Post-dive recovery

Divin'Papaw · Jun 20, 2006

As a new diver, I'm trying to get a handle on post-dive recovery and how to best plan my fitness routine around my diving.

Background: I am in very good shape (for my age!). I typically exercise 6 days a week. I do vigorous cardio work (running, elliptical, stair master, nordic track or some combination of those) for 30-60 minutes typically 6 days a week, sometimes 5. I do weights (universal circuit) 2-3 days a week.

Statement: I have been very surprised to see how much diving takes out of me. I'm new but I do know enough to limit exercise immediately (within 24 hours) after diving. But I have really been surprised at how many days it is taking me to recover from a weekend where I do 2-3 dives on Sat and 2-3 on Sunday. The workouts that I've done on Monday following a dive weekend have been horrible. My legs and arms feel like they weigh twice what they normally do. I just ache and feel very lethargic.

Question: How long do you find it takes your body to recover from a couple of days of diving? How many days is it before you don't feel so blah for your workouts?

Any suggestions on how to minimize this post-dive effect? I feel I'm hydrating well. I may need to be taking in more electrolytes. That is one thing I am going to try on my next dive weekend.

PerroneFord · Jun 20, 2006

You are doing something wrong. I don't do HALF the excercise you do, and when I finish diving, I am ready to go for a run. In fact, most diving days (Sundays), I play 2 hours of soccer afterwards.

How's your nutrition, sleeping, hydration, what are you breathing down there, and what is your ascent/decompression like??

-P

Divin'Hoosier:
As a new diver, I'm trying to get a handle on post-dive recovery and how to best plan my fitness routine around my diving.

Background: I am in very good shape (for my age!). I typically exercise 6 days a week. I do vigorous cardio work (running, elliptical, stair master, nordic track or some combination of those) for 30-60 minutes typically 6 days a week, sometimes 5. I do weights (universal circuit) 2-3 days a week.

Statement: I have been very surprised to see how much diving takes out of me. I'm new but I do know enough to limit exercise immediately (within 24 hours) after diving. But I have really been surprised at how many days it is taking me to recover from a weekend where I do 2-3 dives on Sat and 2-3 on Sunday. The workouts that I've done on Monday following a dive weekend have been horrible. My legs and arms feel like they weigh twice what they normally do. I just ache and feel very lethargic.

Question: How long do you find it takes your body to recover from a couple of days of diving? How many days is it before you don't feel so blah for your workouts?

Any suggestions on how to minimize this post-dive effect? I feel I'm hydrating well. I may need to be taking in more electrolytes. That is one thing I am going to try on my next dive weekend.

Divin'Papaw · Jun 20, 2006

PerroneFord:
You are doing something wrong. I don't do HALF the excercise you do, and when I finish diving, I am ready to go for a run. In fact, most diving days (Sundays), I play 2 hours of soccer afterwards.

How's your nutrition, sleeping, hydration, what are you breathing down there, and what is your ascent/decompression like??

-P

Nutrition: I try to eat well before leaving the house. Usually Kashi cereal, milk, OJ, Coffee, wheat toast with PB. Sometimes eggs instead of cereal.

I typically drink 1-2 normal size bottles of water before starting to dive and then drink 1-2 bottles between dives followed by another 1-2 after the last dive. I sometimes throw in an Arizona green tea somewhere there. I don't eat much while diving. Just not hungry. If I snack, it's usually fruit of some sort. I typically am ready to eat 2-3 hours after my last dive.

Being new, I tend to be a bit nervous leading up to my dives. This does tend to interrupt my sleep a bit, but not severely.

I am definitely breathing down there! Working on slow, deep breaths. Don't do any skip breathing or anything silly like that. I really do try and breath very regularly and deeply, but I'm sure I have a ways to go here.

None of my dives have been aggressive. Nothing approaching any decompression limit. The 4 dives I did this past weekend were downright novice level.

Sat:
22 min, max depth 32, avg depth 15.5
Sun:
20 min, max depth 45, avg depth 25.6
13 min, max depth 19, avg depth 17.4
29 min, max depth 32, avg depth 19.1

Always ascended slowly, no shooting to the surface and no issues during any of the dives.

I did have one problem Saturday that is probably a key contibutor to being so wipped out now that I think more about it. It was very, very hot (close to 90) and I overdressed (7mm suit and a 3/5 hooded vest, 6mm boots, 5mm gloves). I thought we were going deeper than we did and I thought the water was colder than it was. The water was 82 at the surface and only 63 at depth. I don't have to say that I WAS ROASTING!! It was rough. After the dive I was just wipped. I was so hot it was borderline heat exhaustion. I was smart enough to scrub the remaining planned two dives. I just felt horrible. I got out of my gear, sat in the shade and just drank. I probably should have had gatorade instead of the Arizona green tea that I had. But I did limit my activity for a good hour and drank 2-3 bottles of water in addition to the tea.

