breathing on climbs

mieshie said:

I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing
hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the
hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I
have tried to *slow my conserve* my breathing because once I get halfway

Don't do that. If anything, you should be breathing *harder*. Limiting
you're breathing just means you're getting less oxygen. There is no
advantage to that.

Quoted message said:

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when
it comes to tackling the hills?

Start breathing heavier before you start the hill? Ride more? I'm not
really being facetious, that's pretty much all there is to it. Ride
lots of miles so you have the base conditioning, and work on getting
plenty of oxygen.

Terry Morse (IIRC) does an *awful* lot of climbing, maybe he'll chime
in. A good previous discussion: http://tinyurl.com/m2ntt

I'm a big fellow, but I still keep up with smaller riders climbing hills
decently. I'm never going to win any hill races, but I don't get
dropped when I'm out riding with other people.

Of course, it helps to have a nice local mountain to climb
recreationally.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269445

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names
the streets after them.
-- Bill Vaughn

In article <[email hidden]>,

mieshie said:

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when
it comes to tackling the hills?

Go around them.

--
*Help Animals, the Earth and Your Health! *
*Find out how:* www.VeganStarterPack.com <http://www.veganstarterpack.com/>

mieshie said:

I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing
hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the
hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I
have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway
up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels
like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the
hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to
me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but
I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute
strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my
breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and
with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over
the hill.

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when
it comes to tackling the hills?

Try to hyperventilate as much as possible (might be impossible if you
are already going hard) and when climbing take deeper breathes. I find
that for me (maybe not you) taking in a full 2 liters at a time not only
stretches the chest but stops that doggy pant style of breathing. The
shallow pant leaves a lot of CO2 in your airway where the deep breath is
more efficient. It works good for me but I have to actually think about
it to get into that rhythm or I will just pant my way up.
I guess you have to try things until one works for you.
Good luck.
Bill Baka

Kevan Smith said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

mieshie said:

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when
it comes to tackling the hills?

Go around them.

Of course, those of us living in flatter areas (like yourself)[1], might
have more luck than those of us in hillier areas (like myself).

[1] Louisiana, yes?

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"sic transit discus mundi"
(From the System Administrator's Guide, by Lars Wirzenius)

try breathing exercises (obviously not whilst climbing).
http://holisticonline.com/Yoga/hol_yoga_breath_home.htm
http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/shbreathing/ht/breatheproperly.htm
The first stage appears to be the diaphragmatic exercise (the one where
stomach 'distends'😉. Among other health benefits breathing helps to
increase muscle ATP thus giving muscles better energy generating properties.

mieshie <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing
hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the
hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I
have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway
up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels
like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the
hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to
me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but
I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute
strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my
breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and
with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over
the hill.

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when
it comes to tackling the hills?

Mieshie who? said:

I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing
hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the
hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I
have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get
halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my
heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I
get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders
either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover.

Quoted message said:

I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm
wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but
I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I
might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I
can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill.

I doubt that you are "doing something wrong" but you may not have
enough training to perform as you would like. Do you put in at least
200 miles per week and do these miles include 6% or better hills more
than a mile long?

Quoted message said:

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have
when it comes to tackling the hills?

There are no strategies and no techniques. There are only well
trained athletes with big lungs. Hill climbing is something that can
last hours at times, and there is no way of fooling your body using
"strategies". If you want to know if there is a future for you in
hill climbing, get your lung volume measured by your physician and
determine whether it is above or below the norm for your body weight.
You must be fit and trim before any of that has much effect.

Jobst Brandt

What works for me is to regulate my breathing on the climb. I tell myself
"in two three four, out two three four" as I struggle up the hill. It cuts
down on the gasping or struggling to breathe and make me feel as if I am in
control of that aspect so that I can concentrate on my legs.

Pat in TX

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm
wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but
I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I
might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I
can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill.

I doubt that you are "doing something wrong" but you may not have
enough training to perform as you would like. Do you put in at least
200 miles per week and do these miles include 6% or better hills more
than a mile long?

Yikes, guess I'll have to stop doing big climbs then. I only get in two
regular rides each week (just 31 miles each, with about 3400ft of climbing)
plus whatever I can negotiate with the family on a Sunday, typically 50-65
miles or so, or an occasional century. If I had to ride "at least" 200
miles/week in order to climb reasonably well, heck, I might as well give up
cycling.

