CO2 Table
Freediving CO2 tables are designed to improve your tolerance to high levels of carbon dioxide.
The principal of CO2 apnea table is to decrease recovery time (breathing time) between fixed breath holds. As a result CO2 levels start to build up in your body with each training round. