I am trying to condition myself to breath every 3 strokes instead of 2. Will this help make me a faster and more efficient swimmer? Are their any other benefits that I will receive from breathing every 3 strokes?
Former Member
Did a little more research. And from what I've read (not sure how accurate it is) professional swimmers mostly train with bilateral breathing to help keep their form solid. But when they race they breathe however they feel most comfortable. But they may opt to throw in a bilateral breath here or there to keep an eye on the competition on the other side of the pool.
When push comes to shove in a race, you will do whatever you can to get maximum o2 to your body.
I am right handed...in an all out sprint I always breathe left. Trying to bilateral throws me off my timing too much. In a longer race a switch it up so I am not over exerting one arm/shoulder during a race.
I've witnessed national records dropping to swimmers who breathe every stroke. No one giving them their championship medal was saying "Yeah, well you breathed too much." Breathing when you need to is detrimental. I say, breathe when you want to.
I am trying to condition myself to breath every 3 strokes instead of 2. Will this help make me a faster and more efficient swimmer? Are their any other benefits that I will receive from breathing every 3 strokes?
Probably not
Which event?
We are humans we need air
How you learned is how most of us swim --- dispite all the drills we do on our teams. I try to take 1 - 2 bilaterals per length ,but can never keep it going. Faster??? I don't think so.