Learn the Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique to Swim Better

[Source: East Coast Cycos newsletter, in Tri-Rudy newsletter, June 18/09]

What does good breathing technique do for a swimmer?

From Coach Shev Gul, for About.com

Mar 12 2009

What is the most effective breathing technique in sport? Why do some members of the coaching and the medical community take breathing for granted? Coach Shev Gul reviews the differences between ineffective, shallow chest breathing and natural, diaphragmatic breathing, and how we have lost this nature-given breathing ability. To achieve it, we must work on re-learning and re-educating ourselves, our coaches, and our athletes on how to breathe properly, correctly, and more efficiently. This can be accomplished through a natural diaphragmatic breathing or deep breathing technique which enables athletes to perform better training, have better races, and helps improve recovery during training and races.

Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique - DBT

In sport performance, there is a strong link between the following four areas of human mind-body system:

· Effective Breathing-Technique

· Physiology

· Internal State

· High Performance

Proper or correct breathing technique is central to the ancient practices of Yoga, QiGong, Ayurveda and other meditation disciplines. Diaphragmatic deep breathing awareness and practice is an important part of training for martial artists, musicians, vocalists, public speakers, dancers, and athletes!

All our bodily actions - talking, singing, playing wind instruments - and the outward application of force or power with our arms or legs, like hitting, kicking, pulling, stretching, pushing, lifting, and throwing should be done during the exhalation phase of our breathing process (a martial arts fundamental for maximum work-power creation and application).

In swimming, no matter what stroke, the main work phase should be done during the exhalation phase of our breathing process. This must be executed properly, correctly, and fully during each stroke cycle to maximize the the effectiveness of that stroke cycle. Breathing (both exhaling and inhaling) correctly is critical in maintaining the appropriate level of oxygen for energy, keeping the correct pH levels in our body, and maintaining the correct carbon dioxide level for bodily functions.

Why Coaches Continue to Take Breathing for Granted

Because we take breathing for granted, the information on the benefits of a diaphragmatic breathing technique (DBT) are not widespread in today`s medical community. Illness and pathology, not wellness (better mind-body performance of an individual or a sport person) are not the priority of many health-care practitioners. In addition, things that are free (like breathing) can`t be patented, so they do not attract funding for research, so little information on these subjects finds its way into popular medical and sport science research journals. That`s why it has escaped the sport research scientific community`s close attention. Many coaches pay little or no attention to this free bodily function-subject too, as I have personally discovered during my consultations with numerous top Olympic coaches at various sport conventions.

Shallow Chest Breathing

Unfortunately, we continue living our lives and raising our athletes on a poor diet of shallow chest breathing habits. The good news is that the poor and ineffective breathing habits can be reversed.

Among infants, correct breathing comes naturally. Observe a baby as it breathes to see its belly rise and fall with each breath. As we grow older we are taught to suck in that gut and puff out that chest as we try to look slimmer! Such resistance to the natural breathing posture restricts oxygen intake, which can lead to numerous physical as well as emotional problems.

Shallow chest breathing invites problems by delivering less air per breath into the lungs. Less air per breath leads to higher number of breaths, putting in motion a series of physiological changes that constrict blood vessels. An imbalance between the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the lungs delivers less oxygen to the brain, the heart and the rest of the body.

Shallow chest breathing promotes early fatigue in athletes, effects their rhythm and their timing, and as their stroke technique falls apart, inevitably their speed. Learning the natural Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique is the answer.



Coach Shev Gul takes a look at diaphragmatic breathing for swimmers and how to achieve it while swimming. Using this breathing method in swim practice could help a swimmer perform better in training and racing and help improve recovery from training and swim meet competitions.

An effective breathing technique has a dramatic effect on an athlete's physiology, his/her internal state (relaxation) and ultimately on his/her performance. By using the Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique, an athlete learns how to control the inhalation and the exhalation process of the breathing action. Correct breathing leads to:

· more energy for the body

· more energy for the working muscles

· better metabolic action at the cellular level

By using the Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique, our brain (the human body`s biggest oxygen guzzler), is supplied and nourished with oxygen. A brain with plenty of oxygen can operate and control the physiological functions of the body more efficiently. This can result in the formation of a positive internal state, a relaxed state which, in turn, can enable a superior performance to be achieved.

