Pulse Rate at Rest - Link to performance?

[Pav]

I'm usually on the spearfishing part of the forum, and doubt my activties class as freediving as it is known on this page! , but I am still interested in breath holding.

Am I correct that a persons pulse rate at rest would be directly linked to the persons ability to hold their breath for a period of time?

My fitness is average and I understand this is directly linked to your pulse rate at rest. With correct training fitness can be improved so your pulse rate would be lower at rest?

Would this then be directly linked to length of max breath hold.

or have I tried to make it too simple!

 

[cdavis]

So sorry, you can't escape it, no tanks and you are a freediver.

There is a connection between resting heart rate and breath hold, but there is so much else going on that it may not be all that important. If it was, all the static apnea records would be held by 80 year olds. My diving ability has improved with age and I've always suspected that part of that was lower metabolism and lower resting heart rate. Hard to separate out from experiance, DB, freediving courses, etc. Maybe a combination of droping heart rate with age and enough time to get good at freediving explains why fairly young, but not 20 something, freedivers hold the world records. (How old is Molchanova?)
The better cardio condition you are in, the lower your resting heart rate and, almost certainly, the better will be your freediving ability in active, ie cw or spearing type disiplines. Still, there are so many other factors.

Connor

 

[demasoni]

Yes, training can lower your resting heart rate. It did for me after running for 4 months to train for a marathon. BUT, there are SO many other things going on. Too much aerobic cardio may not be good either.

This thread was helpful for me:

http://forums.deeperblue.com/freedi.../63781-cardiovascualr-fitness.html#post569118

 

[Bill McIntyre]

My resting heart rate is 38 and my breath hold sucks.

 

[azapa]

The heart beat question is very good, and as you will find in freediving, has many answers!

I don't think your resting heat beat is as important as the speed at which your dive reflex kicks in. A strong dive reflex will, among other things, although it sounds unbelievable, reduce your HR by much much more than 50%.

Look at these crazy Heart rates, this was from 2008 when I was just starting to go deep. The anxiety of attempting a big dive, and a woefully short and poor breathe up had my heart racing (124bpm). Then look at what it ended up at at depth (39)!

There are some technical reasons why a faster inicial HR is better, better irrigation and transport of 02, but to be honest I don't grasp these benefits well enough to transmit them.

I wonder if Trux will chime in?

 

[Pav]

thanks for the explanations so far.

The dive reflex is the speed your pulse changes (drops) when you put your face in water (thats for my benifit in understanding what I want to say next! ,.. I know you all know )

So would an athlete who has a pulse rate that recovers quickly (drops) to his resting pulse after exercise have a benifit?

or am I again trying to simplify it to much. I know there are lots of variables but does this make any sense?

 

[azapa]

Hey PAV, look up dive reflex in the search bar, there are whole threads on it. Yes, the sensors that seem to have a big effect on triggering a strong DR are around the eyes. Along with the reduced pulse, blood will also be removed from unnecessary areas and moved to where it is needed (brain being an important one), the spleen will also release more of this vital fuel (blood) too. All very clever stuff.

A spearo who learns to be a good freediver will have more fish in the freezer, or your money back!

 

[cdavis]

The speed with which heart rate slows down after exercise, officially known as "recovery rate" is a very good measure of cardio conditioning. Mine drops about 33 bpm in a minute after strenious exercise, ie, I'm in reasonably good shape. 20 or less is bad shape, 50 is god like. Bigger numbers are betterfor active type freediving disciplines, but just like resting heart rate, there are way more important things going on. Recovery rate and dropping heart rate due to dive reflex are not at all the same thing and there is probably little or no connection.

Connor