Kapnograf - levels of Carbondioxide
- During breath hold, the levels of CO2 in the lung and blood increases. CO2 causes the urge to breath.
(Other mechanisms are involved, such as O2 levels, but CO2 is the main one)
- Hyperventilation reduces the levels of CO2 and postpones the urge to breath. Lovely.
- On the other hand it increase your heartrate, agitates your metabolism, puts strain on your diafragma, changes PH-levels, may even vasoconstrict bloodvessels in your brain. Not so good.
- On the other hand, increased ventilation increases the levels of oxygen in the lung after only a few breaths.
About CO2 tables - see bottom of page.
Basic kapnograf tests (CO2 levels)
|
Preparation - breath-up
|
ETCO2 mmhg at start
|
2 min
CO2
|
2.30
CO2
|
3.00
CO2
|
3.30
CO2
|
4.00
CO2
|
4.30
CO2
|
5.00
CO2
|
O2 at finish
(lobe)
|
Start of contraction
|
Heartrate at finish
|
| 20 breaths/5min/nofood |
20
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
24
|
28
|
-
|
36
(at 5:15)
|
83
|
3.45
|
-
|
| 20 breaths/5min/nofood |
25
(HR55)
|
29
|
-
|
37
|
39
|
41
|
-
|
47
|
81
|
3.25
|
52
|
| 20 breaths/5min/nofood |
20
(HR62)
|
-
|
-
|
24
|
-
|
24?
|
-
|
35
|
83
|
3.50
|
57
|
| 20 breaths/5min/nofood |
19
(HR56)
|
19
|
|
26
|
28
|
29
|
|
34
|
83
|
3.45
|
53
|
| 15 breaths/5min/nofood |
21
|
|
|
34
|
36
|
38
|
|
44
|
79
|
3.35
|
47
|
| 20 bth/5min/18hrsdiet*** |
15**
|
23
|
-
|
26
|
28
|
29
|
|
31
|
73
|
3.35
|
45
|
|
20 bth/5min/12hrsdiet/after training
|
23
|
29
|
|
38?
|
40
|
43
|
|
47
|
72
|
3.30
|
55
|
| 20 breaths/5min/nofood |
18
(HR57)
|
|
|
38
|
|
42
|
|
48
|
72%
|
3.00
|
51
|
| 20 breaths/5min/nofood |
20
|
|
|
35 (55HR)
|
|
36 (47HR)
|
|
43
|
85%
|
3.30
|
34
|
|
20 breaths/5min/nofood
|
20
|
|
|
38
|
|
42
|
|
48
|
73%
|
3.40
|
51
|
mmHg X 0,133322= kPa
|
Preparation
- no breath-up
|
ETCO2 mmhg at start
|
2 min
CO2
|
2.30
CO2
|
3.00
CO2
|
3.30
CO2
|
4.00
CO2
|
4.30
CO2
|
5.00
CO2
|
O2 at finish
|
Start of contraction
|
Heartrate at finish
|
| No-breathup/nofood |
25
|
-
|
28
|
31
|
32
|
33 (O2:83)
|
35
|
41
|
|
-
|
-
|
| No-breathup/nofood 18h |
32
|
33
|
|
40
|
(HR53)
|
46
(HR48)
|
|
49
|
86
|
2.55
|
40
|
|
No-breathup/nofood 5h
|
17**
|
37
|
|
43
HR56
|
|
48
HR41
|
|
54
|
68
|
2.35
|
44
|
| No-breathup / no food 12h |
36/23
|
|
39
|
|
|
45
|
|
53
|
87
|
2.30
|
38
|
| No-breathup / no food 13h |
32/27
|
|
|
42
|
|
47
|
|
52
|
88
|
2.05
|
42
|
|
No-breathup / no food 12h
After 4 short warmups
|
14
|
|
|
|
|
40 (HR57)
|
|
48 (HR47)
|
72% (ear)
|
3.30
|
47
|
|
No-breathup / no food 12h
After 5 short warmups
|
|
|
|
42
|
|
48
|
|
54 (HR51)
|
81% (ear)
|
2.50
|
57
|
|
No warm-up, no food 15h, 8 breaths b-u
|
20
|
|
|
38
|
|
49
|
|
55
|
88%
ear
|
3
|
?
|
| No warm-up, no food 15h, 3 breaths |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
57
|
85%ear
|
2.45
|
58
|
| no food 15h, 8 breaths |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
58
|
81%ear
|
3
|
51
|
|
Preparation - no breathe-up (short hold)
|
ETCO2 mmhg at start
|
2 min
CO2
|
2.30
CO2
|
3.00
CO2
|
3.30
CO2
|
4.00
CO2
|
4.30
CO2
|
5.00
CO2
|
O2 at finish
|
Start of contraction
|
Heartrate at finish
|
| No-breathup/nofood |
35*
|
41/stop
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
| No-breathup/nofood |
32*
|
-
|
-
|
42
|
|
47/stop
|
-
|
-
|
92
|
2.05
|
59
|
| No-breathup/nofood |
32*
|
38/stop
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2.05
|
-
|
| No-breathup/nofood |
25*
|
-
|
32/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.20
|
-
|
| No-breathup/nofood |
33*
|
-
|
40/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.20
|
56
|
| No-breathup/nofood |
19
|
28/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.55
|
|
|
No-breathup/nofood 14h
|
40/28**
|
46/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.00
|
|
| No-breathup/nofood 18h |
27
|
39/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.55
|
|
| No-breathup CE |
27**
|
39
|
46/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.35
|
|
| No-breathup CE |
29**
|
43
|
49/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.30
|
|
| No-breathup |
20**
|
38
|
41/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.15
|
|
| No-breathup |
39/22
|
44/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.05
|
53
|
| No-breathup |
37/23
|
44/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.55
|
|
| No-breathup, 10 min after acidic drink |
24**
|
41/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.55
|
|
| No-breathup |
39/25
|
45/stop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.00
|
|
Yellow average
(without top/bottom result) |
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yellow= shorter breathholds up to first contraction.
