AW: Atemtechnik?
Hier ein interessanter Artikel aus dem Cycling Magazine
Breathe Better to Ride Better by Davis Phinney - Cycling Magazine
When I asked one of my cycling friends if he thought much about his breathing, he replied, "No, but I'm a firm believer in it." Breathing is strongly emphasized and controlled in activities such as swimming, singing and yoga, but it's rarely given a second thought by cyclists.
However, by working on your breathing technique you can significantly improve your riding. It's another effective way to expand you endurance and power, not just your lungs. In fact, most cyclists use only a small percentage of their lungs. Because they don't concentrate on breathing, they don't learn to maximize lung capacity.
One of my mentors, Polish world champion Stan Szozda, spent considerable time developing his lungs. According to him, the secret to success was breathing, and the way to improve it was through regular training. Each day he would inhale to his maximum and hold it, stretching his lungs to their max. He carried this over to swimming, trying to go as far as possible underwater (so-called hypoxic training).
He believed that lungs lose flexibility and capacity without training, just as muscles do. Whenever Szozda wound up his road sprint, you could hear him coming by the sound of his intense exhalations. He was a master at hilltop finishes and long sprints because of his ability to control his breathing. Here are four was to improve yours:
1. Use Your Diaphragm
Anyone who grew up watching the old Superman TV series got the wrong idea. I figured that by lifting my shoulders and sticking out my chest I could blow down buildings. I was wrong. The key is the stomach. By pushing it in and out, not up and down, you are best able to access your full lung capacity because you are using your diaphragm muscle.
2. Change Your Rhythm
To gain control of your breathing, concentrate on a specific pattern of inhaling and exhaling, then coordinate it with our pedal stroke. This idea has been expounded by numerous people, most notably Ian Jackson in his book BreathPlay. Skip Hamilton, a senior staff member of the Carpenter/Phinney Bike Camps and member of Bicycling's team in the '96 Race Across America, has worked with Ian and simplified the approach.
Hamilton teaches breathing in varied rhythms because most riders tend to fall into one set pattern wile riding, especially on hard climbs. For instance, that always exhale with the same-side down-stroke, and they often breathe in for half a stroke and out for half a stroke. For most people this means breathing out as they push down with the right leg. To change the pattern, exhale longer every few breaths. You'll automatically change your rhythm.
Hamilton calls this "switch-side breathing." You will be breathing out on both the left-and the right-side down-stroke over the course of a ride. Cyclists at the Bike Camp report that using this simple technique gives them a feeling of fresher legs-almost like having a n extra gear. The tactic of switch-side breathing is only a starting point. I have tried many variations.
For instance, by counting pedal strokes I extend the length of each breath. Eventually you'll become aware of balancing your breathing and pedaling. Play with any number of patterns and breathing techniques, such as: Even breathing. Try a rhythm where you take long, even breaths and begin exhaling at the top of a stroke. Alternate legs each time. By tying your breath to the pedal stroke you are less likely to exhale incompletely and start gasping.
Use a consistent gear and effort. Try counting-1, 2, 3 in: 4, 5, 6, out. Quick in, long out. Alexi Grewal, '84 Olympic gold medallist, used to work on exhaling as slowly as possible-like a weight lifter timing the push phase with a breath. Because cycling is pretty much a continuous push phase, he would inhale deeply and quickly (1-2 count) then slowly exhale (3-5 count) like air leaking from a balloon.
3. Breathe Through Your Nose
Recently making the rounds in Colorado was a book called "Body, Mind, and Sport" by John Douillard. It advocates nasal breathing exclusively during exercise as a way to a Zen-like experience. I have yet to meet anyone who has achieved enlightenment using this technique, but athletes who have tried it report that it's a good tool for moderating effort.
The amount of air you can inhale through your nose is limited, so it acts like a natural governor on your pace. Your performance capacity rises because when you use both your nose and mouth, efficiency improves. Legend has it that Apache warriors used to prepare for the rigors of the desert by taking long runs with their mouths full of water. The reasoning was sound. Focusing on holding in the water without swallowing taught mental discipline. Breathing through the nose taught moderation of intensity in order to endure the distance.
Not breathing heavily through the mouth slowed dehydration from vapor loss. Wisdom of the ancients. One caution: It is easy to overdo nasal breathing. Be careful or you might hyperventilate
4. Flare Your Nostrils
Anyone who watches professional sports is bound to notice a piece of tape on some players' noses. This product, called Breathe Right Nasal Strips, is making its way into the cycling world, especially off road. The principle is simple: The device acts like a spring, pulling out the sides of your nose and opening the nasal passages. How much this actually adds to performance has yet to be measured. (During efforts at more than 80% of maximum,, 95% of a rider's breathing takes place through the mouth. That said, Breathe Right does give you the sensation of more air coming in. George Hincapie of the Motorola pro team tried it at the Tour DuPont one spring and was favorably impressed. He only used it one day because he took some ribbing from fellow riders. Fashion consciousness won out, though the look hasn't stopped other riders and pro athletes. What will mastering these techniques do for your cycling? Imagine ascending a tough hill. As you approach the climb, you focus on breathing. Taking even, measured breaths, your body stays relaxed.
As the hill steepens, you back off slightly, adjusting your output to match the effort needed. Instead of tensing, you are fluid-even though the effort gets progressively more difficult. Because you are closely monitoring your breathing, you are also keenly aware of your heart rate. In this way, the hill seems to pass harmlessly under your wheels and you're already rolling towards the next one, breathing efficiently and recovering. One final note: Use these breathing techniques as tools, but don't let them distract from a good ride.
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