Pectus Excavatum

Jonathan, I interviewed various exercise physiologists several years ago for an article on getting in the best shape of your life. One of my questions was how you could increase your so-called "vital capacity"--i.e., how much oxygen your lungs can take in. To my surprise, the consensus answer I got was A) there's not much you can do--your lung capacity is your lung capacity, and you can't grow it any greater, and B) even so, this doesn't really matter--because the limiting factor is almost always not how much oxygen your lungs take in, but how much oxygen your muscles uptake from the blood stream. Training can make a huge difference in the latter; there have been Olympians and other elite atheltes with only one lung who have performed superby. My advice: forget about your chest concavity; in all likelihood, your lungs are taking in more than enough oxygen. With progressively greater work, your muscles, capillaries, hemoglobin, blood volume, etc. will all gradually adapt so that your system will be able to better use the oxygen you are taking in. Bottom line: I am virtually positive the p.e. business is a red herring here, so to speak. Just keep working out and give your physiology a chance to adapt. I have a teammate with p.e., and it hasn't affected his swimming negatively at all. Evidentally, the same can be said for the Dutchman.

Thanks Jim – It has taken me a long time to find anyone who can offer some informed advice on swimming with p.e. I am pleased that the advice I am getting is positive. I will forget about the condition and focus on technique. It is also great to hear from swimmers with p.e. or who have friends who have it and that it has not affected their swimming ability. My enthusiasm is renewed. Regards Johnathon.

I have P.E. and it is a more severe case but has never limited me in any way other than keeping my vanity in check. One thing that I would advise you do is check with your physician about a specific heart risk called Mitral Valve Prolapse that is common in people with P.E. I had heard of this condition in the past but shrugged it off due to my being in fairly good condition. My sister recently talked with a close friend who lost a friend to this condition. Apparently it is treatable but doctors need to look for it specifically. Check the link I posted below, it is very enlightening and I think you will find it most helpful. Please share it with others. The Arm www.ctds.info/pectus_excavatum_faq.html

So what if this resembles a JAMA thread? I think that this is a great thread and it is nice to hear from other people with P.E. I know that when I competed in high school I was the only one I ever saw with this cndition and I got a lot of teasing in the early years of HS. I was so excited when I discovered that Hoagie had this condition, he's one of the "Hydrodynamically" designed swimmers like the rest of us. How about T-shirts and bumper stickers, "Hydrodynamics, it's all in the chest!" Maybe this thread is resembling a JAMA thread, but the original question was how this condition affected his swimming and breathing. I simply tried to supply some helpful info relative to this question and feel that I did just that.

To The Arm - I have had a look at the web link you posted and it has a lot of good information on pectus excavatum. Thanks - I will share it around. Other than the odd bone structure I don’t have any other side effects. To The Arm & 330man - I am just pleased to hear of other swimmers who have not allowed the condition to prevent them from swimming either on a psychological or physical level. I once read an article on Hoogenband which suggested it may have actually allowed him to swim better. I have just finished reading Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin and was encouraged to learn that he attributes some 70% of swimming ability to technique and 30% to fitness. I plan to start the drills he suggests tonight. Thanks swimmers for your input. Regards John.

Don't get me wrong, I think this "JAMA" type thread is great!! I was just making a joke. The more these things are discussed the better for everybody. It has obviously helped Johnathan so it was certainly worthwhile to spend time at the keyboard posting.

Originally posted by The Arm I have P.E. and it is a more severe case but has never limited me in any way other than keeping my vanity in check. One thing that I would advise you do is check with your physician about a specific heart risk called Mitral Valve Prolapse that is common in people with P.E. I had heard of this condition in the past but shrugged it off due to my being in fairly good condition. My sister recently talked with a close friend who lost a friend to this condition. Apparently it is treatable but doctors need to look for it specifically. Check the link I posted below, it is very enlightening and I think you will find it most helpful. Please share it with others. The Arm www.ctds.info/pectus_excavatum_faq.html My cardiologist tells me I have the symptoms of MVP. Pectus, heart palpitations, shortness of breath. However, he does not feel that anything needs to be done at this time. My palpitations have reduced in frequency since I started swimming but it has only been three months so it could be a fluke. The real danger with MVP lies in the heart getting infected. The mitral valve does not seal correctly and could allow contaminated blood to enter the heart and cause an infection. If you go to the dentist and tell them you have MVP they will freak out, trust me on this one!! Diagnosed MVP patients typically have a standing scrip of antibiotics for dental visits. Bleeding in the mouth can allow bacteria into the bloodstream possibly allowing an infection to occur in the heart. This thread is starting to resemble something from JAMA and not Masters swimming!!