How much can someone improve with training.

[Simos]

I think there might be some truth in the lung capacity argument if there is a lot of lung tissue damage and I suspect packing might be an issue when there is a lot of damage. Obviously if smoking is limiting one's ability to train in freediving that's an indirect effect.

But like Dave, I don't see how it would affect statics directly. The fact that you would circulate less O2 per heart beat is probably what you want in statics! I think there has to be extreme damage to get to the point where there is O2 in the lungs but it cannot be transported to the body fast enough while doing a static (maybe in dynamic).

One measure of fitness is generally VO2max which is affected by smoking but I think is not really relevant in statics.

There will be in practice indirect issues if smoking stops the person from doing any specific training etc but while I dont have much data to go on, I'm surprised to see smokers (like the original poster) or unfit people do pretty decent static times.

Would be interesting perhaps to hear if anyone in practise noticed a significant improvement in static times soon after they stopped smoking...
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[Unclejake]

^ I'll let you know.



But from personal experience -a couple of months not smoking didn't make any noticable difference to my breatholds. The biggest difference for me is a cigarette in the 30 minutes or so prior to the dive(s). A recent smoke reduces my dive times dramatically, but they return to normal after 20 minutes or so in the water.

I am not a freediver though. Just a spearo.

 

[efattah]

Actually, smoking does not change static that much. In fact, it might actually increase your static. However smoking is very bad for your health so I don't recommend doing it!

A smoker has a lower metabolic rate, and also the cyanide in the blood slows the absorption of oxygen, basically rationing it.

Claude Chapuis and Pierre Frolla are two famous top divers who smoked tons. Claude in particular did many statics over 7'30".

Again, I don't recommend smoking at all. I'm just setting the facts straight.

 

[Simos]

From my previous posts I obviously agree with Dave and Eric on this but mainly for discussion's sake, do you guys think that smoking might make a difference for static if someone is relatively new to freediving and therefore probably limited by CO2 tolerance as opposed to low O2?

The rationale for the above hypothesis being that if a smoker's lungs are less efficient (ie lower rate) at transfer of gases to/from the blood then there might be a higher buildup of CO2 in the bloodstream...
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[Kars]

Interesting discussion.

I think that quitting smoking will help in the recovery time. So you can train more.

It will very rapidly improve your condition, about 10% I've heard, also improving resistance to illness and oxidation.

But if you do enjoy a smoke, make sure you have some quality product without the 1000's of mystery chemicals they put in it. And also smoke with joy, not with a stressful sense of guilt adding stress to smoking.
Maybe an electronic-cigarette is for you?

Furthermore I have great empathy for smokers because they are being worldwide targeted by governments and made to look like undesirables. I've seen glass cell's on ferry's where people could observe the pariahs standing in glass cages. Children are taught Pavlovian responses, coughing when they see someone smoke 30 yards away. The next targets I expect to be the obese. Sliding into meat eaters, and any CO2 criminals! Ok, ok, ok, I got carried away for a moment, I'm sorry, I'll get in line sir. Can I please have some of pay to buy some food master?

 

[Simos]

Hmm I think Kars makes a good point - smoking could affect your immediate recovery after a breath hold so I think it would be a reasonable assumption to make that in borderline situations (e.g. samba etc) a heavy smoker might have more chances of blacking out in comparison to a fit non-smoker...

 

[Kars]

I was more meaning the recovering time from a training session, not from an apnea.

But I'm sure cleaner lungs allow for more gas exchange therefore quicker recovery after apnea too.

On the other hand maybe smoking has some unacknowledged advantages too. The tar inside the lungs could capture the aluminium, barium and strontium parts that are in our polluted skies, preventing these very toxic elements from corrupting our brains and bodies. I sometimes find that smokers are pretty strait level minds, dare I say stronger independent minds?

 

[ReefTroll]

Well I stand (rather technically it seems) corrected.

 

[Erki]

In the case of smokers a fraction of hemoglobin is blocked by CO.

 

[Simos]

Maybe that would explain while having a cigarette immediately before diving makes a big difference...
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[Kajojek]

Very interesting discussion. I was always convinced that smoking is terrible for freediving and felt very guilty even about occasional smoke (every few weeks). Of course it has other detrimental effects on our health and don't plan to become a smoke. I have another question though. I also Swedish snus more often and according to multiple studies it does not contain as many harmful substances as cigarettes because of the process it is made by. However what is the effect of nicotine on freediving capability? Nicotine being a stimulant increases blood pressure, would it increase resting heart rate after long use and lead to higher O2 consumption?

 

[shrek]

Hi forum

I would like to ask how much I can improve my performance with training. My PB is 5.05 with almost no training (I go to the pool every day and do many 40m dynamic so as to get used to dolphin kick). So, do you think if I quit smoking (I smoke a lot, 20 cigarettes a day) and train hard I would have any possibility to compete (lets say beat Aris Ioannidis 7.06 which is my Country´s national record rofl).

PS. My age is 36

I see everyone has honed in on the smoking thing and missed the most important part.The mind
Once you put your mind to something the sky is the limmit.
You will only give up smoking once you have put your mind to it
you will only break records if you put your mind to it.
you have got to want it!
If you are as lucky as me to find an equally motivated dive buddy, set your goals and go hard!!

 

[moonshade]

I have some personal experience. Years ago I attended my first freediving course. Therie are about 7 people in that class. All smokers (3) got static under 2mins and non-smokers got better one even longer than 4 mins. That's very impressive thing to me smoking is bad for freediving.

 

[neurodoc]

Having examined the actual lung tissue of both deceased smokers and deceased non-smokers, I can tell you that there is a tremendous difference in size, elasticity, color, circulation....it is the difference between holding a very squishy stretchy pink structure and a smaller, rubbery somewhat rigid grayish one. I cannot imagine that this difference, even to a much smaller extent in a less-intensive smoker, would not impact whether a person reaches their potential or not. It does not mean that a non smoker can beat a smoker every time as I believe the comparison can only be held to a person's own potential not between individuals. Shrek, I love you post. The mind is the key; how badly do you want it? how much are you willing to sacrifice to get there? Personally I've already sacrificed the enjoyment of all dairy products as I've found I breathe much better without them, and cough up less junk when swimming laps. Since I am very new at this, I'd love to hear some stories from much more experienced freedivers about what they have had to give up or endure or change in order to excel at the sport.