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AS IF their training schedules weren’t gruelling enough, athletes may soon be strapping on a special vest that makes it harder for them to breathe.

The RespiVest, developed by a team of sports technologists from Loughborough University, is designed to strengthen athletes’ lungs during training. Its elasticated sections squeeze the chest like a girdle, so the diaphragm and intercostal muscles have to work harder to draw air into the lungs.

Giving these muscles a workout can strengthen them by between 30 and 40 per cent, so they perform better when the elasticated vest isn’t worn, says research leader Mike Caine. That’s good news for athletes in track events who rely on lung power to get vast quantities of oxygenated blood to their muscles during competition.