Breathe-up or Relaxation Phase? Five Minute Friday

Let's tackle another freediver question!
Please comment and send in your questions for the next Five Minute Friday!
Cheers, Oli
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My name is Oli Christen, I am a freedive instructor trainer for AIDA and PADI Freediver, and an Instructor Trainer Developer for Molchanovs. I am the original author of the AIDA course manuals and I was awarded for outstanding contributions by PADI Freediver. Currently I am a leading contributor to the Molchanovs Wave Program - learn more about Molchanovs freediving at molchanovs.com
Reach me at: [e-mail]
Find my freedive school on www.freediveflow.com.

[@jamesmcneil9399]

Keep these going man!

[@pattravels]

Thanks!

[@OliChristenDrew]

Thanks for the suggestion of the topic, I hope it helped to start with. I received already follow-up questions, so Part II might follow soon.

[@marcorombola2365]

Hi Oli, nice video. I'm glad many instructors are giving precise insights on our discipline!
My 2 cents here: In my opinion the separation between breath up and relaxation is only theoretical, in fact they both happens in the same period of time and usually one affects the other. Many freedivers forget that it's well known that prolonging the exhalation (which may be a form of breath up) results in greater relaxation, due to the vagal stimulation. So I wouldn't make the match relaxation = tidal breathing. This concept will also apply when we discuss whether hyperventilation or any breath manipulation would be useful for our dives. The answer is always: it depends! 😁🙏

[@OliChristenDrew]

Thanks for your input, and I like your example. Technically a prolonged exhalation does lower the heart rate, banking on the effect called "heart rate variability (HRV)". However, this effect is minute in untrained freedivers. So why does it still work? When you give the instruction to "extend your exhalation", the student often "buys" this extension of the exhalation with a bigger inhalation than "normal" So the effect at work is actually not HRV, but, again, hyperventilation.

[@marcorombola2365]

@@OliChristenDrew I get your point. I'll throw some random math to better explain what I mean: let's say the normal ventilation volume/min is 8 L (16x500ml). With a prolonged exhalation (10 seconds, 4 cycles/min) and involving half of the VC (let's say 2.5 L) the volume/min would be 10L. With that pattern I'll take the HRV benefits, with a very slight hyperventilation or even none at all, and a slight decarbonization (desirable in some disciplines?).
I think that at the end of the day manipulating ventilation it's all a matter of self sensibility and a lot of experience. 🙏

[@OliChristenDrew]

Marco Rombolà no matter the exact numbers (EDIT: and the questionable real effect of HRV) this is the conclusion that I draw as well.