Physical and Physiological Predictors Determining the Maximal Static Apnea Diving Time of Male Freedivers

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate what factors determine freedivers' maximal static apnea dive time. We correlated some physical/physiological factors with male freedivers' maximum apnea diving duration. Thirty-six experienced male freedivers participated in this study. The divers participated in two days of the experiments. On the first day, apnea diving time, blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), stress index, and blood parameters were measured before, during, and after the apnea diving in the pool. On the second day, body composition, lung capacity, resting and maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max), and the Wingate anaerobic power were measured in the laboratory. The data were analyzed with Pearson's Correlation using the SPSS 22 program. The correlation coefficient (R) of determination was set at 0.4, and the level of significance was set at p <0.05. There were positive correlations of diving experience, maximum SpO₂, and lung capacity with the maximum apnea time R>0.4, P<0.05). There were negative correlations of BMI, body fat percentage, body fat mass, minimum SpO₂, stress index, and total cholesterol with the maximum apnea diving time (R>-0.4, P<0.05). No correlations of age, height, weight, fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass, HR, BP, blood glucose, beta- hydroxybutyrate, lactate, and hemoglobin levels with the maximum apnea diving time were observed (R<0.4, P>0.05). It is concluded that more experience in freediving, reduced body fat, extended SpO₂ range, and increased lung capacity are the performance predictors and beneficial for freedivers to improve their maximum apnea diving performance.

Keywords: apnea; breath-holding diving; dive time; freediving.