Breathing and rowing

[atahualpa]

I'm relatively new to rowing, indoor to be specific. I rowed last year for several months, had an unrelated osteopathic issue that put me off the erg until recently. I started rowing again combined with weight training about three weeks ago to get back into shape. I've logged over 100k and lost five pounds already, so I'm off to a good start.

In weightlifing, I was trained to exhale on the exertion and inhale on the recovery. Timing the breathing to the exercise is very important when using weights or one might find themselves blacking out, at worst, or just not getting enough oxygen to the muscles to fully benefit them. Once in high school, many years ago, I saw a kid pass out doing squats under heavy weight. Luckily, he wasn't killed or hurt, but it just goes to show how important oxygen is. Duh.

My question is about timing the breathing during rowing. I find myself unconciously trying to exhale on the drive and inhale on the recovery. Obviously, this isn't possible at 26 spm. It just makes me wonder if others have a breathing strategy while rowing or if this is just my own imagination. I also feel like I'm taking shorter, shallower breaths while rowing, but this is probably due to the seated postition and my slowly disappering beer belly. Anyone have any tips on breathing while rowing?

[johnlvs2run]

A lot of people inhale on the drive and exhale on recovery, leaving more room for the catch.

Yes breathing too much oxygen will certainly cause you to black out.

This is called the valsalva maneuver and is dangerous. For example if you overbreathe oxygen then create a great pressure in your chest, i.e. by holding your breath, exertion etc, it can cause you to pass out, and result in cardiac arrest, even death.

The key is to NOT overbreathe oxygen, and avoid locking up your thorax during exercise.

Here is a link that helps to explain this.

http://breathing.com/articles/valsalvas-maneuver.htm

[Alissa]

In weightlifing, I was trained to exhale on the exertion and inhale on the recovery. Timing the breathing to the exercise is very important when using weights or one might find themselves blacking out, at worst, or just not getting enough oxygen to the muscles to fully benefit them. Once in high school, many years ago, I saw a kid pass out doing squats under heavy weight. Luckily, he wasn't killed or hurt, but it just goes to show how important oxygen is. Duh.

My question is about timing the breathing during rowing. I find myself unconciously trying to exhale on the drive and inhale on the recovery. Obviously, this isn't possible at 26 spm. It just makes me wonder if others have a breathing strategy while rowing or if this is just my own imagination. I also feel like I'm taking shorter, shallower breaths while rowing, but this is probably due to the seated postition and my slowly disappering beer belly. Anyone have any tips on breathing while rowing?

Breathing is an issue that gets discussed from time to time. Take a look at this thread discussing breathing. (Note that since this was from the old forum, links to other forum threads from this thread won't work...)

[LJWagner]

I wonder if primitives eons ago worried about breathing when trying to escape whatever wanted to make them lunch ?

If breathing does not come naturally to you, there is a problem.

I know that the harder I row, the more air I breath in and breathe out. When working hard, big breathes, deep and voluminous on the recovery, big exhale on the drive. At low spm up to 25, when I could do 1:45 /500m. Sounded like a bellows.

Never blacked out in my life. That I remember.

Running, I get a better rhythm, and may inhale for multiple strides, then exhale for multiple strides. As my speed goes up, the strides per breath falls. My sprinting breathing more resembled my rowing breathing. But long strides, never short and choppy.

[atahualpa]

I wonder if primitives eons ago worried about breathing when trying to escape whatever wanted to make them lunch ?

No, probably not, but I'm sure they warmed up first.

Breathing comes naturally to me, of course. I'm also into mountain biking, so aerobically I'm pretty fit. I was just wondering if trying to time breaths to the stroke is a good thing. I don't get dizzy or anything like that while rowing, so no black outs are pending...at least not from rowing.

Thanks Alissa for the link to the old forum on this!

[Alissa]

Thanks Alissa for the link to the old forum on this!

I just checked the link I gave you and it looks like I gave you the less useful one (although it included a "bad" link to the better one)...sorry. This is the one that I thought I was giving you.

Best wishes.

Alissa

[atahualpa]

Thanks again, Alissa! That link worked. After a quick read of that thread, it seems I'm not off track thinking about breathing. Xeno's comments on exhaling at the catch, inhaling in the drive seem counter-intuitive from my weight training experience, but it does make sense that one would have a better posture at the end of the drive if the lungs were full. I'll experiment a little to find that perfect rhythm.

