# Bodybuilders grow five times faster in hypoxia gym



## Arnold (Jun 29, 2011)

*Bodybuilders grow five times faster in hypoxia gym*

The air we breathe contains 21 percent oxygen. If bodybuilders train in a room where the oxygen concentration has been reduced to 16 percent, their muscles grow 4-6 times faster than normal, according to research by Akinobu Nishimura.

Reduce the oxygen supply to muscles when they make intensive contractions, and the anabolic growth stimulus after exertion rockets. That is, put briefly, the principle behind Kaatsu training.

But Kaatsu training, if you don't know what you're doing, is not without risk. What's more, it looks as though healthy strength athletes benefit more from regular training than from Kaatsu training. Nevertheless, the principle is interesting. You could, for example, train in a room with a lower oxygen concentration. This increases the body's anabolic response, according to a 2010 Japanese study. It's not clear from this study, however, whether bodybuilders gain more muscle mass in this way.

According to Nishimura's study, though, this is the case. He got 7 male students to training their biceps and triceps muscles for 6 weeks under normal circumstance [normoxia], and 7 other students to do the same in an oxygen-depleted room [hypoxia]. You can buy a small room like this ??? including a compressor ??? from a supplier such as Alticube. [hypotec.jp]







The test subjects just trained one arm. The figure below shows that the size [CSA] of the triceps and, underneath, that of the biceps increased by 7.3 and 9.9 percent respectively as a result of training in the oxygen-depleted room [Hyp-Ex]. The untrained arm in the hypoxia group [Hyp-N] did not increase in size, but the trained arm in the normoxia group [Norm-Ex] did, although the increase in the CSA was not statistically significant.


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## troubador (Jun 29, 2011)

Good, I was wondering what I was going to do with my hypoxia room. It's just been sitting there as empty space in my house screwing up my feng shui.


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## To_The_Top (Jun 29, 2011)

So interesting! Do you think big gyms like lifetime fitness will ever be able to recreate these conditions??


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## ALBOB (Jun 29, 2011)

Prince said:


> *Bodybuilders grow five times faster in hypoxia gym*
> 
> The air we breathe contains 21 percent oxygen. If bodybuilders train in a room where the oxygen concentration has been reduced to 16 percent, their muscles grow 4-6 times faster than normal, according to research by Akinobu Nishimura.
> 
> ...




I'm confused.  It says body builders grow five times faster using this technique.  But then it says it's not clear if they gain more muslce mass.  Is the article contradicting itself or do I just need reading comprehension classes?


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## dirtwarrior (Jun 29, 2011)

troubador said:


> Good, I was wondering what I was going to do with my hypoxia room. It's just been sitting there as empty space in my house screwing up my feng shui.


lol


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## min0 lee (Jun 29, 2011)

To future gym owners, make this a selling point.


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## Gissurjon (Jun 29, 2011)

steroids too


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## jackedntan (Jun 29, 2011)

Couldn't u just use one of those altitude masks and where that while u train?


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## Supervette101 (Jun 29, 2011)

I would have guessed just the opposite. I'd have thought an oxygen richer environment would help muscle grow more maybe due to more oxygen getting into the blood stream. See, older I get the less I know.


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## ALBOB (Jun 30, 2011)

Supervette101 said:


> See, older I get the less I know.



Oh shit, dg806 is right.  I'm a friggin' moron.


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## OldSchoolLifter (Jun 30, 2011)

troubador said:


> Good, I was wondering what I was going to do with my hypoxia room. It's just been sitting there as empty space in my house screwing up my feng shui.



rofl

cool study


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## pebble (Jun 30, 2011)

This is just an expansion of occlusion cuff limb training.  It's has been  being researched for a good amount of time now.  




ALBOB said:


> I'm confused.  It says body builders grow five  times faster using this technique.  But then it says it's not clear if  they gain more muscle mass.  Is the article contradicting itself or do I  just need reading comprehension classes?



It's theorized that it is because the body adapts to the low O2 levels by relying on anaerobic glycolysis primarily.  Because this is traditionally performed in type 2 fibers  (the ones with the most potential for hypertrophy) hypertrophy is increased as a by product of this adaption.  It is also suggested with some evidence that its is primarily scaroplasmic hypertrophy and not myofibril.  Thus, most of the increase is due to increased glycogen storage, enzymes, and other interstitial fluids  which  are all necessary for increased rates of anaerobic glycolysis to offset the decreased contribution of energy production from  aerobic metabolism.

