From what I understand, breath control training largely provides little (if any?) physiological training effect other than from the work itself (which is hindered anyway, making it a waste of time for training any of the energy systems).
I assume there is room to mentally adapt and learn how to manage hypoxic suffering. But other than developing a strong aerobic base and increasing level of conditioning, can one actually have room to improve their hypoxic capacity specifically through hypoxic training?
Thank you!
Former Member
Dumb question but how do you get you lungs measured? A breathing test and then measuring the air pushed out?
Hypoxic training is not bad for you if you do it properly.
It is helpful to me to divide hypoxic training into two types: swimming on top of the water while taking few breaths, and doing underwater kicking. Most discussion about hypoxic training really talks about the first of these. Regarding that: Maglischo, "Swimming Fastest," disputes the notion that hypoxic training will produce any benefit in improving aerobic endurance or lactate buffering.
The one adaptation to hypoxic training that surely does take place is an improvement in breath-holding ability (hypercapnia).
So this is his answer to the question that forms the title of the thread: yes, hypoxic sets will improve your ability to swim without air. He goes on to say that only a few weeks are needed to produce a meaningful adaptation in this regard.
A larger question is whether it is a good form of training beyond that goal. I find "on top of the water" hypoxic training useful in two ways. One has been mentioned earlier: to promote efficiency. Another is during taper time, to elevate HR without stressing muscles. Mostly I do this kind of thing during taper and recovery workouts.
Like Maglischo I don't think breath-holding is a very effective way to train to build endurance or lactate tolerance.
BUT: in my opinion if you are serious about developing developing your underwater kick, you have to do it in practice. A lot, which will involve some oxygen deprivation. The primary goal is not necessary hypoxic training per se -- not exactly -- but for people who are faster underwater than on top of the water you will need to develop the ability to stay under longer.
There is no good substitute for actually training for what you want to do; as Berkoff said in the comments on the article linked to earlier, Phelps didn't just decide suddenly to go 15m underwater at the end of at 200 free, when his LA levels were sky-high: he had to train to be able to do that.
Never do this.Thanks, I will never do this and have not in a long time.
At the time what I believed I was doing was loading my cells with increased levels of O2 which does not really happen. From what I now know, correct me if I'm wrong, is the blood O2 levels don't increase that much by overventillating, but what does change is the CNS becomes short circuited at bogus lean CO2 levels.
I think of it like how an O2 sensor on a car with an exhaust leak upstream effects EFI (electronic fuel inj), the sensor reads inducted O2 (from atmospheric air) upstream at the leak, and the ecu thinks it needs more fuel (carbon).
From what I understand, breath control training largely provides little (if any?) physiological training effect other than from the work itself (which is hindered anyway, making it a waste of time for training any of the energy systems).
I assume there is room to mentally adapt and learn how to manage hypoxic suffering. But other than developing a strong aerobic base and increasing level of conditioning, can one actually have room to improve their hypoxic capacity specifically through hypoxic training?
Thank you!
The answer seems to to be only maladation is developed with hypoxic training. Try googling. If you read and interpret the same as me (not saying you will) then you will conclude that hypoxic training is, in fact, bad for you.
I'm not sure if physiologically you can reduce the need for oxygen. In fact many elite swimmers have gone to breathing every stroke becuase the better shape you are in, the more air you can process. Having said that, the hypoxic training will get you used to the discomfort of not breathing when it is most important, coming off the wall and finishing. Also hypoxic training like breathing every5,7, one breath laps, no breath laps, forces you to really concentrate on your stroke to be the most efficient so you can still swim with speed and make the interval.
Last month I did two 50 fr events within one hour, the second one was a split req. from a 100. The first 50 fr event I took one breath out, and once back. The second 50 fr I forgot to breathe to the wall, breathed once back but dropped my time by 0.45s. I kept this method the following day (one breath back) in a relay and dropped the time another 0.36s. Then 10 minutes later for another relay another drop by 0.05s.
One change that happened throughout the meet was a linear decrease in anxiety, one main contributor of my stress is worrying about my breathing plan, the second was the turn. I believe I can have a better performance through stress management, moreover learning how to do the entire 50 without a breath.
depending on your speed, some wont need a breath at all on a 50yd free at your ATP stores will last the entire race and you wont even enter the krebs cycle until after you have touched the finish pad. now a few elite (ie biondi's new wr) can do this in the 50m as well. regardless of if your muscles actually need it or not, the burning lung sensation you feel while doing this isnt very mental and very physical. :D
regardless of if your muscles actually need it or not, the burning lung sensation you feel while doing this isnt very mental and very physical. :D
Yeah, that's the tough part, convincing your brain that your body doesn't really need that air! And maybe that's the where the hypoxic training pays off.
