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bilateral vs unbilateral ?
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 2009-07-22 2:40 PM |
Member  18 pembroke pines |  Subject: bilateral vs unbilateral ?Hey I have a question for some of the top swimmers on here. I've read that bilateral breathing is better for tri's. Would you recommend biateral breathing even tho my times are slower doing so compared to unbilateral? Also i've noticed the top olympic swimmers swim unbilateral |
| 2009-07-22 2:56 PM in reply to: #2302188 |
Veteran 318 Indianapolis | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? I personally would not recommend it. I don't know that I am a "top" swimmer, but I am fairly fast, I breath every right stroke. Also, in an open water swim, you will be sighting every so often, so you will be raising your head up to look, so I would stick with what you are comfortable with. That is my opinion. Plus you've already researched what the fastest swimmers on the planet do. |
| 2009-07-22 3:04 PM in reply to: #2302188 |
Extreme Veteran 1942   In front of computer when typing this. | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? Its good to know how to do it though so if in an OWS situation the waves are all coming from one side (like in my last race) you can just switch to the other side... |
| 2009-07-22 3:13 PM in reply to: #2302188 |
Master 2491 | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? I'm not a top swimmer, but I practice both sides to keep my stroke fairly even on both sides. During races, I breathe only on the right, generally. |
| 2009-07-22 3:40 PM in reply to: #2302188 |
Master 1420 Reston, VA | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? I breathe only to the right as that seems to be the most effecient for me (it is not for everyone). I do breathe to the other side once in a great while during a race to make sure I am on course, see who is around me, etc. |
| 2009-07-22 4:13 PM in reply to: #2302188 |
Veteran 301 Smithfield, VA | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? I'm spending the next two month working on bilateral breathing as my Sep race is in the ocean. From talking with someone who did the event last year, the waves were breaking on her head as she went to breath. I'm hoping I don't have to use it, but I don't want to need to use it not ever having practiced it either. |
| 2009-07-22 4:32 PM in reply to: #2302188 |
Veteran 312 Bessemer, AL | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? I'd say keep practicing bilateral breathing and do what you're most comfortable with in the race. I guess I'm just one of the lucky people that bilateral breathing came naturally to.  |
| 2009-07-22 9:02 PM in reply to: #2302188 |
Member 18 pembroke pines | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? Thanks for the advice I'll mix in some bilateral breathing to make sure I can do it in a race if needed. |
| 2009-07-22 9:06 PM in reply to: #2302281 |
| Veteran 294 Boston | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? monkeyboy64 - 2009-07-23 5:13 AM I'm not a top swimmer, but I practice both sides to keep my stroke fairly even on both sides. During races, I breathe only on the right, generally. X2. I'm not a top swimmer either but I swim bilaterally in the pool almost always. But when I am in a race I usually only breathe to one side, although the bilateral practice really comes in handy because depending which side the buoys are on / which side has more splashing/kicking/punching, I can easily adapt. |
| 2009-07-22 9:06 PM in reply to: #2302188 |
Extreme Veteran 386 West Hartford, CT | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? I prefer breathing to the left and am a little slower when I bilateral breathe, but I discovered in my first race that the only way I can OWS in a straight line is if I bilateral. I figured going straight makes up for the slightly slower speed. Kind of like when I play golf with my husband. He can hit a golf ball farther with his driver, but my shot is straight. We end up on the green in the same number of strokes!  |
| 2009-07-22 9:42 PM in reply to: #2302814 |
Extreme Veteran 336 Chicago | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? cam224 - 2009-07-22 9:06 PM monkeyboy64 - 2009-07-23 5:13 AM I'm not a top swimmer, but I practice both sides to keep my stroke fairly even on both sides. During races, I breathe only on the right, generally. X2. I'm not a top swimmer either but I swim bilaterally in the pool almost always. But when I am in a race I usually only breathe to one side, although the bilateral practice really comes in handy because depending which side the buoys are on / which side has more splashing/kicking/punching, I can easily adapt.x3 Aside from being useful in a race to avoid waves/the sun/annoying swimmer/etc.. it also helps avoid shoulder problems. I started because I was getting pain in one side of my shoulder. It's fairly common because one shoulder takes additional stress when breathing. I would imagine top olympic swimmers breathe bilaterally in training for similar reasons but then race breathing to their favorite side cause it is faster. |
| 2009-07-23 9:58 AM in reply to: #2302188 |
Veteran 263 | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? The consensus is that unilateral breathing is better in race conditions as bilateral breathing gets you deprived of oxygen too quickly. The benefits of bilateral breathing are outweighed by the metabolic costs of oxygen deprivation. However, I think everyone is right that you should be able to do bilateral, and practice it, as sometimes there might be a wave that hits you in the face so you might want to do the other side for a bit. |
| 2009-07-23 11:07 AM in reply to: #2302188 |
Champion 5781 Northridge, California | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? I've never done anything but "unbilateral" (can we say "unilateral", perhaps?) breathing since I started swimming as a kid and through competition in HS starting back in *coff* the '70s *coff, coff*. I can do bilateral breathing, but I'm just not as comfortable doing it and haven't ever seen a compelling reason to force myself into doing it. OTOH, my wife...who also was a HS swimmer back in the day...does do bilateral breathing and is comfortable with it. There are reasons for and against both approaches and it really comes down to what makes you most relaxed and in control in the water, IMO. |
| 2009-07-23 11:40 AM in reply to: #2302188 |
Champion 9600 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? When training at an easy to moderate pace I will bilateral breathe. It's good for preventing any muscular imblanace which can occur if you pull differently when breathing to just one side. And as has been said, it's a good skill to know how to do if you need to breathe to a side you normally don't for sighting or due to conditions int he water. In races, getting as much oxygen as possible to go quickly makes 2 stroke breathing to one side better for me. |
| 2009-07-23 11:49 AM in reply to: #2303901 |
Veteran 166 Douglas County | Subject: RE: bilateral vs unbilateral ? I'm a left side breather myself....I can do bilateral breathing if I absolutely have to (usually when I'm turning for home in an ocean swim and I need to see the waves breaking behind me), but I find that I'm still faster with the one side despite trying to train bilaterally. So I say stick with what works! Edited by mtngirlincali 2009-07-23 11:50 AM |
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