improved breathing recovery from running after intensive diving

[asmumm]

I recently went on a three day diving trip with 2-3 dives per day. Most dives were around the 20 meter mark maximum depth, one dive went down to 40 meters. We observed conservative decompression times and usually went up on a slow rise. I felt well after all dives, no complications.
The day after I came back home I went for my usual 5km jogging round in the evening. It was a not too hot day and I felt encouraged to run a little bit harder. The last 400m of my run I usually walk at fast pace to slow down again (heart beat dropping from ~150 to 120), still it normally takes me another 10 - 15 minutes at home until my heartbeat is down to around 100. I'm a 57yo male, have done variable sports all my life, but have been a regular smoker until about a year ago.
Now this time round, after the diving trip I experienced a significantly shorter recovery period, mainly by catching my breath uch faster and by the time I was back home my breathing rate was almost back to normal and my heart beat was at 112.
I went for my usual jog again the next day and same thing, a much faster recovery.

Question is of course if this could somehow be connected with the diving, which was quite extensive and also quite deep in one instance? Today it's just too hot and humid here in Saudi Arabia so I am skipping the jogging and will do some indoor core exercises.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

It's probably more related to quitting smoking, and congratulations on that. There's nothing about making a dive series like you did that would immediately improve exercise performance.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello asmumm:
I do not have any expertise on running. The comment about stop smoking was a good one; ending this habit is hard [I am told] but is always a good idea.

 

[asmumm]

Thanks DDM and Dr Deco for you view! It was just that so far the improvements after stopping smoking were rather gradually and subtle and came along with a general change in lifestyle, exercise, food etc.. This recent improvement, in contrast, came as a distinct and noticeable step: clearly less "shortness of breath" during running and then the much shorter "huffing, puffing and sweating" period after the run.
And the only thing I did in between were those intensive dives.

Giving up smoking was and is not easy - after 40 years. It takes a shift of the change of mind. All those negative messages about how bad smoking is for you didn't do it for me. I had change my state of mind from the negative "smoking is bad for you" to the positive "not smoking is good for you"!