Progressive Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique Practises - Dry Land

With the help of a trained breathing coach, one has to re-learn again how to use and control the diaphragm movement correctly. The key to a DB technique is:

1. On Inhalation: Quick and large volume of the air be taken in. The amount of air being inhaled is always a function of the amount of the air being exhaled.
2. On Exhalation: A prolonged and evenly discharge of the air is maintained throughout the cycle of the motion being executed. A puffing action at the end of the exhalation phase will enable the athlete to completely empty his/her air tank (the lungs).

The DB technique must be learned and developed on land first, while the breathing process is a naturally occurring, automatic, and a reflex action. Note that during exercise and sport performance, one does not and should not ever think about their breathing action or that performance might be compromised. Let's look at some DBT practice ideas.

Using this breathing method in swim practice could help a swimmer perform better in training and racing and help improve recovery from training and swim meet competitions. Here are some progressive land DBT development practice ideas:

• Walking Practises - Learning the DB technique first through walking action is the best way to familiarise the mind and body system with the timing and the rhythm aspect of the Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique-process.
• Unilateral practices - Breathing in on every second step-stride. Left Hand Side (LHS) and Right Hand Side (RHS) practises. Just before the back foot is about to be lifted off the ground, a quick and large amount of air is taken in via mouth. As the same foot moves forward and is about to touch the ground, A long, continuous and even exhalation action via mouth, with a puff at the end, is executed. Repeat 10 x 6 step-stride cycle.
• Breathing in on every fourth step-stride. LHS and RHS practise - Bilateral practises. As above, but breathing in on every 3rd, and 5th step-stride.
• Treadmill - Gym Practises - The next phase of progressive dry land practices can be effectively achieved on a treadmill in the gym. Starting on 3-4 km/hr treadmill speed, and then progressing on to 5, 6, 7 and up to 8 km/hr speeds, the DB technique is practised and consolidated further.
• Using Arms (for swimming) - Dry Land Practises - Now, we are moving the practices to the arms (swimming specific). Simulating or choreographing arm action corresponding to all four strokes used in swimming, one can further consolidate the learning of Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique.

These progressive pool practice steps can be used by coaches to teach DBT to swimmers:

• Holding on the rail - one arm - The swimmer`s body on it`s side, extended arm/hand on the rail, face down, the upper arm resting on top hip, legs kicking to maintain floatation. Swimmer performs DB technique sequence as taught by the coach, trained in the correct breathing method (DBT). Repeat: 6 times on LHS and RHS each.
• Push and Glide - Swimmer pushes and glides from the wall, in Body Long Vessel (BLV) position. DB control action is practised with one arm action, over a distance of 10 yards. Repeat: 6 times practising on RHS and LHS each.
• Super Slow Swimming - The next phase of DBT drills are performed while swimming in super slow mode (SSS) until swimmer becomes fully competent with the technique.
• Normal and High Pace Swimming - Finally, the swimmer starts incorporating his newly learned DB technique skills in fast swimming modes, until it becomes a reflex action.

What Are The Priorities For Recovery Nutrition?

[Source: East Coast Cycos newsletter, in Tri-Rudy newsletter, June 11/09]


Written by Louise Burke and the Department of Sports Nutrition, AIS © Australian Sports Commission


Recovery is a challenge for athletes who are undertaking two or more sessions each day, training for prolonged periods, or competing in a program that involves multiple events. Between each work-out, the body needs to adapt to the physiological stress. In the training situation, with correct planning of the workload and the recovery time, adaptation allows the body to become fitter, stronger and faster. In the competition scenario, however, there may be less control over the work-to-recovery ration. A simpler but more realistic goal may be to start all events in the best shape possible. Recovery encompasses a complex range of process that include:

• restoring the muscles and liver with expended fuel
• replacing the fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat
• allowing the immune system to handle the damage and challenges causes by the exercise bout
• manufacturing new muscle protein, red blood cells and other cellular components as part of the repair and adaptation process

The importance of each of these goals varies according to the workout - for example, how much fuel was utilised? Was muscle damage caused? Did the athlete lose much sweat? Was a stimulus presented to increase muscle protein? A proactive recovery means providing the body with all the nutrients it needs, in a speedy and practical manner, to optimise the desired processes following each session. State-of-the-art guidelines for each of the following issues are presented below:

Refueling
The muscle can restore its fuel (glycogen) levels by about 5 per cent per hour, provided that enough carbohydrate is eaten. Depending on the fuel cost of the training schedule and the need to fuel up to race, a serious athlete may need to consume 6-10 g of carbohydrate per kg body weight each day (300-700 g per day). If the time between prolonged training sessions is less than 8 hrs, it makes sense to use all of this period for effective refueling. To kick-start this process an intake of at least 1 g/kg of carbohydrate - 50-100g for most athletes - is needed. This has lead to the advice that athletes should consume carbohydrate - either their next meal, or at least a snack - as soon as possible after an exhausting workout, to prepare for the next.

