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Medium term effects of physical conditioning on breath-hold diving performance
F A Fernandez1, R Martin-Martin2, I García-Camacha2
1Breatherapy, Faculty of Health, CSEU La Salle, Madrid, Spain.
Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology
|August 7, 2018
Summary
Integrating physical activity into apnea training significantly boosts vital capacity and maximal aerobic capacity. Divers combining physical and hypoxic training showed the greatest improvements in dynamic no-fins apnea performance.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Sports Science
- Diving Medicine
Background:
- Apnea training enhances breath-hold capabilities.
- The role of complementary physical conditioning in apnea performance requires further investigation.
- Optimizing training protocols is crucial for improving static apnea (STA), dynamic with fins (DYN), and dynamic no fins (DNF) performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of incorporating physical conditioning into a structured apnea training program on various performance metrics.
- To compare the effectiveness of cross-training (apnea and physical activity) against apnea-only training and a control group.
- To identify specific physiological adaptations, such as vital capacity (VC) and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), influenced by combined training.
Main Methods:
- A 22-week training program involving 29 male breath-hold divers divided into three groups: cross-training (CT), apnea training (AT), and control (CG).
- Performance measures included static apnea (STA), dynamic with fins (DYN), dynamic no fins (DNF), and a composite POINTS score.
- Physiological assessments comprised body composition, hemoglobin, vital capacity (VC), maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), resting metabolic rate, and oxygen saturation during static apnea.
Main Results:
- The cross-training (CT) group demonstrated the most significant improvements in overall apnea performance (POINTS).
- Discriminant analysis indicated CT was most effective for dynamic no-fins (DNF) performance.
- Significant pre- and post-training increases in vital capacity (VC) and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) were observed exclusively in the CT group.
Conclusions:
- Inclusion of physical activity in apnea training enhances vital capacity (VC) and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) in breath-hold divers.
- A mixed training approach, combining physical conditioning with hypoxic (apnea) training, leads to superior dynamic no-fins (DNF) performance.
- Structured physical conditioning is a valuable adjunct to traditional apnea training for optimizing diver performance.
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