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The POWERbreathe K4 IMT with Breathe-Link® software is for the elite training, testing and monitoring of individuals. Regular breathing training improves the way that you breathe, which can benefit sports performance and give you an edge over competitors.
Whether you’re preparing for a triathlon, part of a professional football team, or training your breathing is essential to improving your health, the K4 is ideal.
Benefits of breathing training with POWERbreathe IMT include:
- Improved sports performance
- More energy with less effort
- Faster recovery after exercise
- Reduce heart rate and blood pressure
- Improve symptoms of COPD, heart failure, asthma, COVID, stroke and more
Features
- Ergonomic Design: User friendly design that improves comfort of use
- Auto IMT: Automatically adapts to personal training requirements
- Single Breath Test: Measures inspiratory muscle strength, peak inspiratory flow rate and inhaled volume.
- Warm-up Cool-down: Automatically sets the optimal resistance for inspiratory muscle warm-up prior to exercise and cool-down after exercise.
- Breathe-Link Software: Real-time breathing measurement and analysis software included. PC/MAC compatible. Stores results for analysis.
- Training History: Displays a graphical history of your last 36 training sessions.
Strengthen your diaphragm- Breathing training with the POWERbreathe K4 strengthens your diaphragm rather than your lungs. This is because your lungs are a pair of spongy, air-filled organs, and not muscle, and therefore cannot be strengthened.
Patented ‘intelligent tapering system’- The K-Series uses a patented and researched based ‘intelligent tapering system’ that matches the strength profile of your breathing muscles. This is the most effective way of training your breathing muscles, compared to conventional methods.
The K-Series devices feature an electronically controlled ‘tapered flow resistance’ that uses a computer-controlled rotary valve to create resistance to your in-breath. Therefore, resistance is not fixed at the same level throughout your breath (unlike a pressure threshold device). Because the device automatically reduces the resistance as you progress through your breath, matching the load to your declining muscle strength.
Use a wider range of breathing muscles- The tapered flow enables you to perform a longer inspiration and use a wider range of breathing muscles to achieve higher flow and higher tidal volumes for better results. It achieves this by automatically adapting to increases in your inspiratory muscle strength at the beginning of each training session. What this means is that the training load is highest at the start of your inhalation and then gradually decreases as your lungs fill with air.
Automatic setup- During the first two breaths of each training session there is no resistance and you should inhale as quickly and deeply as possible. It’s during these breaths that the K4 device measures your maximum breathing capability. Training load is then gradually introduced during breaths three and four until full loading is achieved for breath five and onwards. During these breaths, you will find it increasingly harder to inhale.
Monitor training progress- Training measurement results are displayed on the K4’s LCD screen when connected to the software, and live, breath-by-breath, when connected to the software. This, allows you to monitor training progress and optimise your training technique.
See results after 4-6 weeks- Consistently follow the training regime of 30 breaths, twice a day to feel less breathless during exertion in 4-6 weeks. This is scientifically proven. Learn more about how the POWERbreathe IMT device works in our guide.
POWERbreathe K-Series Comparison Chart
Measurement Validity
The following study concludes that the K-Series device “provides automatically processed and valid estimates of physical units of energy during loaded breathing tasks…”
Measurement validity of an electronic inspiratory loading device during a loaded breathing task in patients with COPD
The following study suggests that S-Index® might be more appropriate for measuring inspiratory muscle performance than the currently most used test, PImax…
Assessment of Maximum Dynamic Inspiratory Pressure
The following study finds that “It is feasible and reliable to evaluate the maximum repetition of inspiratory muscles in healthy individuals…”
Is It Possible To Test The Maximum Repetition For The Inspiratory Muscle? Feasibility, Reliability and a Comparison with the Maximum Dynamic Inspiratory Pressure
What’s In the Box
- POWERbreathe K4 IMT device
- Cradle to house the device while charging
- Mouthpiece TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomers)
- Nose clip
- Storage pouch
- 4 x Cleansing Tablets
- French / English user manual
- Basic Breathe-Link® Software – will need to be downloaded
Precautions & Contraindications
POWERbreathe IMT breathing training is drug-free, suitable for almost anyone and should cause no harmful side effects when used properly. Please read the following precautions and contraindications to ensure that POWERbreathe IMT is used safely and appropriately. You must always consult your healthcare professional before embarking on any new form of exercise and this includes POWERbreathe breathing training.
Precautions:
- The patient must not make changes to any prescribed medication or prescribed treatment program without consulting their doctor.
- Do not use the POWERbreathe whilst taking part in other activities where you may become distracted, such as walking, running and driving.
- POWERbreathe should not be used if the patient is suffering from a ruptured eardrum or any other condition of the eardrum.
- It is not recommended to use POWERbreathe if you have suffered from or are likely to suffer from Costochondritis.
- To prevent the potential transmission of infections, we recommend that POWERbreathe is not shared with other users, including family members.
- This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
- POWERbreathe is designed for exercising the inspiratory muscles only. No other use is intended or implied.
- Anyone who is under the age of 16 should only use POWERbreathe with supervision from an adult. POWERbreathe contains small parts and is not suitable for children under 7 years.
- Whilst training with POWERbreathe the patient should feel resistance when inhaling but it should not be painful. If the patient feels pain whilst using POWERbreathe they should stop immediately and consult their doctor.
- Some users may experience slight ear discomfort when training with POWERbreathe, especially if they are recovering from a cold. This is caused by inadequate equalization of pressure between the mouth and ears. If symptoms persist, patients should consult their doctor.
- If a patient is suffering from a cold, sinusitis or respiratory tract infection, we advise that they do not use POWERbreathe until symptoms have disappeared.
- If you start to feel dizzy using POWERbreathe IMT, please pause until recovered and take longer gaps between breaths.
Healthcare Professional should take into consideration the following conditions before patients use POWERbreathe:
- A history of spontaneous pneumothorax (a collapsed lung that was not due to traumatic injury e.g. broken rib), as it may lead to a recurrence of the condition.
- Pulmonary hypertension or large bullae on chest x-ray.
- Marked osteoporosis with history of rib fractures.
- Desaturation during or following IMT (<94%).
Contraindications
Inspiratory muscle training, such as training with POWERbreathe, is not recommended for patients with certain conditions, including the following:
- Patients who have undergone recent abdominal surgery and those with an abdominal hernia.
- Asthma patients who have a very low symptom perception and suffer from frequent, severe exacerbations or with an abnormally low perception of dyspnoea
- If a patient is suffering from a ruptured eardrum or any other condition of the ear
- Patients with marked elevated left ventricular end-diastolic volume and pressure
- Patients with worsening heart failure signs and symptoms after RMT / IMT
- If you are suffering from a cold, sinusitis or respiratory tract infection, we advise that you do not use your POWERbreathe IMT device
Videos
Other POWERbreathe IMT devices
Inspiratory Muscle Trainers (IMT)
Inspiratory Muscle Breathing training focuses on strengthening your diaphragm rather than your lungs. This is because your lungs are a pair of spongy, air-filled organs, and not muscle, and therefore cannot be strengthened.
For people that are unfit or suffering from conditions such as COPD and asthma, breathing requires more effort and energy. Carrying out breathing training decreases this effort and reduces your demand for oxygen during exercise.
