I'm asthmatic also. It was severe as a child, outgrew it for 50 years or so, and has come back in the last 10 years. It is well under control with a Symbicort inhaler but colder weather increases symptoms. But I'm still interested in the mechanics of breathing as I've learned from hiking in mountainous terrain that good mechanics can improve performance. A recent article in Velo News had good info on how exercise can improve oxygen up take. http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/...he-bike_306454 What drew my attention was muscle imbalances that effect breathing and oxygen uptake. That outlook fits in with what I've been learning recently about the mechanics of breathing.

Basically, while the diaphram is the primary muscle for breathing, the process is aided by the intercostal muscles spanning the rib cage. These muscles help open the chest on inhaling and to close the chest to exhale. The entire rib cage is crisscrossed with oblique bands of muscle, inside and out, that move the ribs to expand or contract. A simple experiment illustrates the effect. If you drop the chin and hunch the spine a bit and then inhale, air moves slowly and with difficulty into the chest. When you raise the chin and straighten the back, you can feel the chest opening up and air easily rushing in. The link shows what muscles to work on. Also I found a book "Yoga Anatomy" from Human Kinetics the clearly shows the mechanics of breathing and the muscles involved. http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Anatomy-2...s=Yoga+Anatomy While VO2 max capacity is mostly genetic, it is clear oxygen uptake can be improved, even if only slightly, by strengthening those muscles involved in expanding the rib cage.

We are familiar with the athlete who after a hard effort is bent over double, hands on knees, trying to catch their breadth. This is a position I knew well as a child as it was the only position during an asthmatic attack I was able to sleep in. This bent over position is the one we typically see on a road bike. It gets weight over the pedals but also opens the chest for better breathing. Furthermore, a straight back helps maintain the chest cavity in the best position for both inhaling and exhaling. There is still a bit more to this breathing business so I can't recommend Yoga Anatomy enough, especially for asthmatics.

I had asthma when I was younger, it went away for a few years then came back. In the last few years attacks were common and there has been more than once where I took 16 puffs of the inhaler and nothing happened. The debate of 'Do I take another puff and risk a heart attack or risk passing out' were common. There used to be at least one attack each night. When it got bad nothing really helped.

I've been able to mitigate it and now its at the point were I may need it once a week if that.

Here's what I did (warning; some of this stuff sounds crazy)

• Reduced my triggers
• Got an allergy test. I was allergic to cat dander, grass, and dust mites.
• For dust mites I replaced my carpeting, and put hypo allergenic covers on my mattress and pillows. The couches are also leather. Anything that is fabric which dust mites or other insects can live in should be washable (and washed often). Any fabric not used often should be bagged in plastic.
• The other way to control mites is to keep the humidity under 50%, and use a HEPA Filter to clear the particles in the air. Since my area is fairly dry, I just use a filter. If I were in SF or Seattle, a dehumidifier may help greatly.
• Truth be told I recommend the above regardless of dust mite allergies. A carpeted, damp, fabricated house is an unsanitary house.
  
• Found the right allergy medication
• I used Claritin for years but it really didn't work. Tried Allegra and Zyrtec. For me Zyrtec works. Its good to try all three and see what works best.
  
• Trained myself to breath correctly (i.e. Buteyko)
• My breathing was erratic and took in much more oxygen than I had to, causing myself to hyperventilate. That is under control, greatly reducing my symptoms.
• I learned to use my diaphragm instead of my chest to breathe. It did not feel right initially but breathing via the diaphragm helps. I used to breathe using the chest and once I stopped my asthma was reduced greatly.
• Almost exclusively breathe with the nose. I won't open my mouth to breathe unless my HR goes over 140. In addition to helping hyperventilation, it filters allergens.
• When sleeping, I would almost always get attacks. What helped was making sure to breathe out of my nose while I slept. If I woke up and noticed any symptoms of mouth breathing, I would tape my mouth shut, forcing myself to breathe out of my nose. Its something that usually has to be done for a few days then its not needed.
• Essentially, I just breathe less now. In fact when I do feel an attack coming on a few controlled pauses in my breathe help. Right now I can 'pause' my breathing for 35 seconds. Before I couldn't do it for 10.

If anyone wants info on the breathing technique I can forward the book / video I used, but I'm not going to promote the product here.

I have to agree with the Ferret on technique. The time honored way of dealing with health issues by relying only on chemicals needs to be modified by adding in better behavior. I have been learning to breath through the nose even when climbing and O2 is harder to come by. To my great surprise it works almost all the time unless I'm near the limit of aerobic capacity, then I breath through the mouth for a short time.

Coordinating the pedal with breathing also helps and this also helps high altitude mountaineers on Everest. Opera singers also pay close attention and work on breathing with the diaphram, both to increase oxygen uptake and voice control.

I didn't read all of the posts in this thread but thought I'd chime in that after losing alot of weight and becoming much more fit from riding my asthma that I've suffered with for years was no more. After regaining some weight due to temporary illness, it returned.