SWIMMERS: Stronger lungs = faster swimming
One of my least favorite sets as an age grouper (and to this day as a noon-hour lap swammer) were sets with a breathing pattern.
The dreaded “lung buster” sets.
Laps and reps were designed to be completed using a specified breathing pattern.
For example, 8x200 freestyle breathing 3/5/7/9 by 50.
Or doing 50s taking just three breaths.
And so on.
There is something very normal about being uncomfortable having your face down in the water, lungs aching for air.
That said, the unique demands of swimming require being able to regulate breathing patterns at volumes that are much higher compared to land exercise (Wells et al., 2005).
Being able to control your breathing allows swimmers to extend underwaters, use desired breathing patterns, improve technique, and yes, swim faster.
Case in point:
A study with collegiate swimmers (Kilding et al., 2010) found that six weeks of respiratory training significantly improved 100m and 200m time trial results compared to a control group of swimmers.
The intervention group trained their lungs each day with a handheld respiratory device (I have one on my desk called the PowerLung).
This device is like a set of dumbbells for your lungs, increasing resistance when breathing in and out.
Over time, the lungs get stronger and more efficient at inhaling and expelling air.
From personal experience, it’s impressive how much more air you can suck in after just a couple of weeks of training with this type of device. I also noted a significant improvement in core strength from using my PowerLung.
The good news is that you can see improvement in respiratory strength (and speed in the pool) with just a handful of minutes per day and no additional swim training.
The participants in the study used the device for just two sets of 30 repetitions per day.
When it comes to swimming fast, a lot of attention is paid to technique, conditioning, nutrition, strength training, workout design, and the long list of components of building a fast swim.
But there is something fundamental about being able to navigate one of the biggest challenges of training and competing in the water—breathing.
Instead of being the swimmer who sloppily comes up for air and perpetually feels like they are gasping in the water…
Strengthen those respiratory muscles and take control of your breathing while swimming.
And yes, swim faster, too. 😊
See you in the water,
Olivier
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