Friday, February 19, 2010

Don't hold your breath...

I saw this rather amazing story today it's about a Swiss free-diver called Peter Colat who has broken, no smashed, the record for holding your breath under water, he went without breathing for a staggering 19 minutes and 21 seconds.


The previous record was a mere 17 minutes and 4 seconds held by that creepy TV magician David Blaine, so for me Colat has scored a double whammy here, firstly by smashing the record and secondly by displacing Blaine. All is not entirely rosy in the garden however, many commentators are dubious about the methods that these guys use to achieve these outrageous feats, they include hyperventilating, lowering heart rates, breathing pure oxygen and the triggering or suppression of primitive mammalian responses to things like water immersion and temperature. I can't help but be in awe at the supreme physical and mental control required to do this but at the same time I can't imagine that starving your body and brain of oxygen in this way isn't bad for you in the long run.

5 comments:

Chairman Bill said...

Didnnnnt doooo mi eny haaarm

Steve Borthwick said...

CB, you Navy types are half fish anyway aren't you?

Lisa said...

So many things we like to do that invite brain damage: boxing, rugby, breath-holding. Do you think it increases the fun when you might end up brain damaged? Or is holding your breath intrinsically fun?

Gerrarrdus said...

There was a game my mates played when I was a kid, involved hyperventilating for a few minutes and then holding your breath till you fell over. Never struck me as a great idea, so I wouldn't try it underwater.

Steve Borthwick said...

G, that one must have passed me by! Sounds like a game that I once played on an 18-30 holiday, it also involved falling over and probably the same kind of damage to my brain cells too... ;)