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Nutritional Recommendations for Breath-Hold Divers

by Ivan Drviš, Dario Vrdoljak, Nikola Foretić and Željko Dujić

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 2384; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15052384 - 23 Feb 2025

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Breath-hold diving (BHD) is defined as enduring apnea for more than 4 min. It is characterized by resistance of reactive oxygen species, reduced sensitivity to hypoxia, and low mitochondrial oxygen consumption. The energetic demands of different BHD disciplines (static, dynamic, and spearfishing) are various. Hence, the nutrition of these athletes may play an important role on their performance. The main aim of this study is to examine and propose recommendations for this specific population. Also, the aim is to divide nutrition according to main BHD disciplines (static, dynamic, and spearfishing). Mediterranean and alkaline diet could represent an appropriate BHD diet. Nutritional requirements differ between freediving (static and dynamic) and spearfishing, mainly because of the workload. Also, spearfishing includes multiple consecutive dives and hence has different recommendations. However, the proper nutrition for freedivers is based on a variety of natural foods that support acid–base balance, provide a stable source of energy, and facilitate quality recovery. By adopting healthy eating habits based on the Mediterranean and alkaline diet, along with regular hydration and adapting your diet to the specific needs of diving, divers can improve performance and ensure long-term health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sport Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism)

11 pages, 947 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Local Muscle Oxygenation Differences between Lower Limbs according to Muscle Mass in Breath-Hold Divers

by Ognjen Uljević, Dario Vrdoljak, Ivan Drviš, Nikola Foretić and Željko Dujić

Symmetry 2024, 16(3), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16030377 - 21 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1651

Abstract

Oxidative potential and anaerobic capacity could be influential to the training regimen and performance of breath-hold diving (BHD) athletes. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the differences in local muscle oxygenation between the lower limbs according to the muscle mass percentage in spearfishermen and freedivers. The sample of participants included 21 BHD athletes (13 freedivers; 8 spearfishermen; 4 females). Their chronological age was 35.5 ± 8.6 years, body mass was 79.3 ± 9.1 kg, and height was 182.5 ± 13.0 cm. Participants’ training experience was 10.6 ± 9.5 years. The variables in this study included anthropometric indices, the Wingate anaerobic test, and muscle oxygen dynamics parameters. The results show significant differences for freedivers between the lower limbs (muscle mass percentage, p < 0.00; minimal SmO₂%, p = 0.05; and maximal SmO₂%, p = 0.04). However, when observing only spearfisherman, there is only one significant difference between the dominant and non-dominant lower limb (percentage of lower limb muscle mass, 85.73 ± 2.42, 85.16 ± 2.40%, respectively; p = 0.02). The results of this study demonstrate that freedivers have significant asymmetries between the lower limbs in muscle oxygenation parameters when observing the lower limb dominance in relation to the percentage of muscle mass. These findings suggest different muscular oxygenation adaptations to the load set upon athletes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Life Sciences)

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21 pages, 10576 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shuttling between Land and Sea: Contemporary Practices among Amis Spearfishing Men as a Foundation for Local Marine-Area Management

by Futuru C. L. Tsai

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7770; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187770 - 20 Sep 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4083

Abstract

This paper explores how the Amis people on the east coast of Taiwan who practice freediving spearfishing manage the local marine area. Among the coastal Amis people, freediving spearfishing is not only a way of life but is also closely related to ritual ceremonies. Amis spearfishing men are knowledgeable of the near-shore sea and coast, and the practice of spearfishing collectively cultivates their ability to deal with both public affairs and human relations in the community. However, the Taiwanese government regards spearfishing guns as weapons and restricts them. Furthermore, the assumption that spearfishing destroys the coral ecosystem and fishery resources means that the practice is often demonized or increasingly restrained. In this paper, I argue that local marine Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) among Amis spearfishing men can be the foundation for local marine conservation under the concept of community-based natural-resource management (CBNRM), involving both the local Amis community and the government, in spite of both parties still having their own issues to overcome. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indigenous Resilience and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the context of Climate Change)

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