We were goofing around after practice the other day and decided to see who could swim the farthest underwater. We both went well over 50 meters (the underwater turn was a killer). I opted for dolphin kicking a ways and then switched to the underwater breastroke. I’m not sure which technique is better for distance as opposed to speed. Anyone out there ever make a full 100m underwater? Oh yeah, this can be dangerous because a lot of people pass out. So if you make an attempt, be sure someone is on deck watching you. Perhaps some of you dorks could even put on your competitions suits and monofins and see if it improves your performance. You guys kill me with all your equipment.
Having all other factors equal (endurance, V02 Max, size of lung, training and other physical stuff), what makes someone hold their breath longer is purely a mental game. The drive to breathe is based on an accumulation of C02 in the blood, the result of buffering of the acidic blood by H+ C03- which produces excess carbon dioxide. All the energy processes end up producing this C02 which must be eliminated from the body, and one of the methods of eliminating is via the lungs, where C02 is blown off as we breathe. So, we have a "normal" range of partial pressure of C02 dissolved in blood of 40, and as that number grows the urge to breathe becomes stronger. If we train our minds to hold that urge and not breathe we may stay under longer. Also if we swim faster we accumulate more C02 in our blood stream...so there is a balance between going faster and/or longer. The trick about hyperventilating is not that you get more oxygen in but that you get rid of more C02 circulating and thus you go under or hold your breathe for longer. The downside (caveat?) is that you might end up without oxygen and passing out in shallow water. This is getting long and boring, and was discussed in the past, but remember: it is not hunger for oxygen, but the need to expel carbon dioxide that makes you breathe.
Having all other factors equal (endurance, V02 Max, size of lung, training and other physical stuff), what makes someone hold their breath longer is purely a mental game. The drive to breathe is based on an accumulation of C02 in the blood, the result of buffering of the acidic blood by H+ C03- which produces excess carbon dioxide. All the energy processes end up producing this C02 which must be eliminated from the body, and one of the methods of eliminating is via the lungs, where C02 is blown off as we breathe. So, we have a "normal" range of partial pressure of C02 dissolved in blood of 40, and as that number grows the urge to breathe becomes stronger. If we train our minds to hold that urge and not breathe we may stay under longer. Also if we swim faster we accumulate more C02 in our blood stream...so there is a balance between going faster and/or longer. The trick about hyperventilating is not that you get more oxygen in but that you get rid of more C02 circulating and thus you go under or hold your breathe for longer. The downside (caveat?) is that you might end up without oxygen and passing out in shallow water. This is getting long and boring, and was discussed in the past, but remember: it is not hunger for oxygen, but the need to expel carbon dioxide that makes you breathe.