I was much better Sunday. First, the temps were down, it was cloudy and we had occastional rain. I wore less neoprene and I was MUCH more comfortable.

One possibility is that I am still overcoming being so overheated on Saturday.

scubak · Jun 20, 2006

What are your surface intervals between dives? Are you exercising before diving? What are the diving conditions? I would say stay hydrated before and after diving. Eat a bit of something between dives. Rest well after diving. Maybe the day after diving don't plan a big workout. Your body needs recovery time after any type of strenuous exercise.
Just my 2psi.
K

PerroneFord · Jun 20, 2006

A few things jump out at me here.

1. That you only mention what you ate and drank the DAY OF THE DIVE. I hate to tell you this, but what you are drinking a few hours before the dive has very little to do with your level of hydration. What you drank the 2-3 days leading UP to the dive may tell me something. Same with your eating. The body requires time to store up nutrients and fluids.

2. You sound like you had a classic case of heat exhaustion. Get in the shade, drink plenty of fluid, and don't go back in the water unless it's to cool yourself off.

3. Your profiles sound fine. That would not, or should not cause problems for someone in decent physical condition.

4. FLOOD YOUR SUIT!

If you find you are getting hot, open the suit a bit and let some cold water in. That will keep you far more comfortable if you find your are getting hot.

5. Tea is a diuretic. It removes fluids from the body. Not the best idea when you are working on hydrating. It's counterproductive.

Good luck!

Divin'Hoosier:
Nutrition: I try to eat well before leaving the house. Usually Kashi cereal, milk, OJ, Coffee, wheat toast with PB. Sometimes eggs instead of cereal.

I typically drink 1-2 normal size bottles of water before starting to dive and then drink 1-2 bottles between dives followed by another 1-2 after the last dive. I sometimes throw in an Arizona green tea somewhere there. I don't eat much while diving. Just not hungry. If I snack, it's usually fruit of some sort. I typically am ready to eat 2-3 hours after my last dive.

Being new, I tend to be a bit nervous leading up to my dives. This does tend to interrupt my sleep a bit, but not severely.

I am definitely breathing down there! Working on slow, deep breaths. Don't do any skip breathing or anything silly like that. I really do try and breath very regularly and deeply, but I'm sure I have a ways to go here.

None of my dives have been aggressive. Nothing approaching any decompression limit. The 4 dives I did this past weekend were downright novice level.

Sat:
22 min, max depth 32, avg depth 15.5
Sun:
20 min, max depth 45, avg depth 25.6
13 min, max depth 19, avg depth 17.4
29 min, max depth 32, avg depth 19.1

Always ascended slowly, no shooting to the surface and no issues during any of the dives.

I did have one problem Saturday that is probably a key contibutor to being so wipped out now that I think more about it. It was very, very hot (close to 90) and I overdressed (7mm suit and a 3/5 hooded vest, 6mm boots, 5mm gloves). I thought we were going deeper than we did and I thought the water was colder than it was. The water was 82 at the surface and only 63 at depth. I don't have to say that I WAS ROASTING!! It was rough. After the dive I was just wipped. I was so hot it was borderline heat exhaustion. I was smart enough to scrub the remaining planned two dives. I just felt horrible. I got out of my gear, sat in the shade and just drank. I probably should have had gatorade instead of the Arizona green tea that I had. But I did limit my activity for a good hour and drank 2-3 bottles of water in addition to the tea.

I was much better Sunday. First, the temps were down, it was cloudy and we had occastional rain. I wore less neoprene and I was MUCH more comfortable.

One possibility is that I am still overcoming being so overheated on Saturday.

TSandM · Jun 20, 2006

Those profiles are pretty darned benign, particularly if you're doing nice, slow ascents.

But I remember that the first day I did three dives (and it was at our local underwater park, where you can get to 40 feet on a high tide with a shovel) I was so exhausted when I got home I felt like I was sick. Nowadays, I can do three much more aggressive dives in a day and feel like I could go out dancing in the evening.

I think we forget that a combination of thermal stress, exertion and TENSION takes a whomping chunk out of new divers. I think, if I had done two multiple-dive days in a row when I had as few dives as your profile indicates, I would have gone home and slept for a week.

Just read Perrone's post -- I have to take issue with the hydration comments. Water is very dynamic in the body. You can fully hydrate somebody in a few hours, even from significant dehydration. Someone who is in a reasonably normal state (in other words, eating and drinking normally, not vomiting or having diarrhea) can maximize their hydration status very quickly. Nutrients are another story -- it can take 24 hours to fill the glycogen stores in the liver, which are your "rapid access" energy supply.

