Looking really silly vs Superior workout?

June 3, 2009 9:10 PM

Swimming cardio filter: for front crawl where I gasp a breath every 3 strokes, does it make much difference for cardio that I am holding my breath vs being able to breathe freely as I would be able to with a special swimmer's snorkel (the snorkel goes up the middle of your forehead rather than being attached at the side). Anyone got any science on this?
posted by dino terror to health & fitness (8 comments total)

Your lung function and capacity is going to be better with the breath-holding. There's a reason swimmers can hold their breath longer than runners.
posted by schroedinger at 9:31 PM on June 3

Try every two strokes (always on the same side) but to keep yourself symmetrical, always breathe facing the same side of the pool. I.e., breathe on your left on the way down the pool, and your right on the way back. You shouldn't be *gasping* every time you breathe.
posted by notsnot at 4:03 AM on June 4

I don't have a specific answer and don't mean to derail, but I'm confused. Are you *supposed* to hold your breath while swimming the crawl? I'm not much of a swimmer, granted, but I was taught to exhale gradually between breaths, while looking straight down at the bottom of the pool (I can swim straight by following the lane line on the bottom of the pool). This doesn't require a snorkel and doesn't result in my gasping, either - when I'm low on air I pop to the side for a breath.

Holding your breath strikes me as anaerobic. I'd be interested to learn more.
posted by cheapskatebay at 5:41 AM on June 4

From a stoke analysis by a professional triathlon trainer: "If you blow out the entire time, your stroke will revolve around 'needing' that air at the next stroke [and lead to an inefficient stroke]. Practice holding your breath before blowing out, with more force. Blow out completely so that you can then inflate the lungs fully."

It sounds like you should try taking deeper breaths so that you can get through three strokes without gasping, blow out in a controlled and forceful manner, and then take the breath on the third stroke, again without gasping. Slow, controlled, deep. I often start a breath even if my mouth isn't fully out of the water so I can be more controlled about it and get more air more efficiently.
posted by cocoagirl at 5:58 AM on June 4

I recently took a triathlon swimming course. The swim instructor did a test on the whole class aimed at discovering whether you were a "dumper" or a "dribbler," in her speak. In other words, some people find it works better for them to hold their breath until just before the breath, then "dump" their lungs out in one forceful exhale before turning for the inhale. Others (like me) are "dribblers" who exhale in a long, even outward breath before turning for the intake. She asserted that neither way was superior in endurance swimming.

Though I'm not a scientist, I sort of contest the idea that "your stroke will revolve around 'needing' that air at the next stroke" if you exhale evenly. Either way, you have the same amount of oxygen available, so you will feel you need the next breath equally no matter which method you use. Even if you hold your breath, your lungs are still drawing the oxygen from the air inside them. It's not as though, by retaining your breath longer, you retain more oxygen.

Personally, I find it just a thousand times easier to keep my stroke rhythmic and balanced by taking the long-exhale, long-inhale approach. I time my exhale so that it takes just about the entire time my face is in the water, ending just as I turn my head out of the water. I agree that if you feel you're gasping, something is probably too choppy somewhere, and it may be in your body roll. If you are getting a good roll onto the hip with each stroke, there should be adequate time for you to take a breath without really sucking air in too quickly.
posted by Miko at 8:49 AM on June 4

Holding your breath strikes me as anaerobic. I'd be interested to learn more.

This is exactly my curiosity. Whether the breath is held and exhaled at the last moment, or exhaled slowly, it still strikes me as a rather anaerobic exercise.
posted by dino terror at 9:11 AM on June 4

When I was swimming competitively my coaches always argued for the "dribbler" method Miko described above. I wasn't exactly an Olympian or anything, though.

Limiting oxygen availability when swimming seems to lower heart rate at moderate intensity, so maybe for a better cardio workout (higher heart rate) it would be better to swim faster but breath whenever you feel the need. I'd guess most coaches recommend controlled frequency breathing more to improve their beginning swimmers' form than anything else.
posted by Thoughtcrime at 1:27 PM on June 4

Well, I think if I really want to get to the bottom of this I will probably have to order one of these snorkels and see what I think of it. I anticipate that I will probably be able to do a lot more laps at a higher tempo which will be better for working out my muscles, but I still don't know about cardiovascular fitness.
posted by dino terror at 10:37 AM on June 5