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freediving without a spleen

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bridge diver

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Sep 3, 2006
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From what I've read the spleen plays an important role in freediving. I had my spleen removed at age 3 and my question is this: How much of a disadvantage will this be for me? I am new to the sport and would appreciate any info I can get on the subject. Not a lot out there about spleenless freedivers.
 
Depending on the research, I saw numbers from 2 to 8% of difference between normal and splenectomized subjects. So unless you are going for a world record, it won't play a big role, I'd tell. You can read more about this topic in older threads in the DB archive, and there are also numerous scientific studies about it - some of them are listed here: spleen @ APNEA.cz
 
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Like you probably know, the spleen is part of the immune system. People without a spleen are more susceptible for infections. Some of them are preventable by taking vaccinations.

Freedivers might benefit during a dive from the spleen when it releases old degrading erythrocytes. However, the amount of advantage you would have of this contraction is unsure because these erythrocytes might function less efficiently compared with normal healthy erythrocytes.

I wouldn't worry too much about not having a spleen itself would be a problem for freediving, unless the reason for the splenectomy is one that might hamper freediving.
 
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The subject of the role of spleens in freediving is complex, and certainly important. Elite freedivers show a tendancy to have naturally large spleens as well as lung capacities. People with a spleen show huge differences in heamoglobin levels and indeed blood levels.
"The spleen of diving mammals is an extra storage site for
erythrocytes when they are not needed for oxygen delivery.
This supply can be ejected into the circulation during diving
to temporarily enhance gas storage.".
Certainly when freediving, there is a big difference in various blood-levels after the dive, in people without a spleen.
However, I cannot yet find anyone who can tell me if it is actually dangerous or not - possible it affects the MDR? Thus going deep could cause lung damage?
I am starting freeding, still only at 20m, and have no spleen. Not sure whether to go further.
I would ask people who have no knowledge about this subject to clearly mark their Opinions as opinions, and not endanger others. :naughtyBreath-hold diving is great - but dangerous!
 
The subject of the role of spleens in freediving is complex, and certainly important. Elite freedivers show a tendancy to have naturally large spleens as well as lung capacities. People with a spleen show huge differences in heamoglobin levels and indeed blood levels.

This strikes me as a chicken / egg issue. Does a spleen enlarge as freediving training progresses? Or do people with large spleens make better freedivers?

I suppose its not the easiest question to answer.
 
This question is a bit off topic. Have researchers determined conclusively if red blood cells stored in the spleen are in fact already oxygenated when released into the circulatory system? To be of any benefit to a freediver 'during a dive' we would assume that they are oxygentated.
 
both good points; actually I haven't found anyone (yet) who says that the spleen incereases in size with training: the "learn effect" of the body would be very complicated! However it seems that bigger spleens seem to help divers.... what I understand is that it isn't simply blood that is stored there (ie. heamoglobin) but anyway, even if it were, I guess it would be de-oxygenated fairly quickly. But there micght well be a mechanism whereby simply adding bulk to the blood-flow helps a freediver...
My question was really, can it be dangerous freediving (deep) without a spleen, because then the MDR (in terms of filling the chest cavity to avoid ribcage collapse) can't kick in properly?
Would I get warning (pain) or would I simply get squashed at 30m?? :)(
 
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I had the exact same question and doubt about the saturation of hemoglobin in the spleen, but it looks like it may be charged with oxygen, though I did not see any study with evidence. Logically, it should be charged, since spleen is supplied with fresh oxygenated arterial blood (by the Celiac artery), hence even the red cells stocked there get oxygenated. On the other hand, the spleen contains mostly old damaged cells, so they are not 100% efficient.

Human spleen can release up to ~230ml of red cells (much more dense than normal blood). So the volume contributing to the blood shift is not enormous. Vasconstriction of the extremities delivers much more blood for the blood shift, so this capacity won't be influenced too much at splenectomized freedivers.
 
My question was really, can it be dangerous freediving (deep) without a spleen, because then the MDR (in terms of filling the chest cavity to avoid ribcage collapse) can't kick in properly?
Would I get warning (pain) or would I simply get squashed at 30m?? :)(

I guess you can easily test it, just try and see what happens :duh. No, seriously, people do get squeezed, they don't have their ribcage do snap-crackle-pop. And you don't have to dive deep to test it, go FRC and then negative packs and dive to 6 feet in a pool. I understand blood shift has more to do with vasoconstriction, not spleen. Disclaimer - My Opinion Only.
 
Some very knowledgeable statements on this subject, but I'd like to go a bit off topic here, and fish for possible info on post diving enhanced performance in land/water based competitions. Whenever I competed in the National Lifeguard Competitions in Fla, a noticeable boost in my performance quite noticeable. I'm thinkin hyperperfusion plays a roll....?
 
Good day. I have a small personal contribution to add: I started Freediving in 2001 and had my spleen removed in 2004 after a bad road accident. Since then, my diving has improved enormously and my injuries affected me only in so far as I had a year off diving while recovering. Perhaps having a spleen would have meant more improvement but I am happy with what I do. Note: I also suffered collapsed lungs in the accident due to internal bleeding (a haemothorax, NOT a spontaneous pneumothorax, which would have stopped me from diving permanently). I made a full recovery and got a dive medical clearance from a hyperbaric medicine centre. I am almost as fit now at 48 as I was at 22 and my spleenectomy seems to have had no noticeable effect on my life, although I make a point of eating healthily and exercising.
 
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