A steady flow of information speeds back and forth along your nerves from your muscles, lungs and heart, to and from your respiratory center. The speed, depth and frequency of your breathing are all adjusted instantly and precisely to provide exactly the amount of oxygen you need at any given moment. Sleeping? Running? Meditating? Dancing? Scared? Singing? Climbing? 10,000 feet? 200 feet under water? 115 degrees? –25 degrees? No problem. Count on split-second adjustments.
Your pulmonary computer allows for occasional manual control such as holding your breath, or speeding up/slowing down your breathing. Eventually you will return to what the computer deems to be “normal” breathing.
A manual override becomes dangerous, however, when a swimmer forces too many deep and fast breaths just before going into the water in the hopes of extending underwater time.
Overbreathing can increase underwater time but overbreathing also stores almost no extra oxygen and blows off way too much carbon dioxide. Once underwater, the victim runs out of oxygen but is missing the warning bursting sensation from the lack of carbon dioxide that screams “time to go up.” NEVER EVER TAKE MORE THAN TWO OR THREE EXTRA BREATHS BEFORE DIVING IN.
Be well. Breathe beautifully.
