I've been wanting to start this thread for a while-- we have one about flutter kicking, SDK, and speed. If I may be so bold, I'd like to see one on how to improve your capacity for hypoxic sets.
After getting back into swimming about 4 months ago, I have noticed a decrease in my ability to handle hypoxic sets, and in general, in my ability to stay underwater for any significant length of time. I find myself trying to get to the surface as soon as possible after turning at the wall so I can get some air. I know this is slowing me down significantly.
As for breathing while actually swimming, I seem to have no problems-- I am pretty much a bilateral breather (every three strokes). It's when I'm coming into the wall or leaving the wall where I have problems, as I can't seem to hold my breath and am always breaking the cardinal rule of not breathing while in the "red zone."
We do at least one hypoxic set per day, and not surprisingly, I usually have problems (although I do try to make it).
Any tips for how to improve, or does this just come with practice and increased aerobic capacity?
My thinking? There's very little thinking involved, actually. I found fairly recent and comprehensive review of hypoxic training studies, read the relevant section, and came to the same conclusion as the authors of the review: It doesn't do a damn thing.
Since there's absolutely no evidence that hypoxic training reliably increases aerobic capacity in any way, your subjective opinion that you can somehow train yourself to not go into oxygen debt is wrong. There are two ways to avoid oxygen debt: breathe more and become more aerobically efficient. Holding your breath obviously isn't the former, and there's a ton of evidence that it doesn't affect the latter. Not useful.
So, Jazz, when you're practicing no breather 50s, that's just breath holding practice so you'll be used to not breathing at race time? You don't think you're training your body to tolerate oxygen debt better? Or is there really no oxygen debt on a 50?
My thinking? There's very little thinking involved, actually. I found fairly recent and comprehensive review of hypoxic training studies, read the relevant section, and came to the same conclusion as the authors of the review: It doesn't do a damn thing.
Since there's absolutely no evidence that hypoxic training reliably increases aerobic capacity in any way, your subjective opinion that you can somehow train yourself to not go into oxygen debt is wrong. There are two ways to avoid oxygen debt: breathe more and become more aerobically efficient. Holding your breath obviously isn't the former, and there's a ton of evidence that it doesn't affect the latter. Not useful.
So, Jazz, when you're practicing no breather 50s, that's just breath holding practice so you'll be used to not breathing at race time? You don't think you're training your body to tolerate oxygen debt better? Or is there really no oxygen debt on a 50?