Besides, I don't see where the original poster has supplied us enough
information to come up with a training recommendation anyway. For all we
know, his hills are far less challenging than what you & I enjoy riding.

Not to mention that, when I raced, sure, I could win the Alba Road time
trial, but those midwesterners, who never rode any hill long & nasty in
training... they weren't that far behind, and tended to win the overall at
stage races because they trained better in general, while some of us in the
NorCal scene thought it was enough to do little more than climb and climb
and then climb some more. I still remember Steve Aldredge constantly on my
case for that. Guess I have to admit he was right about at least one thing
anyway.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mieshie who? said:

I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing
hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the
hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I
have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get
halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my
heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I
get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders
either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover.

Quoted message said:

I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm
wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but
I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I
might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I
can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill.

I doubt that you are "doing something wrong" but you may not have
enough training to perform as you would like. Do you put in at least
200 miles per week and do these miles include 6% or better hills more
than a mile long?

Quoted message said:

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have
when it comes to tackling the hills?

There are no strategies and no techniques. There are only well
trained athletes with big lungs. Hill climbing is something that can
last hours at times, and there is no way of fooling your body using
"strategies". If you want to know if there is a future for you in
hill climbing, get your lung volume measured by your physician and
determine whether it is above or below the norm for your body weight.
You must be fit and trim before any of that has much effect.

Jobst Brandt

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Mieshie who? said:

I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing
hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the
hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I
have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get
halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my
heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I
get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders
either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover.

Quoted message said:

I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm
wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but
I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I
might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I
can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill.

I doubt that you are "doing something wrong" but you may not have
enough training to perform as you would like. Do you put in at least
200 miles per week and do these miles include 6% or better hills more
than a mile long?

_ Sheesh, he's not talking about racing Cat 1, but trashing his
buddies on a group ride. I think you can do that on less than
8-10 hrs a week.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have
when it comes to tackling the hills?

There are no strategies and no techniques. There are only well
trained athletes with big lungs. Hill climbing is something that can
last hours at times, and there is no way of fooling your body using
"strategies".

_ What a load of [censored]! Of course there are strageties, pacing
yourself is a big part of climbing effectively. Learning to pace
yourself correctly for a long climb is something that takes
experience regardless of how in shape you are. I think the
question that is really being asked is how to pace himself better
on long climbs. It sounds like he's going out too hard and
blowing up, a pretty common mistake.

_ Breathing is a sign of how hard you are working, if you breathe
slower you're working less. Monitoring your breathing can be a
good way to guage your effort, but you can't breathe less without
going slower. What I would suggest is deliberately throttling
back on the beginning part of the climb and saving your effort
until you get near the top. You might not climb faster, but you
will be less blown out at the top. If it's a long climb, put
your bike in a lower gear much sooner than you normally would,
on a short climb try and spin rather than stand. On your
next ride when you come to the hill, drop to the back of the
group and stay there as long as you can stand.

_ Booker C. Bense

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mieshie said:

I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing
hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the
hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I
have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway
up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels
like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the
hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to
me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but
I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute
strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my
breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and
with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over
the hill.

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when
it comes to tackling the hills?

You might want to install a chain set with a smaller cog to get up the
hills. You don't discuss your cadence, but it sounds like you're
overexerting to get up the hill, and your buddies pass you while you
recover.

Try to keep your cadence in a range you're used to, say 80-100. You'll
be a bit slower on the upslope, but you won't have that recovery time
at the top of the hill.

Booker C. Bense said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing
hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the
hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary.
I have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get
halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my
heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I
get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders
either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is.
I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the
hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the
point that I might actually get up the hill faster and with less
stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over the
hill.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I doubt that you are "doing something wrong" but you may not have
enough training to perform as you would like. Do you put in at
least 200 miles per week and do these miles include 6% or better
hills more than a mile long?

Quoted message said:

_ Sheesh, he's not talking about racing Cat 1, but trashing his
buddies on a group ride. I think you can do that on less than 8-10
hrs a week.

Not if the competition gets a workout like that. If you ride to work
daily over hilly terrain such as the foothills behind where you seem
to work, that puts in 20 miles per day and a long ride on weekends to
Santa Cruz and back over the many great mountain roads in the area,
you'll get more than 200 miles in with no loss in the daily routine.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have
when it comes to tackling the hills?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There are no strategies and no techniques. There are only well
trained athletes with big lungs. Hill climbing is something that
can last hours at times, and there is no way of fooling your body
using "strategies".

