Controlling and reducing air consumption

[BRT]

The best I can offer after a brief search is the claim that "regular exercise can increase the strength and function of your muscles, making them more efficient. Your muscles will require less oxygen to move and they will produce less carbon dioxide. This will immediately reduce the amount of air you will need to breathe in and out for a given exercise" -- where "given exercise" would include walking to the car or drifting along a reef wall, not just swimming a one-minute hundred. Cite: doi: 10.1183/20734735.ELF121

Nice! Apparently your muscles can learn to do more work with less energy.

 

[dmaziuk]

It is also going to make them bigger and if you have more muscle tissue they require more oxygen

Not if you "keep in shape" as opposed to "pump iron". The point, anyway, is that I don't buy that exercise improving cardiovascular and muscle efficiency has zero effect on the breathing rate, especially the kinds that pay attention to breathing techniques. However, good luck finding studies that examine breathing rates at rest.

 

[tarponchik]

The best I can offer after a brief search is the claim that "regular exercise can increase the strength and function of your muscles, making them more efficient. Your muscles will require less oxygen to move and they will produce less carbon dioxide. This will immediately reduce the amount of air you will need to breathe in and out for a given exercise" -- where "given exercise" would include walking to the car or drifting along a reef wall, not just swimming a one-minute hundred. Cite: doi: 10.1183/20734735.ELF121

@Joneill was referring specifically to aerobic exercise, not to exercises in general. Sure, some exercise will increase the strength of your muscles, but not any exercise will. In fact, aerobic exercise or stretching will not. The former will boost your endurance, the latter will make you more flexible. But to become stronger, you need to lift weights, which is an anaerobic exercise.

 

[tarponchik]

The best I can offer after a brief search is the claim that "regular exercise can increase the strength and function of your muscles, making them more efficient. Your muscles will require less oxygen to move and they will produce less carbon dioxide. This will immediately reduce the amount of air you will need to breathe in and out for a given exercise" -- where "given exercise" would include walking to the car or drifting along a reef wall, not just swimming a one-minute hundred. Cite: doi: 10.1183/20734735.ELF121

@Joneill was referring specifically to aerobic exercise, not to exercises in general. Sure, some exercise will increase the strength of your muscles, but not any exercise will. In fact, aerobic exercise or stretching will not. The former will boost your endurance, the latter will make you more flexible. But to become stronger, you need to lift weights, which is an anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercises are independent of oxygen.

 

[Joneill]

@Joneill was referring specifically to aerobic exercise, not to exercises in general. Sure, some exercise will increase the strength of your muscles, but not any exercise will. In fact, aerobic exercise or stretching will not. The former will boost your endurance, the latter will make you more flexible. But to become stronger, you need to lift weights, which is an anaerobic exercise.

I was referring to being fit, both aerobically and physically (less fat, more muscle).

 

[tarponchik]

I was referring to being fit, both aerobically and physically (less fat, more muscle).

This is too vague. How about this guy? Is he fit? My gut feeling tells me he'll be an air hog if he dives.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

@Joneill was referring specifically to aerobic exercise

Now we are losing out on the stroke volume argument though Seems to me 6, 1/2 dozen or the other.

 

[Joneill]

This is too vague. How about this guy? Is he fit? My gut feeling tells me he'll be an air hog if he dives.
View attachment 462718

a 2 part answer - the first sentence in this post sums up my overall thought about your attitude here:

Controlling and reducing air consumption

However, anyone who wasn’t trying to be just plain argumentative would get that, based in my previous statements about my own experience in losing weight and getting more fit, that an image like the one below is what I’m talking about - not the silly image you thought was clever to post...

And with that, don’t waste your breath responding - keep it for your diving, as I couldn’t care less about what you think!

 

[tarponchik]

Now we are losing out on the stroke volume argument though Seems to me 6, 1/2 dozen or the other.

I do not even know if I am fit. I can still do about 15 pull-ups anytime, no problem. But running? Haven't run even for a minute in 5 years, so I'll suck.

a 2 part answer - the first sentence in this post sums up my overall thought about your attitude here:

Controlling and reducing air consumption

However, anyone who wasn’t trying to be just plain argumentative would get that, based in my previous statements about my own experience in losing weight and getting more fit, that an image like the one below is what I’m talking about - not the silly image you thought was clever to post...

View attachment 462722

And with that, don’t waste your breath responding - keep it for your diving, as I couldn’t care less about what you think!

I waste my breathe as I please. And do not forget that someone already commented that you simply became more experienced by packing more dives under your belt.

 

[Joneill]

I do not even know if I am fit. I can still do about 15 pull-ups anytime, no problem. But running? Haven't run even for a minute in 5 years, so I'll suck.

I waste my breathe as I please. And do not forget that someone already commented that you simply became more experienced by packing more dives under your belt.

Sorry, but that does not explain the fact that I did a dive trip in September of last year at 240 lb (rather obese as I’m 5’9”) in poor fitness, both physical and cardiovascular. A few flights of steps or moderate exertion would wind me. My RMV on most dives was in the 0.6 range (never below 0.62). After 6 months of training and dieting, I got down to 200 lb and was in very good fitness all around. I dove at the same sites this March under similar conditions and my RMV was consistently 0.4 to 0.46.

I did not pack any more dives in between those trips - the only thing I did was get my butt in shape. I’m even better now as I’ve gotten dowm to 180 lb and in even better physical and cardiovascular fitness and will be back in Grand Cayman in 5 weeks and will enjoy the benefits of my efforts.

So believe what you want, but the “proof is in the pudding” (which I avoid these days ) and I know that fitness absolutey does make a difference for me - I realize it is not the only factor, but it clearly is one of them for me.