My 10 year old son just started swimming on a non-competitive swim team this year. He mentioned in passing that he holds his breath while his face is in the water when swimming freestyle. He is not very fast right now, so it probably doesn't harm him now, but I would like to break him of this habit before it sticks! He said the timing of the exhale and inhale confuses him and he ends up choking on water. He breathes every 3 strokes and I've always learned to breathe every other stroke. How does the exhale/inhale work for every 3 strokes. It seems like a long time to exhale?
As Jeff said, breathing every 3 is a good habit to get into. Most swimmers do not need to breathe more often than that. The elite swimmers, like Phelps, are breathing every 2 because they are generating huge amounts of CO2. The huge CO2 they generate is due to kicking so hard and their goal is to avoid oxygen debt and the build up of lactic acid in the muscles.
Breathing is more about getting rid of CO2 because that is the compound that triggers the breathing function - not lack of oxygen. There is plenty of oxygen in the air you exhale (think CPR). If you don't exhale completely or your breathing is shallow from inhaling/exhaling too often, the exchange is compromised and your swimming will suffer.
I breathe every 3 with the pattern of holding my breath for 1 stroke and exhaling hard for 2. If I wait until the 3rd stroke to exhale, I do not have enough time to exhale everything.
As Jeff said, breathing every 3 is a good habit to get into. Most swimmers do not need to breathe more often than that. The elite swimmers, like Phelps, are breathing every 2 because they are generating huge amounts of CO2. The huge CO2 they generate is due to kicking so hard and their goal is to avoid oxygen debt and the build up of lactic acid in the muscles.
Breathing is more about getting rid of CO2 because that is the compound that triggers the breathing function - not lack of oxygen. There is plenty of oxygen in the air you exhale (think CPR). If you don't exhale completely or your breathing is shallow from inhaling/exhaling too often, the exchange is compromised and your swimming will suffer.
I breathe every 3 with the pattern of holding my breath for 1 stroke and exhaling hard for 2. If I wait until the 3rd stroke to exhale, I do not have enough time to exhale everything.
