POWERbreathe Plus Inspiratory Muscle Trainer (IMT) – Medium Resistance

​POWERbreathe Plus IMT (Medium Resistance) uses a variable load calibrated spring, calibrated to a Medium Resistance. It can be adjusted from the lowest load setting (23 cmH₂O) when you begin training and increased as your breathing muscles adapt and become stronger (maximum load setting 186 cmH₂O).

The POWERbreathe Plus inspiratory muscle breathing trainers are designed to strengthen your inspiratory muscles and improve breathing stamina.  They create a resistance to your in-breath using a precisely calibrated, spring loaded ‘pressure threshold’ valve. The training is like a dumbbell for your diaphragm.

This Inspiratory Muscle Training device boasts 11 adjustable levels, meaning its resistance can increase as your inspiratory muscles grow stronger.

The POWERbreathe Plus can benefit the breathing function of many groups.   Whether you’re looking to improve your sports performance, aid your recovery after surgery, improve your breathing from a stroke, COPD, long covid, or want to expand your vital capacity to help with singing, POWERbreathe is a great choice for you.

Consistently use your POWERbreathe Plus breathing trainer twice a day – taking 30 breaths each time – and you’ll start to see benefits within 4-6 weeks.

Take a look at our blogs about Understanding Inspiratory Muscle Training.

Features and Benefits

• Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) breathing trainer
• The most appropriate alternative to the electronic POWERbreathe K3 used in the Colorado research for lowering blood pressure (and aired on NPR, National Public Radio, in the USA) as it provides a good resistance to your inspiration.
• Suits the majority of people that are physically active and ideal for those who are moderately fit to very fit
• Strengthen inspiratory breathing muscles
• Reduce your demand for oxygen during exercise
• 11 adjustable levels
• Easy to use
• Ergonomic design
• Train for 30 breaths, twice a day for results
• Breathing load: 23 cmH₂O – 186 cmH₂O (in increments of 16/17 cmH₂O)

The condition of your breathing muscles influences how well you can breathe. Effective breathing is important for optimal sports performance and improved fitness – this can be achieved by strengthening your diaphragm with breathing training. Carrying out breathing training with the POWERbreathe Plus Medium Resistance device makes breathing feel easier, reduces your demand for oxygen during exercise and slows down your heart rate.

Strengthen your diaphragm- Breathing training with the POWERbreathe Plus Medium Resistance 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.

11 adjustable levels- The POWERbreathe Plus Medium Resistance has 11 adjustable levels. The levels refer to the resistance you will feel on your in-breath.

The range between each training level is broader than that offered by the light resistance model. This means that as your breathing muscles become stronger and you move up one of the training levels by increasing the resistance, there is a larger increase in cmH2O, making training more of a challenge.

This device offers medium resistance on your in-breath, provided by the adjustable, calibrated, spring-loaded valve. This ‘load’ training is similar to weightlifting and provides a variable level of load setting (weight lifted) in increments of 16/17cmH2O, from 23cmH2O to 186cmH2O.

As you become stronger and fitter, the resistance may stop challenging you. When this happens, increase the resistance. Once you have reached the highest level on your device, continue strengthening your diaphragm with the POWERbreathe Plus Heavy Resistance device.

Ergonomic design- The POWERbreathe Plus is the second generation of mechanical breathing trainers and features the following design improvements:

• Optimized airflow performance to make training more effective
• Fully integrated, easily adjustable resistance mechanism
• Easy to read resistance level indicator
• Soft, comfortable mouthpiece
• 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.

What’s In The Box?

The following items come as standard with every POWERbreathe Plus Medium Resistance purchase:

• POWERbreathe Plus IMT device – Medium Resistance
• Mouthpiece
• Nose clip
• Storage pouch
• 4 x Cleansing Tablets – except for in the USA. Genuine POWERbreathe devices will not contain POWERbreathe Cleansing Tablets in the USA, as these tablets are not approved for sale and/or distribution within the USA by the regulatory authorities. Read more about Counterfeit products.
• French/English User Manual.

Choosing the Right POWERbreathe Plus For You!

Choose Medic Plus:

• If you have more severe breathing problems, choose POWERbreathe Plus Medic.

Choose Light Resistance:

• If you exercise / are physically active for less than 2.5 hours per week and have no breathing problems
• If you exercise / are physically active for less than 2.5 hours per week and have breathing problems – minor/moderate
• If you exercise / are physically active for more than 2.5 hours per week and have breathing problems
• Clinically, we use the light model for most teens, women of all ages and men over 65. If you have questions about which model is right for you, please don’t hesitate to ask our physiotherapy team.

Choose Medium Resistance:

• If you exercise / are physically active for more than 2.5 hours per week and have no breathing problems
• If you exercise / are physically active for more than 2.5 hours per week and have very mild breathing problems that are not severe

Choose Heavy Resistance:

• Only if you have reached the highest load setting on a POWERbreathe Medium Resistance model first.

Normal Maximum Inspiratory Pressure

Research has demonstrated that the most effective way to train your respiratory muscles is to exercise at 60-80% of your Maximum Inspiratory Pressure.  This is effectively, the maximum amount of “weight” your diaphragm can “lift.”  Clinically, we like to start with a lower load than 60% to ensure we get the proper technique (50% on average) – using a high load right off the bat can sometimes mean you inadvertently train your neck/chest muscles (lifting the ribcage) instead of the diaphragm (expanding the ribcage).

Use the chart below to determine what your predicted maximum inspiratory pressure is, then half that value.  This gives you a general idea of the level you would start at.  The values below are for normal healthy individuals, so if you have any respiratory issues, you will most likely start at an even lower number and work your way up.

Load Settings for the POWERbreathe Plus IMT

Please note: Heavy resistance is only for those who have reached maximum loading on a medium resistance model.  If you start with a heavy resistance model, you will not experience the benefits of POWERbreathe Plus training and may struggle to acheive higher levels due to the faster progression between loads.

Precise load settings may vary due to: (1) the analogue nature of the calibrated spring tensioner and the precision with which the load is selected; (2) a small effect of inspiratory flow rate upon spring compression such that high inspiratory flow rates lead to greater spring compression, and a small increase in load.

This effect is common to all spring loaded devices, and its size is magnified by increasing spring range (it is larger in a spring with a maximum range of 90cmH2O compared with one with half this range), it is also greater at lower absolute load settings.

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 programme 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 equalisation 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:

• • 1. 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.
    2. Pulmonary hypertension or large bullae on chest x-ray.
    3. Marked osteoporosis with history of rib fractures.
    4. 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

Documents

Download the POWERbreathe Training Diary

Videos

What is Inspiratory Muscle Training?

How to Find your Training level

POWERbreathe IMT – How to Perform a Correct Breathing Technique

POWERbreathe IMT – Daily Protocol