Huge air consumption even after +200 dives

[Tycksel]

I can advise as a freediver. Air consumption depends a lot on mental activity underwater. Try to make your thoughts lazy and your gaze scattered, i.e. not focus.

I think you are totally right. I have also little bit of ADHD, so my mind is constantly going from place to place. Even little bad thought (like when I'm not sure about navigation), raises my heartbeat and of course that affects my air consumption too

 

[bshonesy]

So your respiration rate is regulated by the amount of CO2 circulating in your blood. Of course that’s going to rise when you’re expending more energy, either by over-working, and you’ve already addressed that you’re doing everything you can to be in trim etc. So the remaining thing that can be “modified” is your cardiovascular fitness. As others have mentioned, you have a BMI of 32, if you can get that under 25 I think you’ll be surprised how much excess weight you’re carrying. I had a BMI of 31 at the beginning of last year and lost 30 kg and I couldn’t believe how much my stamina and air consumption improved.

Beyond that, as I said, your air consumption is being driven by the CO2 in your blood. So find a way to lower that, but just trying to “control your breathing” as we hear literally all the time is actually potentially dangerous. Some people breath more air than others even when they’re at the top of their individual fitness level. You’re taller than average so you’re probably always going to consume more than average. Trying to breath less is like trying to ask your brain to please use less oxygen.

 

[dmaziuk]

I think you are totally right. I have also little bit of ADHD, so my mind is constantly going from place to place. Even little bad thought (like when I'm not sure about navigation), raises my heartbeat and of course that affects my air consumption too

Does coffee calm you down ("paradoxic reaction")? If it does you may have to install a p-valve in your wetsuit, but that's a small price to pay...

 

[also_anon_dc]

I had week ago weird morning dives where everything went super well:
- Slept almost 5 hours (Usually I can sleep 2-4hours)

This is your problem. If you're regularly sleeping only 2-4 hours a night that's having a catastrophic impact on your mental and physical health.

 

[CG43]

Hello Tycksel

dmaziuk has written about coffee as test ( if paradoxic reakttion ) for ADHD .
A doc. told me that he uses Ritalin for the test . Ritalin speeds up common people ,
and slows down poeple with ADHD .

There may be something you can do during a dive to slow down your mental activity ,
as prusas has written .
What works for me is to close the eyes , let it become dark and say to me
" dark " , or " nothing " , or imagine a very slow swimming turtel or some similar .
Take the reg. out of your mouth and hold it in your hand . This already activates freediving mode (for me).
Float or take off the mask . The water on your face activates or increases the diving reflex .
If you are diving from a boat, simply pull yourself down on the anchor line without gear and wait.
If you have to use a mask because the water burns your eyes and nose, you can close your eyes.
The important thing is to experience “you are a diver” and not just a guy who can operate diving equipment.
End your scubadives with a breathhold before you come out fo the water .

 

[dmaziuk]

Hello Tycksel

dmaziuk has written about coffee as test ( if paradoxic reakttion ) for ADHD .
A doc. told me that he uses Ritalin for the test . Ritalin speeds up common people ,
and slows down poeple with ADHD .

It's a spectrum though, e.g. for me it(*) just doesn't do anything all the way to "say hello to my new friend".

*) The real thing