It is possible that there was an electrolyte problem contributing to this particular incident. Although sweat is fairly hypotonic, you do lose electrolytes by sweating. When you replace that loss with water, it IS possible to drop your sodium levels. That can result in severe muscle cramps if it goes far enough. Correcting electrolyte balance can take more time than simply rehydrating. Heat exhaustion is a real medical entity.

Web Monkey · Jun 20, 2006

Divin'Hoosier:
Statement: I have been very surprised to see how much diving takes out of me. I'm new but I do know enough to limit exercise immediately (within 24 hours) after diving. But I have really been surprised at how many days it is taking me to recover from a weekend where I do 2-3 dives on Sat and 2-3 on Sunday. The workouts that I've done on Monday following a dive weekend have been horrible. My legs and arms feel like they weigh twice what they normally do. I just ache and feel very lethargic.

I'd be willing to bet that your ascents are too fast, especially the last 15' - 20' (5 or 6 meters, approx), and that you're not properly hydrated.

You should be drinking more water, not sports-drinks for at least the day before you go diving.

Also, take the last 20' of your ascent slowly. 2 minutes wouldn't be too slow (10'/minute). The slow ascent makes a huge difference in how I feel after diving.

If you're old enough to remember the moon-landing, you should probably try Nitrox. That also seems to make quite a difference.

Terry

Divin'Papaw · Jun 20, 2006

PerroneFord:
A few things jump out at me here.

1. That you only mention what you ate and drank the DAY OF THE DIVE. I hate to tell you this, but what you are drinking a few hours before the dive has very little to do with your level of hydration. What you drank the 2-3 days leading UP to the dive may tell me something. Same with your eating. The body requires time to store up nutrients and fluids.

Good point. In the past I have been a competitive swimmer and runner. Don't compete much anymore but I do get in a road or trail running race a year. I only add that to give a little background. I do know the importance of hydration and nutrition on exercise. With that said, given the heat this past weekend, in hindsight, I should have worked harder on hydration and nutrition towards the end of last week. Very good point raised and learning point taken.

PerroneFord:
2. You sound like you had a classic case of heat exhaustion. Get in the shade, drink plenty of fluid, and don't go back in the water unless it's to cool yourself off.

My thoughts exactly. Good advice. That is exactly what I did Sat afternoon.

PerroneFord:
4. FLOOD YOUR SUIT! If you find you are getting hot, open the suit a bit and let some cold water in. That will keep you far more comfortable if you find your are getting hot.

That was one of my key learning points from this past weekend. That is exactly what I did on Sunday. Suit up and then in the water IMMEDIATELY. Get the suit full, cool off, relax and then gear up. I also geared up in the water. Made a world of difference.

PerroneFord:
5. Tea is a diuretic. It removes fluids from the body. Not the best idea when you are working on hydrating. It's counterproductive.

Good point. I know that but I always fail to remember it when it's bottled iced green tea. I remember it with coffee. Gatorade would have been a much better option. Would have most likely speed up my recovery Sat afternoon.

Thanks for all of the great input!

PerroneFord · Jun 20, 2006

Thanks B.Q.

The hydration thing is somewhat contradictory from what I've been told in the past. However, empirically, I've seen evidence of it. My experience comes mostly from situations where we have high levels of exertion, and people (players) are trying to replenish fluids. If they are fully hydrated prior to games, replishment at halftime often restores performance. However, if they are not well hydrated, we simply cannot make up the deficit mid-match.

In this instance, I am wondering if poor pre-dive hydration, followed by diving that brings on feelings of dehydration, can be mitigated with surface interval fluids? I guess to look at your quote "We can hydrate somebody in a few hours, even from significant dehydration", does this mean a person who is resting comfortably in a bed, or someone out in the sun, participating in a physical activity?

Divin'Papaw · Jun 20, 2006

TSandM:
I think we forget that a combination of thermal stress, exertion and TENSION takes a whomping chunk out of new divers. I think, if I had done two multiple-dive days in a row when I had as few dives as your profile indicates, I would have gone home and slept for a week.

I've come to learn that first hand. I've been surprised at how easy the diving part is. The challenging part is doning and doffing gear efficiently and intelligently to minimize both thermal stress and physical stress. It makes a huge difference and it is an area I'm still working on.

Being an athlete, I've come to realize that I've been downplaying the impact of diving on the body. I need to begin to treat how I prepare for a diving weekend as I used to prepare for a big race like a 10K or half marathon. Hydration, nutrition, rest. And then focus on the importance of preventing overheating while doning/doffing just as you need to prevent overheating during a long race. BIG LEARNING POINT FOR ME!

Post-dive recovery

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