frequent panic attacks, Frolov devices might do more harm than good. The repetitive expansion and constriction of the lungs can trigger issues in those with brain traumas, blood clots, pregnancy, transplanted organs, and more. Plus, since Frolov devices force you to breathe through the mouth, they don’t allow users to breathe in the most efficient manner. Nasal breathing is the correct method of breathing, but over 80% of people aren’t doing it. Nitric oxide is released during nasal breathing but isn’t present during mouth breathing. It can help to decrease blood pressure, prevent blood clots, defend the immune system, boost memory, guard the skin from radiation, help with erectile dysfunction, regulate the bladder, and more! Nasal breathing also adds moisture to your breath, which makes it easier to enter the lungs.
A recent study of athletes demonstrates the differences between nasal breathing and mouth breathing. Ten runners used nasal breathing only while exercising for around six months. Their oxygen intake rates were tested while nasal breathing and mouth breathing. They were also tested for oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the body while exercising. Between nasal breathing and mouth breathing, their oxygen consumption did not change. But their respiratory rate decreased, along with breaths per minute, when switching to nasal breathing. And the ratio of oxygen intake to carbon dioxide decreased during nasal breathing due to the lower breath rate that gives oxygen more time to reach the bloodstream. To implement nasal breathing into your breathing training regimen without the extra work, give mouth tape a try.
Nasal Breathe With Somnifix Instead
The best time to train your breath is at night. By facilitating nose breathing at night with SomniFix you can retrain your body to nose breathe at all times. This will naturally help you increase your CO2 tolerance and improve the efficiency of your breathing.
Effective night-time breathing can even improve your quality of shut-eye! Try our hypoallergenic mouth tape to nasal breathe your way to optimized health. It isn't just for nighttime, either. You can also wear it during exercise to ensure that you keep nasal breathing during a workout. Don’t miss out on your best breath. Order yours today!
