gas on long swims

I get this too.

Did 1500m this morning and I feel a seasoned trouser trumpeter this morning. I know it's to do with not breathing properly and gulping air in. I'm constantly battling with myself on the swim to breath properly but forget when I concentrate on my stroke and end up holing my breath and gulping!

Practice practice practice, it can only get better right?

I don't get gas, but I'll start belching while swimming and for about an hour afterwards.

Funny topic... when I was first learning to swim (I mean really learning to swim) I struggled with the exact same problem.

I just dealt with it for nearly 4 months until I attended a swim clinic with a coach... who observing me said "you need to start breathing out sooner... you're still exhaling when your face is coming out of the water and this is causing you have over rotate your head out of the water and hold position to get air in"

I had not idea the two would be related!  So I will X2 the steady breathing, but will add (for me it came down to timing) exhaling as my face goes into the water, rotating as my hand pulls by my face... rinse and repeat.

"trouser trumpeter" HA

Good luck with your swimming!

Take probiotics. Try florastor

Bah. Why is it always someones response to start taking drugs/supplements?

To the OP, the other person is right. You are gulping air, and it has to go somewhere. It either comes back up as belches, or out the other end.

Work on your breathing. If you are still exhaling and then "gulping" air as fast as possible when you turn to breathe, not only is it probably causing your gas, but it disrupts your stroke. You don't hold your breath then gasp in and out quickly when you run or bike, so why would you in the swim?

Anytime your face is in the water, you should be breathing out. Anytime your face is out of the water, you should be breathing in. Don't mix them up, that hurts. :D

John