How are your lungs?

Well if you can't beat em join em, i'll ride with a cigar from now on

I've come to realise that when I do any sort of hill-climbing on my bike, I'll end up seriously struggling for breath quite early on and nobody else around me is doing the same. I mean to say, really gasping and wheezing, like I'm about to die. Having observed others I'm cycling with, nobody else seems to be doing this. I don't think it's necessarily a fitness thing because I haven't got any problems doing long distances and I recover after about 10-15 minutes. I've never smoked.

What is this? Is it just poor lung capacity? Is it some form of hill-related asthma? I ask you people this instead of my doctor because I am currently out of the country and I want some internet speculation at this immediate moment.

Lung aids.

Sports-related asthma.

Possibly.

Lung aids.

But I've never injected or had unprotected lung-sex. What sort of animal do you think I am?

Sports-related asthma.

Possibly.

I've just googled this and it turns out to be a real thing!!!

I don't think it's necessarily a fitness thing because I haven't got any problems doing long distances and I recover after about 10-15 minutes.

Being able to do long distance riding at sub-threshold intensity (e.g. threshold being how hard can you ride non-stop for an hour) is not the same as efforts at 150-200% of threshold which you are doing when climbing.

If you never ever do any riding at 200% for 60-120 seconds except on these rides then they will hurt.

are you a big guy bothwell?

Sports-related asthma.

Possibly.

This.
I have it, I try to get fitter than others so that it doesn't affect me on the hilly bits. Kinda ruins a social ride when you have to spend 5min at the top of each decent hill recovering.

Being able to do long distance riding at sub-threshold intensity (e.g. threshold being how hard can you ride non-stop for an hour) is not the same as efforts at 150-200% of threshold which you are doing when climbing.

If you never ever do any riding at 200% for 60-120 seconds except on these rides then they will hurt.

I think this is probably more likely than effortt induced asthma.

are you a big guy bothwell?

I'm heavier than I need to be for hill-climbing, but not massively so. I've taken up running recently and I also get it during that, but looking back over my life I was always this way - I remember being jumped by a gang of bigger kids when I was about 7 and one of them took pity on me and told me to run for it while the others were discussing what to do with me. I managed to run maybe a quarter of a mile before having to stop and struggle to get my breath back (by which time all the other, more normal, kids had easily caught up with me :/ ), and I wasn't a fat kid at the time.

I am moderately concerned that I might be using "there is something medically wrong with me!" as an excuse not to just push it with the exercise, though. I don't have to actually stop to get my breath back, just slow down the effort a bit. If it were proper asthma I'd need to stop, right?

Try using bigger gears for climbing (if running gears) - a lot of people make the mistake of shifting too much too soon, spinning wildly, going anaerobic unnecessarily soon into the climb.

If fixed, let the cadence naturally slow, and get out of the saddle just as you start to have discomfort at the top of the pedalstroke.

Also avoid clavicular breathing during climbs. Lots of people do it. Too much tension, panic-type reaction. Keep focused on exhaling strongly from your diaphragm, and let inhalation take care of itself.

I suffered like this, until I was diagnosed with asthma. Regular use of my two inhalers keeps the tubes clear and pumping nicely.

go see your GP, bothwell!

Actually the clavicular breathing is something I've noticed, particularly during runs - I did yoga for years which has made diaphragmal breathing my default, but I lose the ability completely under exertion and start breathing very shallowly and rapidly. This isn't even under major exertion either, I'm not pushing past my limits, just increasing effort. I've tried to revert to diaphragmal breathing but can't seem to take in enough air - not sure if that's just a lack of training, though. I will make an appointment with the quack at some point.

My lungs are not great. Not really connected to pollution, but it doesnt help.

I'm notoriously shit at hills but I do find it's my lungs that start hurting before my legs do and sort of continue to burn, so interesting thread

Being able to do long distance riding at sub-threshold intensity (e.g. threshold being how hard can you ride non-stop for an hour) is not the same as efforts at 150-200% of threshold which you are doing when climbing.

If you never ever do any riding at 200% for 60-120 seconds except on these rides then they will hurt.

So what you're saying is work harder when riding and you will improve your lung capacity and hills will become easier.

