New Breathing Exercise Helps Athletes Manage Breathing Disorder

New breathing techniques, Olin Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction Biphasic Inspiration Techniques (EILOBI), were developed to help athletes manage breathing

Highlights:

Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO) is commonly diagnosed as asthma.
This condition is unresponsive to asthma medications.
New breathing techniques help athletes control their EILO symptoms.

Olin Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction Biphasic Inspiration Techniques (EILOBI)
The new breathing techniques, now named the Olin Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction Biphasic Inspiration Techniques (EILOBI), were developed and introduced by Dr. Olin, and are the subject of the research. Two-thirds of study subjects reported the techniques were effective in treating symptoms, while 79 percent confirmed they can be implemented during a variety of sporting activities. Additionally, 82 percent positively evaluated the teaching process. Nearly all of the subjects had received some form of respiratory retraining before learning one or more of the Olin EILOBI techniques.

"The use of real-time video data from a continuous laryngoscopy allowed us to design a series of three breathing techniques that help athletes open their obstructed airways during high-intensity exercise," said Dr. Olin.

Hyperventilation | Rapid Breathing - Symptom Evaluation
Hyperventilation is a deep or fast irregular breathing often caused by anxiety or panic. Causes of hyperventilation include anxiety, emotional stress.

‘Athletes are able to use the new breathing techniques when EILO symptoms strike, even if they’re out of breath and may be panicked.’

Tongue, Tooth, and Lip Variants
Each of the breathing techniques described in the research focuses on precisely and intentionally changing airflow during the inhalation part of breathing. The "tongue variant" involves breathing in evenly between the nose and mouth. The "tooth variant" requires patients to generate high inhaling resistance by forcibly taking air in through their teeth, then quickly opening their mouth allowing air to flow freely. The third variant is the "lip variant" in which air is initially inhaled through pursed lips and then the mouth is abruptly opened, dropping resistance and allowing air to rush through the mouth.

Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO)
EILO is characterized by involuntary and inappropriate closure of the upper airway during high-intensity exercise. EILO causes shortness-of-breath during exercise and reduced exercise performance, and can negatively affect an athlete’s ability to exercise and perform. An episode of EILO can be noisy and terrifying to patients and observers of episodes. It is diagnosed by observing the upper airway with a flexible camera inserted into the airway during an episode.

References:

Study: New Exercises Help Athletes Manage Dangerous Breathing Disorder - (http://bit.ly/2fwKSIJ)

Rapid Shallow Breathing - Symptom Evaluation
Rapid shallow breathing / tachypnea is a condition wherein a person takes more breaths per minute than normal. Shallow breathing can be due to several conditions.
Source-Eurekalert

Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Overview
Obstructive sleep apnea should be suspected in overweight middle aged adults who snore loudly and which can cause interruption of breathing for 10 seconds or more and this results in reduced blood o

What Causes Snoring and its Treatment?
Turbulent airflow causes tissues of the nose and throat to vibrate and the noise produced by these vibrations is called snoring.