Nitrox Question (lack of energy and heartburn)

[Scott L]

Most divers I know feel better diving nitrox. Sorry, no fancy theories. Just plain empirical observations...

 

[lionfish-eater]

The heartburn might be caused by your breakfast choice. I try to eat a very mild breakfast when diving all week. Stick to oatmeal, egg whites, toast, some fruit, yoghurt, granola, etc. Avoid citrus juice, fatty meats, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, green peppers, etc. Also you might try a more vertical (non-streamlined) dive position so your head is above your waist, as swimming head down might also be a cause. For what it's worth, I always feel better on nitrox and often feel tired or get headaches on air for extended diving. I usually run low on air before I max out on bottom time so I don't always get the full benefit of extended bottom time, but I do get the benefit of reduced nitrogen intake.


Get out of the jar!

 

[jupitermermaid]

I am rapidly approaching 60 (whatever happened to the last 30 years??????), and I find that breathing Nitrox helps with fatigue and other issues that I experienced with air. Where science has yet to "prove" that Nitrox helps fatigue, I feel the difference when doing multiple dives for multiple days, so I don't care if it's in my head or it really has an actual effect. No dry mouth that I used to get from breathing air, either. As for heartburn, check with your dr. to see if you actually have GERD of if it's a diving problem, in which he/she should be able to adivise what to eat/not eat, drink/not drink to alliviate the problem. Let us know what you find out!

 

[Jax]

Thanks for your responses so far.

I am in really good health, not overweight, don't smoke, not on any perscription drugs, etc. I work out regularly (5 times a week) and am 42 years old. I don't eat alot of sweets.

I started diving at age 18 and dive recreationally once a year or so. (GBR, Fiji, Papau New Guinea, etc.)

I have never really liked doing the 3rd dive of the day (especially if I am diving consecutive days) and have always had heartburn when I dive (starts during the dive and continues for a couple hours afterwards). I maybe only get heartburn 3 or 4 times a year if I am not diving. So heartburn under normal circumstances is not an issue.

It does not matter the depth or the length of time I am down, even at 30 feet for 30 minutes I will experiance the same thing.... (FYI, I breath slowly and conserve my air by holding my breath inbetween breaths, but not when I am going up or down.)

I should add, that it is not just a lack of energy, but that I feel kind of 'yucky' after my 2nd/3rd dive - how is that for a good description!

Again, I appreciate your thoughts!

Karin

Hi, Karin! :wavey:

I cannot speak to the heartburn . . . you might want to get referred to a gastroenterologist. S/he can tell if you have other issues. I, however, have a hiatal (sp?) hernia and do have some of what you describe.

However, what BubbleTruble said about subclinical DCS is spot-on the symptoms you describe -- I had exactly the same. I did two things - I went to nitrox whenever I can, and I initiated Position Dependent Intermediate Stops (PDIS) and "deep stops).

PDIS is a stop about 1/2 way from your max depth, for one minutes. Deep stops are described various ways. Some then cut the remaining distance in half, and hold it, and then half again, until they hit the 15' safety stop. I began the stops, and it also helped me to not be so fatigued.

I'm not in any way medical related, just an older diver who can relate to your descriptions.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I have never really liked doing the 3rd dive of the day (especially if I am diving consecutive days) and have always had heartburn when I dive (starts during the dive and continues for a couple hours afterwards). I maybe only get heartburn 3 or 4 times a year if I am not diving. So heartburn under normal circumstances is not an issue.

It does not matter the depth or the length of time I am down, even at 30 feet for 30 minutes I will experiance the same thing.... (FYI, I breath slowly and conserve my air by holding my breath inbetween breaths, but not when I am going up or down.)

I should add, that it is not just a lack of energy, but that I feel kind of 'yucky' after my 2nd/3rd dive - how is that for a good description!

When I hear about people manipulating their breathing pattern like you describe, I get concerned about the possibility of CO2 retention and/or hypoxia. Try breathing "normally" with a slight pause in-between inhalation and exhalation. Don't purposefully hold your breath. Some people liken "normal" breathing on a dive to deep, yoga-style breathing. For what it's worth, I wouldn't be so concerned about conserving your gas. Simply use what you need to use. Accommodate your "normal" usage into your gas planning and overall dive planning. This may be contributing to your post-dive "yuckiness."