Quoted message said:

_ What a load of [censored]!

I recall the proponents of secrets to greater speed on the flat and
climbing for many years were from believers in Jacques Anquetil's
ankling. A style that assures greater speed. What was overlooked was
that JA was a supreme druggist who was so out of it he could never
give an interview after finishing a race, he was so zonked, and you
could see it in his face.

Quoted message said:

Of course there are strategies, pacing yourself is a big part of
climbing effectively. Learning to pace yourself correctly for a
long climb is something that takes experience regardless of how in
shape you are. I think the question that is really being asked is
how to pace himself better on long climbs. It sounds like he's
going out too hard and blowing up, a pretty common mistake.

I think you'll have to give more details on how to do this rather than
roll out the old jargon on how to "relax when climbing" and the like.

Quoted message said:

_ Breathing is a sign of how hard you are working, if you breathe
slower you're working less. Monitoring your breathing can be a
good way to guage your effort, but you can't breathe less without
going slower.

Now you see it, now you don't. The amount of oxygen you can supply to
the legs is dependent on lung volume and breathing rate and you can't
do anything more if those two don't add up to the climbing rate. They
are intimately linked and the efficiency of these is dependent on
conditioning the muscles to receive that supply.

Quoted message said:

What I would suggest is deliberately throttling back on the
beginning part of the climb and saving your effort until you get
near the top. You might not climb faster, but you will be less
blown out at the top. If it's a long climb, put your bike in a
lower gear much sooner than you normally would, on a short climb try
and spin rather than stand. On your next ride when you come to the
hill, drop to the back of the group and stay there as long as you
can stand.

You are making this up as you write it seems. It reminds me of the
rider who suggested holding your breath helps increase speed. If you
witness the best riders in hill climbs, you'll see they are breathing
hard enough to hear them from the sidelines. It takes hard training
to achieve this sort of ability for longer hills. No tricks can get
you there.

Jobst Brandt

Quoted message said:

You are making this up as you write it seems. It reminds me of the
rider who suggested holding your breath helps increase speed. If you
witness the best riders in hill climbs, you'll see they are breathing
hard enough to hear them from the sidelines. It takes hard training
to achieve this sort of ability for longer hills. No tricks can get
you there.

when you are training with weights you are to "exhale" during the most
strenuous portion of the movement - simple thing is when doing bench
press, exhale on the upward movement of the bar/dumbbells.

i think the question is: is there something similar in cycling ?? I
understand one is supposed to pedal in circles - meaning constant
effort. but somehow i tend to think they may be an involuntary thing
that is going on - with respect to the breathing pattern...

if breathing pattern is key in other aerobic exercises, how is cycling
different ?

my 2cents,
+ravi

Ravi Toravir said:

Quoted message said:

You are making this up as you write it seems. It reminds me of the
rider who suggested holding your breath helps increase speed. If
you witness the best riders in hill climbs, you'll see they are
breathing hard enough to hear them from the sidelines. It takes
hard training to achieve this sort of ability for longer hills. No
tricks can get you there.

Quoted message said:

When you are training with weights you are to "exhale" during the
most strenuous portion of the movement - simple thing is when doing
bench press, exhale on the upward movement of the bar/dumbbells.

Don't confuse anaerobic with aerobic performance.

Quoted message said:

I think the question is: is there something similar in cycling? I
understand one is supposed to pedal in circles - meaning constant
effort. But somehow I tend to think they may be an involuntary
thing that is going on - with respect to the breathing pattern.

Lets not get style confused with physical work. As I mentioned, the
ankling folks waxed endlessly about it with no results. Fortunately
the subject has passed into history for bicycling.

Quoted message said:

If breathing pattern is key in other aerobic exercises, how is
cycling different ?

Technique is not the answer. Plain heavy breathing, large lung volume
and well developed muscles make the best bicycle performance. Knowing
how to handle a bicycle can be learned but power output cannot be made
of poor physical material. Not all people are suitable for endurance
sports. Road bicycling is an endurance sport.

Jobst Brandt

Quoted message said:

Ravi Toravir said:

Quoted message said:

You are making this up as you write it seems. It reminds me of the
rider who suggested holding your breath helps increase speed. If
you witness the best riders in hill climbs, you'll see they are
breathing hard enough to hear them from the sidelines. It takes
hard training to achieve this sort of ability for longer hills. No
tricks can get you there.

