Is Breathing after every 3 strokes on diff sides help you go faster?

It takes approximately 10 seconds to gain the benifits from the oxygen you breathe in. If you took a breath approximately 10 seconds before the end of your race it probably wouldn't be advantageous to take another breath. The efficiency of person's lungs and how they transport O2 is also a consideration that will effect the breathing pattern of a swimmer. The action of breathing, in long-axis strokes (free and back) causes a up and down motion due to the increasing and deacreasing of oxygen (bouyancy). A controlled breathing pattern allows the body to maintain a more stable body and that's an advantage. You can't choose a breathing pattern the disrupts the streamlining of the body. In short-axis swimming, breathing every stroke in breaststroke and every other stroke in butterfly is an accepted norm. With all this being said, trying to reduce oxygen debt and it's by-products are important considerations when choosing a breathing pattern. So, as distance increases it's a good bet that a more liberal breathing pattern should be established. On the 10 seconds to benifit guesstimate - breaths per distance might look like this: 50 Free 1-2 -3 maybe 4 breaths 100 Free 10 breaths 200 20 minimum - max would vary This is a great question and I know someone who watches world class swimmers knows the answer to it.

It takes approximately 10 seconds to gain the benifits from the oxygen you breathe in. If you took a breath approximately 10 seconds before the end of your race it probably wouldn't be advantageous to take another breath. The efficiency of person's lungs and how they transport O2 is also a consideration that will effect the breathing pattern of a swimmer. The action of breathing, in long-axis strokes (free and back) causes a up and down motion due to the increasing and deacreasing of oxygen (bouyancy). A controlled breathing pattern allows the body to maintain a more stable body and that's an advantage. You can't choose a breathing pattern the disrupts the streamlining of the body. In short-axis swimming, breathing every stroke in breaststroke and every other stroke in butterfly is an accepted norm. With all this being said, trying to reduce oxygen debt and it's by-products are important considerations when choosing a breathing pattern. So, as distance increases it's a good bet that a more liberal breathing pattern should be established. On the 10 seconds to benifit guesstimate - breaths per distance might look like this: 50 Free 1-2 -3 maybe 4 breaths 100 Free 10 breaths 200 20 minimum - max would vary This is a great question and I know someone who watches world class swimmers knows the answer to it.