Physically strengthening your legs has got to help too but I've also heard swimming is good for improving lung capacity - yay? Nay?

I'd collapse if I had to run a thousand metres for my life. Probably me body would disintegrate before my lungs could even think of it.

Otherwise on a bike. Questions?
Right, I'm not really that trained for much climbing. Was not long ago when I was easily left behind by guys that where trained for hills...

bothwell; I guess it is mainly training. Riding on flat land is a huge difference compared to pushing it up a hill.
So, take a bigger gear and get out of your saddle! Repeat.

pootsmanuva: Yes, working harder will result in bigger lungs, etc. That is a normal effect where your lungs grow to satisfy the supply the body needs. That's pretty much the same to train a muscle. Additionaly, the heart tends to grow too, as such a high volume of gas needs to be pushed.

I was once in hospital for a treat of a ruptured lung (pneumothorax, if anyone asks) and still have this lovely memory where the docs came to me and poked a huge looooooooong needle in to my chest to suck out the air that had escaped from the lung...
When I left, I was told my lung capacity was around 95% and that I've got to pick a sport to prevent it from happening again. That's the point where I begun cycling.
Last year, eleven years later, I had my lungs examined and it turns out me crazy fast cycling brought the capacity way up to 120%.
The pain involved to get there couldn't have been worse though, as said section sticks much harder to the chest and is what stings and hurts every time I hit the road.

but looking back over my life I was always this way

Moi aussi. I thought struggling for breath was normal, especially whilst running and now attempting hills on the bike. Cue chats with work colleagues and the suggestion that I visit my GP who confirmed I have s-r asthma and I now use an inhaler (not regularly enough though). Running definitely helped my lungs but I struggle during very cold weather.

I swear since I hit my 40s I see my GP more than during the first 30 years of my life!

I also have low level asthama or a peak flow that comes within the definition and occasional asthma on exertion.

Swimming, especially getting your bilateral breathing right helped me ..

Wanda, seeing the GP more after 40 fits the age/demand curve. You have to be over 60 before you start seeing a GP as often as you did when you were under 5yrs.

:0(.

Swimming, especially getting your bilateral breathing right helped me ..

Please explain in lay-birds terms what "bilateral breathing" means.

And how much swimming? Couple of times a week?

Breathing on both sides during front crawl, e.g. every 3 strokes - you're exercising much more control over your breathing / slowing it down.

I was once in hospital for a treat of a ruptured lung (pneumothorax, if anyone asks) and still have this lovely memory where the docs came to me and poked a huge looooooooong needle in to my chest to suck out the air that had escaped from the lung...
When I left, I was told my lung capacity was around 95% and that I've got to pick a sport to prevent it from happening again. That's the point where I begun cycling.
Last year, eleven years later, I had my lungs examined and it turns out me crazy fast cycling brought the capacity way up to 120%.
The pain involved to get there couldn't have been worse though, as said section sticks much harder to the chest and is what stings and hurts every time I hit the road.

Spontaneous pneumothoraxes suck balls. I've had two of them, followed by an operation a year ago to remove a section off the top of my lung, as well as 'sticking' my lung to my chest wall to supposedly prevent this from happening again.

My lung capacity isn't great, and I still get pain, but my fitness is slowly improving. I hope.

Reassuring to know that your lung capacity can increase.

Going into hospital again for anything lung related is not something I want to repeat. ever again.

What BMMF says is as always very wise.

A few further tips.

1. Focus on breathing out. Push air out of your lungs and it will go back in much more easily.

2. Contrary to some suggestions above, try climbing gently and slowly, well within yourself. Keep your HR as low as possible. Stay seated. And repeat. And repeat. Gradually you will find that you are climbing more easily and never at lung bursting capacity. Then, and only then, follow ADoubleTap's suggestions and practice hitting hills hard.

I have also found yoga, which I am still very new to, incredibly helpful with regards to breathing and controlling it as well as overall flexibilty.

Breathing on both sides during front crawl, e.g. every 3 strokes - you're exercising much more control over your breathing / slowing it down.

Cheers BMMF...this is exactly what I do...just need to try and get more swimming in.