Quoted message said:

When you are training with weights you are to "exhale" during the
most strenuous portion of the movement - simple thing is when doing
bench press, exhale on the upward movement of the bar/dumbbells.

Don't confuse anaerobic with aerobic performance.

Quoted message said:

I think the question is: is there something similar in cycling? I
understand one is supposed to pedal in circles - meaning constant
effort. But somehow I tend to think they may be an involuntary
thing that is going on - with respect to the breathing pattern.

Lets not get style confused with physical work. As I mentioned, the
ankling folks waxed endlessly about it with no results. Fortunately
the subject has passed into history for bicycling.

Quoted message said:

If breathing pattern is key in other aerobic exercises, how is
cycling different ?

Technique is not the answer. Plain heavy breathing, large lung volume
and well developed muscles make the best bicycle performance. Knowing
how to handle a bicycle can be learned but power output cannot be made
of poor physical material. Not all people are suitable for endurance
sports. Road bicycling is an endurance sport.

Jobst Brandt

Back to what I said earlier, practice taking huge breathes and expanding
your lung capacity, and don't "Doggy pant.". Half lung panting makes you
suck back more of that CO2 you want to get rid of. If you do this you
will wind up with an expanded rib cage and more lung volume.
A full lung inhale / exhale cycle is more efficient but you have to work
at it. In about 5 years of doing this my rib cage has expanded to where
some of my old shirts don't fit, especially after I try to take a deep
breath. They used to call the condition "Barrel chested." as it was a
sign of actual breathing disorders. I just think that as your legs grow
and your heart grows that encouraging your lungs to grow too is only
logical.
Bill Baka

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ravi Toravir writes:

Back to what I said earlier, practice taking huge breathes and expanding
your lung capacity, and don't "Doggy pant.". Half lung panting makes you
suck back more of that CO2 you want to get rid of. If you do this you will
wind up with an expanded rib cage and more lung volume.
A full lung inhale / exhale cycle is more efficient but you have to work
at it. In about 5 years of doing this my rib cage has expanded to where
some of my old shirts don't fit, especially after I try to take a deep
breath. They used to call the condition "Barrel chested." as it was a sign
of actual breathing disorders. I just think that as your legs grow and
your heart grows that encouraging your lungs to grow too is only logical.
Bill Baka

My old shirts don't fit anymore either, but it's not from deep breathing.

di said:

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ravi Toravir writes:

Back to what I said earlier, practice taking huge breathes and expanding
your lung capacity, and don't "Doggy pant.". Half lung panting makes you
suck back more of that CO2 you want to get rid of. If you do this you will
wind up with an expanded rib cage and more lung volume.
A full lung inhale / exhale cycle is more efficient but you have to work
at it. In about 5 years of doing this my rib cage has expanded to where
some of my old shirts don't fit, especially after I try to take a deep
breath. They used to call the condition "Barrel chested." as it was a sign
of actual breathing disorders. I just think that as your legs grow and
your heart grows that encouraging your lungs to grow too is only logical.
Bill Baka

My old shirts don't fit anymore either, but it's not from deep breathing.

I can relate to that too. I got down to racing weight last year and from
the waist down I was solid leg muscle, but on top I looked like a POW. I
think my body fat was well below 5% and you could definitely count my
ribs like an anorexic, but I was in great shape and felt good too. The
problem is that I am 57 and the neighbors all thought I was dying of
cancer or something and my wife said that one had asked her if she feeds
me or bothers to cook. Since my wife took that as an insult she insisted
I gain back about 20 pounds. Now I gained 40 and have to start all over
to get to a good point.
Ya can't win em all.
Bill Baka

Bill Baka said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> You are making this up as you write it seems. It reminds me of
> the rider who suggested holding your breath helps increase speed.
> If you witness the best riders in hill climbs, you'll see they
> are breathing hard enough to hear them from the sidelines. It
> takes hard training to achieve this sort of ability for longer
> hills. No tricks can get you there.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

When you are training with weights you are to "exhale" during the
most strenuous portion of the movement - simple thing is when
doing bench press, exhale on the upward movement of the
bar/dumbbells.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Don't confuse anaerobic with aerobic performance.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I think the question is: is there something similar in cycling? I
understand one is supposed to pedal in circles - meaning constant
effort. But somehow I tend to think they may be an involuntary
thing that is going on - with respect to the breathing pattern.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lets not get style confused with physical work. As I mentioned,
the ankling folks waxed endlessly about it with no results.
Fortunately the subject has passed into history for bicycling.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If breathing pattern is key in other aerobic exercises, how is
cycling different?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Technique is not the answer. Plain heavy breathing, large lung
volume and well developed muscles make the best bicycle
performance. Knowing how to handle a bicycle can be learned but
power output cannot be made of poor physical material. Not all
people are suitable for endurance sports. Road bicycling is an
endurance sport.