Pretty much once you no longer have the increased demand for energy via anaerobic glycolysis atrophy occurs as the extra fluid, substrates, and enzymes leave the cell.  If it would have been myofibril hypertrophy there is a better chance that the hypertrophy remains as it can continue to be stimulated via regular training.


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## World-Pharma.org (Jun 30, 2011)

great post.


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## sassy69 (Jun 30, 2011)

I have no idea of e.g. Olympic athletes training at high altitude have quantified gains, but I guess this isn't all that unexpected. I wonder if the athletes at gyms, say in Denver, perform / are larger than athletes say, in Phoenix.

Someone is already going after this target market: http://www.hypoxico.com/physiology.shtml

Here's sort of a cool discussion: Athletic Training at Altitude: http://physiotherapy.curtin.edu.au/resources/educational-resources/exphys/00/cheuk.cfm


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## Kenny Croxdale (Jul 5, 2011)

*Kaatsu Training For Muscle Mass*

Prince,

*Hypoxia Gym*

The hypoxia gym is interesting but a unfeasable. Thus, I don't ever seeing that being a reality unless you have some money.  

*Kaatsu Training*

This is definitely one of the most interesting training method that come along.  There is definitely something to it.  I can tell you that from practical experience...more on that later. 

*Risk*

As you noted, there is little risk to healthy individuals.  The training research has stated that. 

*The Kaatsu Principle*

The principle of Kaatsu is by shutting off blood flow to the muscle with a tourniquet _moderately applied_ to the legs or arms.

Once the tourniquet is released the "dammed up blood" floods the muscles creating an anabolic enviroment.  

One of the best articles on this is, "Practical Occlustion Training". http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/ABCocclusionpaper.pdf

*Bodybuilder's Kaatsu Training*

The irony is bodybuilders have performed a form of Kaatsu Training since the beginning of time.

Bodybuilders place the muscle under long periods of "Time Under Tension" when performing an exercise set in which constant tension is placed on the muscle throughout the entire set.  

*Bench Press Example*

In performing a bench press, bodybuilders will stop short of locking the weight out at the top of the movement.  

In lowering the weight, they stop short of allowing the bar to reach the chest.  Then push the bar back up.  

*Maintaining A Constant Contraction*

By performing a bench press, any movement this way, the muscles involved remain in a constant muscle contraction.  Thus, the "Time Under Tension" can be 30 seconds or longer.  

*Contracted Muscles Shut Down Blood Flow*

During a muscle contraction, blood flow is restricted to the muscle.  

The restriction of blood flow to the muscle is basically the same as the Kaatsu Method of _moderately applying_ a tourniquet.  

*Post Exercise Set*

As with the Kastsu Method, once the bodybuilding set is stopped, the "dammed up" blood floods the muscle.

*Isometric Kaatsu Training*

Another method of applying the Kaatsu Principle is to to perform a isometric.  

Again, the muscle contraction against an immovable objects restricts blood flow to the muscles involved.  

*Bodybuilders Posing*

Bodybuilders who pose/flex are bascially performing an isometric...which restricts blood flow.  Thus, this is another form of Kaatsu Training.  

*"The Three Stages of Truth" Arthur Schopenhauer*

My first reation to Kaatsu Training was pretty much like everyone else.  I went through Schopenhauer's three stages. 

1) Ridicule

2) Violent Opposed

3) Accepted as being self-evident.

*My Personal Experience*

I was reluctant to start tying a tourniquet to my leg or arm.  So, I began with the "Bodybuilding Kaatsu Method" and "Isometric Kaatsu Method" which I have used and was familiar with. 

I then moved on to the Kaatsu Training Method of applying a tourniquet.  

*Incredible Pump*

Appling the tournquet and training with it on provide an incredible pump.  

Once you take the trouniquet off, the muscles are flooded with blood.  You can feel that pump hours later.  

*"It will Never work, if you Never try it." Croxdale*

The only way to really understand how this works is to try it.  

*Entry Method*

My recommendtion to Kaatsu Training is to start with something more traditional, that you are familiar with...such as the "Bodybuilding Kaatsu" or "Isometric Kaatsu" Method.  

These method are quite similar to the Kaatsu Training Method of applying a tourniquet.  

If you curious, then try the Kaatsu Training Method of applying a trouniquet.  

If not, just stick with what you feel comfortable with...the "Bodybuilding Kaatsu" or "Isometric Kaatsu" Method. 

Kenny Croxdale


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