Rehydration
Most athletes finish training or competition sessions with some level of fluid deficit. In hot conditions or after strenuous sessions, fluid losses are usually large and require a focused effort to rehydrate after the workout. In this case, comparing pre- and post-session measurements of body weight can provide an approximation of the overall fluid deficit. Athletes may need to replace 150 per cent of the fluid deficit to get back to baseline - for example, if you are 2 kg lighter (2 litres lighter) at the end of the session, you will need to drink 3 litres of fluid over the next hours to fully replace the existing and ongoing fluid losses.

Immune System
In general, the immune system is suppressed by intensive training, with many parameters being reduced or disturbed during the hours following a work-out. This may place athletes at risk of succumbing to an infectious illness during this time. Many nutrients or dietary factors have been proposed as an aid to the immune system - for example, vitamins C and E, glutamine, zinc and echinacea - but none of these have proved to provide universal protection. The most recent evidence points to carbohydrate as one of the most promising nutritional immune protectors. Consuming carbohydrate during and/or after a prolonged or high-intensity work-out has been shown to reduce the disturbance to immune system markers. Carbohydrate intake may be beneficial for a number of reasons. For example, it reduces the stress hormone response to exercise thus minimising its effect on the immune system. It also supplies glucose to fuel the activity of many of the immune system white cells.

Muscle Repair and Building
Prolonged and high-intensity exercise causes a substantial breakdown of muscle protein. During the recovery phase there is a reduction in catabolic (breakdown) processes and a gradual increase in anabolic (building) processes. Recent research has shown that early intake of essential amino acids from good quality protein foods helps to promote the increase in protein rebuilding. In fact, protein consumed immediately after, or in the case of resistance training work-outs, immediately before the session, is taken up more effectively by the muscle into rebuilding processes, than protein consumed in the hours afterwards. However, the protein needs to be consumed with carbohydrate foods to maximise this effect. Carbohydrate intake stimulates an insulin response, which potentiates the increase in protein uptake and rebuilding.

How does recovery eating fit into the big picture of nutrition goals?
For the athlete who is undertaking two or more training sessions each day, eating for recovery plays a substantial role in the daily food schedule and in total nutrient uptake. Either meals (which generally supply all the nutrients needed for recovery) must be timetabled so that they can be eaten straight after the work-out, or special recovery snacks must be slotted in to cover nutrient needs until the next meal can be eaten. These recovery snacks then need to be counted towards total daily intake.

For athletes who have high-energy needs, these snacks add a useful contribution towards the total day's kilojoule needs. When there is a large kilojoule budget to play with, it may not matter too much if the snacks only look after the key recovery nutrients - for example carbohydrate - or contain extra kilojoules from fat. On the other hand, for the athlete whose skinfold goals require a careful attitude to kilojoule intake, recovery snacks may need to be low in fat, and count towards meeting daily needs for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Snacks that can supply special needs for calcium, iron or other nutrients may double up as recovery snacks and good overall choices.

What are the practical considerations for recovery eating?
Some athletes finish sessions with a good appetite, so most foods are appealing to eat. On the other hand, a fatigued athlete may only feel like eating something that is compact and easy to chew. When snacks need to be kept or eaten at the training venue itself, foods and drinks that require minimal storage and preparation are useful. At other times, valuable features of recovery foods include being portable and able to travel interstate or overseas without penalties from customs officials, being individually packaged and sealed for the benefit of lengthy nights of drug testing, or being labelled with nutritional information so that the athlete can check how much they need to consume to meet their recovery goals. Situations and challenges in sport change from day to day, and between athletes - so recovery snacks need to be carefully chosen to meet these needs.