Quoted message said:

Back to what I said earlier, practice taking huge breathes and
expanding your lung capacity, and don't "Doggy pant.". Half lung
panting makes you suck back more of that CO2 you want to get rid
of. If you do this you will wind up with an expanded rib cage and
more lung volume.

Panting is not an optional method of breathing but one that is forced
upon a person who is out of breath. From Where do you imagine the CO2
is coming that is getting recirculated? You cannot expand lung volume
by breathing, only its efficiency. You're making this up as you type.

Quoted message said:

A full lung inhale/exhale cycle is more efficient but you have to
work at it. In about 5 years of doing this my rib cage has expanded
to where some of my old shirts don't fit, especially after I try to
take a deep breath. They used to call the condition "Barrel
chested" as it was a sign of actual breathing disorders. I just
think that as your legs grow and your heart grows that encouraging
your lungs to grow too is only logical.

Legs, heart and lungs grow? Give me a break!

Excuses. You are just getting fat. I suppose you believe that you
also weigh the same as before "breathing deeply."

Jobst Brandt

Quoted message said:

Bill Baka said:

Back to what I said earlier, practice taking huge breathes and
expanding your lung capacity, and don't "Doggy pant.". Half lung
panting makes you suck back more of that CO2 you want to get rid
of. If you do this you will wind up with an expanded rib cage and
more lung volume.

Panting is not an optional method of breathing but one that is forced
upon a person who is out of breath. From Where do you imagine the CO2
is coming that is getting recirculated? You cannot expand lung volume
by breathing, only its efficiency. You're making this up as you type.

Jobst,
I have you on this one. My rib cage HAS definitely expanded since I
started doing really deep breathing exercises. Even when I am at home
doing nothing sometimes I will inhale as much as physically possible and
hold my breath for up to 3 minutes and change. The CO2 I mentioned being
recirculated is the small amount that stays in the windpipe regardless
of the inhale / exhale volume. That is just plain math, volume of lung
intake and volume of airway. Look up Barrel chested, then say something.
Once you realize I am not BS'ing on this you might have a different opinion.

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A full lung inhale/exhale cycle is more efficient but you have to
work at it. In about 5 years of doing this my rib cage has expanded
to where some of my old shirts don't fit, especially after I try to
take a deep breath. They used to call the condition "Barrel
chested" as it was a sign of actual breathing disorders. I just
think that as your legs grow and your heart grows that encouraging
your lungs to grow too is only logical.

Legs, heart and lungs grow? Give me a break!

For a Stanford Alumni your aren't too bright I see. Your leg muscles
obviously grow, quads most noticeably, your heart grows larger, a
condition known as "Athlete's heart.", and you can make your lungs grow
by the discipline of deep breathing. Most of my enlargement was due to
total boredom driving a car to and from work, 150 miles each way on
Monday and Friday. I would just inhale to the bursting point and hold my
breath almost to seeing stars. Now I can hold my breath long enough to
get past a few hundred yards of stinky cattle ranch or tractor dust when
I need to.

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Excuses. You are just getting fat.

Wife and relative problems, seriously, plus lousy riding weather.

I suppose you believe that you

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also weigh the same as before "breathing deeply."

That has nothing to do with it, but weight independent I can swim
underwater for a lot longer distance than I could 5 years ago.

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Jobst Brandt

Go back to school and learn something about physiology before you try to
put me down on this, because you are at an intellectual loss on this
one. Pick on Dolan, that you might win. You have just convinced me that
a Stanford background does not make up for a basic lack of understanding.
Sorry, you lose.
I was getting fat, now I am going back down to try to find that spot
that I feel good and my wife and kids won't rag on me.
Bill Baka

I have recently develped asthma, and would often find myself short of
breath when climbing. I found that breathing with my stomach and
conciously breathing out as much air as I can makes my breathing more
efficient.

It may have something to do with the oxygen uptake in the lungs: it
takes time to reach the equillibrium between the oxygen in the air and
the oxygen in the blood, and breating slower may help reach that
equillibrium (Carnot cycle?) Shallow, rapid bretahing just causes one's
airways to constrict and makes things worse.