Hello

[darmitage]

I just joined and I swim 2 times a week but what section do I ask questios about breathing patterns?

[Mike A]

This section (Talk Swimming) is a good place.

cheers
Mike

[darmitage]

how important is your breathing pattern in freestyle swimming? because National Swimming I see don,t even bilateral breath in freestyle

[Tom65]

how important is your breathing pattern in freestyle swimming? because National Swimming I see don,t even bilateral breath in freestyle

Lots of threads on here on this subject, just do a search.

Good to be able to breathe to either side, most people need to breathe every second stroke when swimming hard.

[darmitage]

true,thanks

[Mike A]

There are differing opinions among board members regarding the value of bilateral breathing. Here are some of the arguments...

Against bilateral:
1. You simply get more oxygen breathing every 2 strokes, enabling your muscles to work harder. This is why most competitive pool swimmers breathe every 2 strokes at race pace.
2. Bilateral is supposed to encourage symmetry; however, fast elite swimmers often have an asymmetric (or "loping") stroke style.
3. You can maintain the ability to breathe to your weak side by alternating breathing sides each lap (whilst still breathing every 2 strokes).

For bilateral:
1. Training with bilateral breathing helps improve symmetry in your stroke.
2. If you always breathe to your "good" side, you might struggle when you need to breathe to your weak side (e.g. in open water, with the chop and spray coming at you on your preferred side).
3. Depending on your stroke rate and cardiovascular efficiency, breathing every 3 strokes might provide optimum oxygen at race pace, especially over longer distances.
4. Some fast elite distance swimmers breathe every 3 strokes.

That's about all the arguments I can think of at the moment, but I'm sure I've forgotten one or two others.

Hope that helps!

[darmitage]

thanks that was great I find I get tired fast bilateral breathing but all I can say you would have to have strong lungs to bilateral breath if you are racing or swimming hard!

[haradoo]

Breathing...overrated...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG2f16-Tk7U

[Mike A]

thanks that was great I find I get tired fast bilateral breathing but all I can say you would have to have strong lungs to bilateral breath if you are racing or swimming hard!

Well it's partly a matter of stroke rate. Say you were a smaller/short-armed swimmer, you might be doing something like 90 strokes per minute, whereas a taller/longer-armed swimmer might only be doing 60 spm at the same speed. The high-rev guy, breathing every 3, is getting 30 breaths per minute, same as the low-rev guy if he's breathing every 2.

Case in point: SwimSmooth's own Paul Newsome won the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (46km race) in 2013, breathing every 3 strokes. His average stroke rate was 82 spm. But maybe swimming 46km in 7 hours 14 minutes isn't fast enough for you!

[gavinp]

thanks that was great I find I get tired fast bilateral breathing but all I can say you would have to have strong lungs to bilateral breath if you are racing or swimming hard!

Why?

[darmitage]

maybe because I'm 59 years old not sure, I usually breath every 4 strokes on the same side then I will breath every 2nd stroke when I get tired