kjpwong:
g'day all,
just wondering if the larger your lung capacity is, do you generally consume more air as a result? it kinda makes sense but forgive me if this sounds silly, but dont people encourage more exercise to improve performance/bottom time? but exercise increases your lung capaity which theoredicly make you consume more air each time..........
thanks in advance....
cheers
kenny
Actually, quite an excellent question, and you're right on target on your hunches. Like VO2 Max, Lung Capacity is genetically determined. It has been determined that individuals whose genetic backgrounds include generations that were raised in Hypoxic Environments (as in Altitude) will exhibit larger lungs and larger Lung Capacity (in Relation to Body Size) than people whose backgrounds are more normoxic. Exercise DOES NOT increase lung capacity, You may be getting confused with Lung Volume and Pulmonary Diffusion Capacity which DO change with exercise.
And guess what? You take A LOT more air per breath than most people, but at the same time you breath with less frequency. I can relate to your case because I have the same issue. I took part of series of studies for Cold Exposure and hormonal changes conducted at Rutgers University under the guidance of Doctor Karen Mittleman. My Vo2 Max was measured (with the lab setting gear) along other components. It was then that I discovered about my large lung capacity. Whereas most people breathe and average of 24-30 times per minute, I was averaging 8-12 breaths per minute. This was validated by the fact that I did not know that such measurements were being taken, and I was not informed of it until the end of the experiment.
That was awesome for free diving, but made it a bit hard during my inital dives. Being that it was emphasized over and over that one MUST NEVER hold their breath, I always kept breathing, at a much higher rate than I normally do. I sucked my tanks dry during my pool training. After reading and researching, and speaking with other divers, I learned that it was far more important to breathe as normally as possible, and chill out :14: Of course the more I dove, the more comfortable I got under water, the better my breathing pattern became, taking advantage of the large lung capacity. I use a similar breathing pattern that I used when swimming, which was taking a breath every 4 strokes (even when sprinting). That worked VERY well for me. I adapted it at inhaling in four continuous, slow breaths, then exhaling in five counts. After that, I do not find the need to breathe for a few more seconds. Being fit is also important since having a large lung capacity means very little if your body is not efficient at using the oxygen. This is when Lung Volume and Pulmonary Diffusion Capacity improvements through exercise are important.
For more on human adaptation with different genetic backgrounds to different stresses, I recommend the awesome book by
A. Robert Frisancho "
Human Adaptation and Accommodation" That was a great question! Happy Diving