Based on what you wrote, it sounds like you have infrequent GERD symptoms outside of diving. There are some effective meds that treat GERD (proton pump inhibitors, PPIs), but generally they are only prescribed as a daily regimen when patients report experiencing reflux episodes more than once a week. Still, it might be worthwhile mentioning your heartburn issues at your next doctor's visit if for no other reason to key-in the doctor to monitoring the issue on a long-term basis.

Do you find yourself in a head-lower-than-feet position when diving? lionfish-eater mentioned this.
Do you feel like your wetsuit is tight?
Do you eat certain foods that might initiate reflux (spicy foods, chocolate, peppermint, etc.)?
Do you eat before diving?
You might want to try avoiding these things prior to and during diving. These things have been known to cause reflux in susceptible patients.

 

[djcheburashka]

I should add, that it is not just a lack of energy, but that I feel kind of 'yucky' after my 2nd/3rd dive - how is that for a good description!

Again, I appreciate your thoughts!

Karin

What you want to is grab your fins, find a swimming pool nearby, and try to swim for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Stop and take a quick break every 45 minutes.

If you feel yucky after that, it isn't from the diving.

 

[DevonDiver]

The heartburn could exist for one of many reasons, none of which would be negated by the use of nitrox. For instance, it could be simple exertion, anxiety, sea-sickness or an effect of water pressure on the gut. I would recommend eating plain meals before diving, allowing some extra time for those meals to be digested before your dive, avoiding spices and alchohol and, of course, the use of appropriate heart-burn medication.

Post-dive fatigue could be sub-clinical DCS. Whilst this is unlikely, if it were the case then nitrox would decrease your overall nitrogen loading and reduce the impact on this. So would making your dives more conservative (further from the NDL), ensuring that your ascent rates were very controlled, consistent and slow (5-10m per min max).... as would completeing a safety stop after every dive.

There has been ancedocal reports that some divers do feel more energised and alert after dives using nitrox. However, there is no scientific evidence to support any direct link between the use of nitrox and a reduction in general post dive fatigue.

That said, even if it were a placebo effect, if it helps, it helps.

 

[Sat Diver]

Great advice on the breathing from Bubble Trouble, and general advice from everyone.
I am new to this forum, and just love the helpful and informative manner in which people contribute.
I also think Jax's advice on a deep stop might help the offgassing issue a little, but then I have always been an advocate of deep stops, and I think its not really seen as required anymore for sub 40 metre dives.
The slower your ascent the better IMHO.

 

[soltari675]

For the heartburn: I have acid reflux pretty bad, so small things can give me heartburn. I have found that if I do not eat before a dive, or I take a Prilosec, I get no heartburn. The reason you get heartburn is you spend a lot of your time horizontal and the increased physical activity pushes acid up the tube that goes from your mouth to your stomach. (I learned a lot about heartburn because of the acid reflux from a doctor). Prilosec will minimize that acid, and refraining from eating will do it too. If you do eat, eat small snacks, not a large meal. And avoid greasy foods. I tend to eat fruit, crackers, and veggies. Also, staying hydrated really helps too. If you drink a lot of water, it seems to dilute the acid.

As for the tiredness: For me personally, using Nitrox does help when I do 3-4 dives a day. Maybe it's the increased O2. Maybe it is all psychological. But it works. Hydration really helps too. Your body will try to pull energy from somewhere to do the work you are asking it to do. If it doesn't have some food, or water, it will make you tired to rest and get that energy. So give it nutrients to use instead. Again, avoid a bunch of sugar or junk food. A big hamburger after a dive sounds great, but remember tomorrow you need to dive again. So feed it better with lean meats and veggies. Your body needs that energy. Also make sure you get enough rest the night before.

Overall nitrox will help you some, especially with DCS probability, but how you take care of yourself will play a huge role in both of these issues. Hope this helps!

 

[Ottoman Diver]

Repeated ascents will take a toll. If you are "prairie dog diving" you can push your self to the edge of DCS or beyond.

Pete

im sorry to go off topic but what is prairie dog diving ?