Green = other person.
No food generally means 15 hours fasting.
At each measure point 1-1.5 dl air is released out of nose into measuredevice (in nose).
The person above has a resting heartrate of 54, normal resting CO2 level 30-35.
After a RV hold CO2 goes from 29* to 37 in 20 secs.
* This is the measurement before a full exhale and an inhale.
** measured 15 sec after start.
NO CONCLUSIONS DRAWN YET, STILL LOOKING FOR BASIC VALUES.
How long will the effects of hyperventilation remain in the body.
If you hyperventilate for 30 secs (20 quick breaths) and the hold your breath.
Same in the following holds, but with a delay before starting breath hold.
Conclusion: if your choice is hyperventilation (ventilation) to delay contractions, you benefit from slowing down radically the last 60-90 seconds before breathhold (to stabilaze a lower heart rate).
| Time of contraction |
No hyperventilation |
Hyperventilation
|
delayed start of Apnea
+30 sec |
+60sec |
+90sec |
+120sec |
+150sec |
| Person 1 |
1.07 |
2.04 |
2.09 |
1.47 |
1.51 |
1.45 |
1.28 |
| Person 2 |
0.49 |
1.32 |
1.46 |
1.39 |
1.52 |
1.14 |
- |
| Person 3 |
1.46 |
2.34 |
2.43 |
2.17 |
2.08 |
2.04 |
2.11 |
There was a rest inbetween these 7 breath holds, but we might see spleen-effect having an influence.
How long does it take to flush out the CO2?
| Type of ventilation |
CO2 at start of ventilation
|
after 1 min
|
2 min
|
3 min
|
4 min
|
5 min
|
| 20 breaths/5 min |
25
|
22
|
21
|
21
|
19
|
20
|
| 15 breaths/5 min /(4 subneutral) |
33
|
33
|
31
|
29
|
25
|
16*
|
| 20 breaths/5 min (4 subneutral) |
25
|
23
|
23
|
22
|
19
|
15*
|
| 20 breaths/5 min (4 subneutral), morning after training |
38 (HR60)
|
34
|
33
|
33
|
31
|
28/23*
|
*Last measurement generally after big exhale, big inhale (wait 10 sec, breath out some air, wait for reading).
CO2 tables
Among some expert freedivers doing maxattempts is the regular training. But a perfect breathhold asks for perfect preparation and that might involve changing your behaviour a day or more in advance. It might also get boring. Also a maxattempt drains you of all energy (should do) and leaves little time for practicing other aspects of breathholding.
A CO2 table is divised to train resistance to high levels of CO2 (mentally and physically). The idea is usually to stick to one breathhold time, do it over and over with less and less ventilation before. If it is too easy - it is not training. The examples below will aswell produce lower and lower O2 levels, but that is not the purpose. Example:
Example 1:
| Rest/Ventilate |
Breathhold |
| 2 |
2 |
| 1.40 |
2 |
| 1.20 |
2 |
| 1.00 |
2 |
| 0.40 |
2 |
| 0.20 |
2 |
| 0.20 |
go for max? |
|
Example 2:
| Rest/Ventilate |
Breathhold |
| 2 |
3 |
| 1.40 |
3 |
| 1.20 |
3 |
| 1.00 |
3 |
| 0.40 |
3 |
| 0.20 |
3 |
| 0.20 |
go for max? |
|
A more interesting (effective, according to me) way of training CO2 tolerance would be to do a series of breathholds with more and more contractions each time, long rest, but no extra ventilation, the earlier you get contractions the better.
1) first contraction
2) 5 contractions
3) 15 contractions
4) 20 contractions
5) 25 contractions |
6) 30 contractions
7) 35 contractions
8) 40 contractions
9) 45 contractions
10) 50 contractions |
|
Produce your own tables
10x1.30.
one breath in between |
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
| CO2 subject 1 |
39
|
43
|
46
|
48
|
49
|
50
|
52
|
53
|
55
|
(at start37)
57
|
| CO2 subject 2 |
43
|
43
|
44
|
47
|
48
|
49
|
50
|
52
|
54
|
(at start36)
54
|
| O2 subject 1 |
98
|
95
|
92
|
89
|
86
|
86
|
86
|
86
|
85
|
85
|
| O2 subject 2 |
99
|
99
|
98
|
98
|
97
|
97
|
98
|
97
|
97
|
95
|
| HR subject 1 |
-
|
-
|
-
|
62
|
61
|
61
|
55
|
54
|
55
|
51
|
| HR subject 2 |
-
|
57
|
52
|
56
|
54
|
53
|
55
|
51
|
50
|
56
|
