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Hypoxia?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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Simos

Well-Known Member
Feb 15, 2009
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Sometimes towards the end of a DNF dive, I have an odd feeling on my legs and I wonder if it's due to hypoxia or something else: it's a sort of 'weakness' feeling, bit like having 'jelly legs' if that makes any sense. It's not tension, more like something between relaxation and weakness in my lower legs (around the ankle area). My upper body is still fairly relaxed when I get this. Sometimes I still feel it for a while after ending the dive. It almost feels like my sugar level had dropped or something...

During DYN I don't remembe getting this feeling - mostly my upper body tenses towards the end of the dive...

Anyone got this feeling? Is it related to hypoxia?
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Could be hypoxia. I get an "empty" feeling in my legs after a very long slow dive. Jelly legs isn't a bad description, but empty, weak and tired seems more like it. I swim too slow to get lactic burn, but always assumed the empty feeling was low 02 in the legs.

Connor
 
I get similar with no warmup semi-max and max dives and assume its the dive response shunting blood around, quite cool actually to feel it working.
 
I think you are both right - it is definitely an 'empty' feeling. I was too assuming (hoping?) it's the blood moving around, which in turn would also result in low O2 on the lower leg.

I found it a bit odd it's happening in DNF as it involves no depth - but coming to think about it i was also getting this in slow, long open water dives like Connor said. And I am sure it's not lactic as I don't use my legs much. Unfortunately I don't dive often in open water (mostly pool) so can't remember well..

When it does happen I am 110% mentally there ie no signs of hypoxia there.

The main reason I am trying to work out what it is: trying to figure out if it's a good thing (blood moving - cool!) and it's ok to keep going or whether it's a sign I should be ending my dive soon.

Also just to confuse matters even more, while doing static I feel 'pins and needles' or nubness in my extremeties (esp fingers) quite quickly so I was assuming that was the feeling of blood moving...
Posted via Mobile Device
 
I'm actually pretty new to freediving but I'm gonna take a guess at this one. Could it be the lactic acid accumulating in your legs?
 
Hmm dont this so, it feels different than lactic - lactic makes my legs feel 'heavy' and tired...
Posted via Mobile Device
 
do you feel cold at the time? if you do a couple of repeat statics do you get the same feeling?
peripheral vasoconstriction occurs when capillaries in the extremities start constricting stopping blood circulating to the limbs.Hands and feet are affected first then arms and legs this leaves more blood for use by the heart,lungs and brain.
I don't feel it in my hands but certanly i feel it in the feet and legs
 
I´m also feel this vasoconstriction, both arms and legs, into the third fase on my dry no-warmup statics... is this normal?
 
I do sometimes feel cold in the pool but don't remember if this is when I get this feeling with my legs...
 
What you described earlier to me feels like the sucking dry of the veins through a thin straw.
 
What you described earlier to me feels like the sucking dry of the veins through a thin straw.

Does sound and feel like that Eric... so might be a good sign after all
Posted via Mobile Device
 
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