What is the bottom line for lollies?
For occasions or individual athletes, who want an easily consumed source of simple carbohydrates, lollies are a suitable choice. Like many other carbohydrate foods, lollies will help in meeting refueling goals. However, lollies do not provide protein, fluid or other nutrients that could be important in other recovery processes. Therefore, other recovery snacks should be eaten in addition to, or instead of, lollies to fulfill the complete recovery picture. Many coaches complain that athletes don't stop at the 60 g of lollies that might be needed to kick-start glycogen synthesis after a work-out or event - in fact, lollies often come in jumbo family size packs of 500 g or more, and are likely to be consumed in excess. The bottom line is that each athlete needs to judge their recovery needs and plan an eating pattern that fits their total package. The following table provides ideas for snacks providing carbohydrate, as well as carbohydrate-protein combinations.

Carbohydrate-rich recovery snacks (50g CHO portions)

· 700-800ml sports drink

· 2 sports gels

· 500ml fruit juice or soft drink

· 300ml carbohydrate loader drink

· 60-70g packet jelly beans or jubes

· 2 slices toast/bread with jam or honey or banana topping

· 1 large chocolate bar (80g)

· 2 cereal bars

· 1 cup thick vegetable soup + large bread roll

· 115g (1 large or 2 small) American muffins, fruit buns or scones

· 300g creamed rice

· 300g (large) baked potato with salsa filling

· 100g pancakes (2 stack) + 30g syrup

Nutritious carbohydrate-protein recovery snacks (contain 50g CHO + valuable source of protein and micronutrients)

· 250-300ml liquid meal supplement

· 250-300ml milk shake or fruit smoothie

· 1-2 sports bars (check labels for carbohydrate and protein content)

· 1 large bowl (2 cups) breakfast cereal with milk

· 1 large or 2 small cereal bars + 200g carton fruit-flavoured yoghurt

· 220g baked beans on 2 slices of toast

· 1 bread roll with cheese/meat filling + large banana

· 300g (bowl) fruit salad with 200g fruit-flavoured yoghurt

· 2 crumpets with thick spread peanut butter + 200ml flavoured milk

· 300g (large) baked potato + cottage cheese filling + glass of milk

· 200g (1/3-1/4 pizza) with chicken/meat and vegetables

Faster swimming: It's all in your head...position

[Source: East Coast Cycos newsletter, in Tri-Rudy newsletter, June 11/09]

By Mat Luebbers

Swimmers, the way you position your head while you swim can have a huge effect on technique and how fast you swim. Head position can make your swimming technique fast or it can make your swimming slow. Swimming with your head up or down - which is fast, and why? Or are both good, but in different situations? Head position, body position, and balance are all related to fast swimming.

I like to look at head position in terms of where you are looking in comparison to your spinal column.

· Freestyle, Breaststroke, and Butterfly

· If you are looking forward while you swim, then you are in a more head-up position

· This tends to push your hips down towards the bottom of the pool

· If you are looking at the bottom of the pool directly below you, then you are in a head-down position

· If you are in a head down position and your head and spine are in a direct line, then you are also in a neutral position

· This will tend to keep your hips neutral, too.

· Backstroke

· Since you are upside-down when doing backstroke, the idea of head position while swimming is a little different, so you may have to do some translating

· Looking straight up at the sky or ceiling with your head lined up with your body?

· Then your head is neutral or back (just like the freestyle, backstroke, or breaststroke head-down position)

· If you are looking back towards your toes, I'd say you are looking up - you are in a head-up position

· And if you are somehow looking where you are going - that's not good!

When is a head up, eyes looking forward position (or backwards in backstroke) beneficial?
If you are swimming freestyle or backstroke for a very short distance (50 meters, for example) and you have a very strong kick, you might get a bit faster by raising your head slightly. This will tend to lower your hips and legs and you might be able to get more propulsion from your kick action under water. This might make you faster. It could also make you slower if the increased kick opportunity is not enough to overcome increased drag. It can also make it more difficult to rotate your body from side to side. You will still be able to rotate your shoulders, but your hips will tend to bog down or stick in a flat position. Is this faster for you? You have to check this out in practice.

Remember, when swimming long-axis strokes (freestyle and backstroke), keep some portion of your head above the water level - don't let water go over the top of your head. Your head should not submerge; if it does go under you create a lot of excess drag. The short-axis strokes (butterfly and breaststroke) work the opposite way - you create less overall drag when you allow your head to submerge, creating a longer, smoother streamline shape, head to toe, every stroke cycle.