Exhaling while running & swimming (Page 2)

That's a pretty bold (and in my opinion, incorrect) statement.  I think that a lot of people who are getting into a sport like running would say that their cardiovascular system is the limiting factor.

Think about kids running.  They get short of breath long before their legs get tired.

ETA:  I guess I should have said my cardio-vascular system was the weak link to be 100% accurate.  However my opinion above stands.

Edited by TriRSquared 2009-04-08 8:19 AM

I'm not sure if having excercise induced asthma plays into this at all. At IMLP all the triggers for my asthma were in full force, rain so humidity and it was in the 60s so cool. After about 11 hours out on the course, I had my worst asthma attack I've ever had by a signficant amount. Even walking I couldn't catch my breath, was wheezing badly and my inhaler didn't help. I saw two specialists after to find out what happened and what do to if it happened again. One said don't do triathlons the other said focus on exhaling hard and fully.

Shane is correct, and your stated which I bolded is correct.  The lungs/oxygen are not the issue.  The ability of your cardio system to distribute the oxygen to the muscles is the problem.  Again, unless you have a severely compromised lung capacity, your ability to take in air is not the issue.  This is why hypoxic swim sets and "deep breathing" techniques are bullsh-t.

Yes, teaching yourself how to relax through breathing is important.  As a martial artc enthusiast in my previous life we did a lot with that.  But you cannot "train" your lungs to be more efficient with the way they work.  You can train them to increase the capacity (VO2 max. numbers) through exercise.

Again, if you are not getting enough oxygen to your muscles, your body will try to take in more air.  It has nothing to do with excess carbon dioxide .........

Edit: If you are holding your breath, then yes, you will build up CO2 because it has nowhere to go.

Edited by Daremo 2009-04-08 8:37 AM

Correct, the cario-vascular system is the limiter, not the lungs.  Unless you have reduced lung function, they are not the limiter.

Shane

Edited by gsmacleod 2009-04-08 8:52 AM