La a It is defined in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy as “lack or suspension of breathing.” Shortness of breath may or may not be voluntary. In cases of involuntary apnea, it is a disorder in which interruptions can last from several seconds to minutes and can occur up to 30 times per hour. The most common is obstructive sleep apnea due to collapse of the airways after which breathing returns with a snore.
But apnea is also a sport, specifically, a sub-discipline of diving that is based on the voluntary suspension of breathing in the water. It is considered extreme sport and as such is trained by technique, perseverance and programming. It can be static apnea (with oxygen or with air) or apnea with long distance runs.
In 2019, 54-year-old Croatian Budimir Buda broke the world record for static apnea with 100% oxygen setting it at 24 minutes and 33 seconds.
As for the men’s world record of static apnea with air (It should be remembered that the oxygen in the air is only 20%) is for Stephan Mifsud, who has placed it at 11 minutes, while the female record is for Natalina Molchanova, with 11 minutes.
In Spain, Isabel Sánchez Arán broke the national record for static apnea with air this June, surpassing the barrier of seven minutes and a second. The athlete won three gold and one silver medals in April at the Spanish Championships. Before, and with only a breath of air, he managed to submerge to 76 meters, a milestone with which he registered the Spanish record for Free Immersion.
In dynamic apnea, known as free diving or freediving, it is about suspending your breath while traveling as much distance as possible with or without fins. It is fundamentally based on mental relaxation rather than physical preparation, although both are necessary. In any case, the main thing in the practice of this discipline is to follow the security protocol which includes a guide rope that the freediver uses to descend and ascend vertically and the assistance of a safety freediver who accompanies the athlete and supervises that everything happens normally.
In any case, experience does not free of risks in this discipline, hence it is considered extreme. In fact, in 2015, Natalia Molchanova, winner of 22 world championships and holder of 40 world records, disappeared in the Mediterranean Sea while doing recreational diving.
From
La a it is the basis of deep-sea freediving. A millenary activity still in force that is practiced by numerous groups throughout the world since for centuries they have been the basis of their diet. This is the case of the ama from Japan or the Wayú from Colombia and Venezuela or the Bajau from the Philippines, all of whom are considered the best divers in the world.
Risks
The main risk of apnea practice is syncope during the ascent. Pressure changes and gas exchange in the blood and tissues can cause a oxygen deficit in the brain leading to the athlete fainting and drowning. Hence, it should always be done with a partner.