I was hoping somebody could help with my swimming problem. I suffer from what I can only assume is a build up of gas leading to a bloated feeling after swimming. After just a swim workout I often have to loosen my belt by one hole, such is the bloating.
The feeling has really affected my triathlon performance on a number of occasions. It left me doubled over in pain on the run stage of an olympic distance, and impeded my ability to run at a decent speed on the run leg during a recent shorter distance tri. Strangely, I don’t feel much, if any, discomfort during the bike leg. The pain goes away after 3 or 4 kilometres and I can run at something approaching my normal pace. After just a pool workout, the feeling usual goes away after about an hour.
Has anybody had a similar experience, and do you have any advice about how to prevent it from happening (other than breaking wind as much as possible on the bike leg!) ?
The same thing ruined me for IMAZ last year. Had me doubled over the entire bike ride, unable to take in any nutrition. Walked my way to a 14hr finish. Miserable day. I think it’s from gulping air rather than simply breathing.
Thanks - I had thought the same thing myself, but I’m not sure how to ‘breathe’ air as opposed to gulping it. (For the record, I’m not a great swimmer - just 1:12 PB for ironman-distance)
The same thing happens to me after masters’ sometimes. Fortunately it never seems to happen when racing, but it can leave me uncomfortable for a few hours.
yeah, sounds like ‘aerophagia:’ swallowing air. it’s rough because you can’t just burp your way out of it. you might also be swallowing water, too - once in a race i took a huge gulp of lake water right at the end of the swim and it troubled me for the rest of the race. . .
might worth trying to calm down/slow down and think hard about steady, cyclical breathing - even try forcing yourself to just breathe through the nose, or to breathe on a set count, something like that.
I think I may have had a similar issue at my last 70.3. Never had it happen before or since. Maybe I just sucked in a wave and swallow a large gulp of air. Not sure.
The only thing I can suggest is to make sure your relaxing and breathing frequently enough (every 2 strokes).
I experience the same thing. My biggest problem is, as said above, Gulping or gasping for air. I gasp for air because poor swimming form is leaving my body deep in the water…this means that I have much less time to get a breath, thus i gasp. The gasping sends alot of air into your stomach(along with water). Essentially…I end up hyperventilating because Im breathing too hard…I have to stop and rest even though I am easily in good enough shape to go much much further…my body thinks its tired because my ratio of co2 vs. o2 is off. So…to combat this…I must get better form…better form = more speed which will lift my body up in the water. If my body is lifted…I have more time to breath instead of gasp. If I am breathing…my co2 vs. o2 ratio remains acceptable…also all the air I breath goes into my lungs instead of my stomach…and my body is happy and relaxed. So figure out what you need to do to better your form. get a coach.
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for your comments and advice. I’ll certainly try to concentrate more on my breathing when swimming. I’ve always felt I don’t exhale as much as I could or probably should do between breaths. Perhaps focussing more on that will help.
Thanks!
To avoid this, I try to breathe out fully while my face is underwater. Trying to both exhale and inhale while you’re turning to breathe leads me to swallowing air which leads to gas.
Take a shallower breath and immediately start to exhale when your face goes into the water. By packing air into a gulp and then momentarily holding your breath, you push the air into the esophagus. Your postion in the water will keep you from belching because gas rises and you’ll fill the stomach with air such that it would have to go down to reach the esophagus and come back up. Periodically during practice you can stand or hold onto the wall while vertical and try belching to empty the stomach. I also agree that if you exhale completely before inhaling you will gasp less.
This happened to me in my first few triathlons right when I was a very novice swimmer. I was able to prevent it by learning to breathe properly with an emphasis on exhaling underwater once my face turned back down.
What I was initially doing was taking a big gulp of air and held it until I released it all at one time right before turning again to inhale. Make sure you are taking quick breaths and exhaling frequently. You can practice this by standing in the shallow end of your pool, bending down at the waist with your face in the water and exhaling.
I remember the cramping pains vividly, as well as the gas that would persist for an hour or so after I was done swimming.
You said “breaking wind” (i.e., farting), but everyone thought you meant belching. Gas in the colon has a different cause. What is your method of degassing?
I was hoping somebody could help with my swimming problem. I suffer from what I can only assume is a build up of gas leading to a bloated feeling after swimming. After just a swim workout I often have to loosen my belt by one hole, such is the bloating.
The feeling has really affected my triathlon performance on a number of occasions. It left me doubled over in pain on the run stage of an olympic distance, and impeded my ability to run at a decent speed on the run leg during a recent shorter distance tri. Strangely, I don’t feel much, if any, discomfort during the bike leg. The pain goes away after 3 or 4 kilometres and I can run at something approaching my normal pace. After just a pool workout, the feeling usual goes away after about an hour.
Has anybody had a similar experience, and do you have any advice about how to prevent it from happening (other than breaking wind as much as possible on the bike leg!) ?
Good point Pedalhead! Actually, when I get the bloated gassy feeling, I’m never too sure which way it wants to come out. Based on everyone’s great advice on this thread, I now assume it needs to be belched out, but I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with a few good farts on the bike leg just for good measure.
The issue may very well by gulping air, but you should also examine your pre-workout fueling and maybe even the prior day’s intake. I have gotten very particular with my evening before a big race/workout.