[PaulS]

From the recent (today) C2 newsletter:

Though, I've explained exactly this method many times in the past, immitation is nice to see.

Don't Forget To Breath
Thanks to Concept2 New Zealand for the following interesting article on breathing:

Breathing is usually something that we do without thinking. But next time you row, think about your breathing. Is it regular? When do you inhale or exhale? The most important thing to remember is to breathe with a regular rhythm that is related to the rhythm of your stroke. Most rowers take one breath per stroke at lower intensity rowing and they add a second shorter breath as they start working harder. The optimum point to switch from one to two breaths will differ from person to person. You should experiment and see what works best for you.

The next thing to consider is the timing of your breathing within your stroke cadence. The following recommendations are based on our own experience and are backed up by the research we have found on the subject.

Breathing for Low Intensity Rowing: Exhale gradually on the drive, being sure to expel all remaining air at the finish. Inhale on the recovery.
Breathing for High Intensity Rowing: The first exhale comes as you finish the drive. On the recovery, you should inhale, exhale quickly, and inhale again just before the catch. Perhaps you have developed a breathing rhythm of your own. That's okay. The most important thing is that you establish a regular breathing pattern and stick with it.
There is certainly an obvious reason to breathe properly while rowing - your muscles require oxygen in order to function well! In addition, focusing on a regular breathing rhythm may help you increase the intensity of your workout. Try it next time you are having trouble getting going. An awareness of your breathing can also enhance the stress-relief aspects of rowing, as it does with yoga or meditation. And finally, when you are rowing hard, it gives you something else to think about besides the lactic acid building up in your legs!

To subscribe to the Indoor Rowing News (yay!), send a blank email to subscription@concept2.co.uk with SUBSCRIBE as the subject title.

[atahualpa]

Thanks, Paul. You're right, it looks just like one of your old posts.

[LJWagner]

Good to see a solid source that confirms the good habits of many long terms rowers.

[adunne]

Anyone have any tips on breathing while rowing?

Yes - glad to see others are thinking about this too. Lately I've been paying attention to my breathing cadence quite a bit. One strategy I'm working on to increase my endurance is to see how long I can maintain the "Breathing for Low Intensity Rowing" cadence (summarized above) before I have to switch over to the "Breathing for High Intensity Rowing".

I suppose it's normal to assume that as you get in better shape, you'll be able to lengthen the amount of time you'll be in the "low intensity" cadence, but until recently I hadn't focused much on this - I would simply look at my 500m split times and use that as my only metric for how I was doing, and I let my breathing take care of itself.

Now, during longer pieces (20+ minutes), I try to maintain a the same splits and see how long I can go before I have to switch over to high intensity breathing. I've been able to almost double the time I can stay at low intensity breathing after about 1-2 months of training with this in mind, and perhaps not coincidentally, I just set a PR for 1k. I find that I lose a couple of seconds on my splits once I shift to the high intensity breathing, so maintaining my breathing at the low intensity pattern is important for me.

Anyway, enough rambling. I'm very glad to see other people thinking about this stuff besides me!

[LJWagner]

That lovely Lactic Acid burn can also be a reminder to be sure to breathe more, if possible.

Deeper beathing that can pull in more oxygen, which will delay or reduce the LA burn. I've done intervals during which backing off slightly (2%, more mental perhaps) in my effort because of LA, actually produced more speed on the PM. Working through LA becomes inefficient as your oxygen debt accululates. Retreating just under the threshold can put you at your most efficient effort level.

[Sean Seamus]

everything is simple . . . and nothing is simple . . .

here is a thread worth reading on the subject of breathing ( and other things)

http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=38

[insen]

Hi. I introduced myself in the old forum, but this is my first post in the new one.

I think I have read most of the "breathing" posts. Still, I am confused by "the book" saying one thing and Godfied post (and some other ergers) saying the opposite.

This has been already discussed, and I personally row better with the later technique, because having had asthma as a kid (and now ocasionally when allergy kicks in), and having learned to breathe with the diaphragm, I simply can not inhale deeply when in high stress pace while maintainig the torso position for the catch.

Maybe a poll could be created by the Admin...

[ancho]

...

Maybe a poll could be created by the Admin...

Insen: You may create a poll by yourself, if you're interested. Just play with the forum's options!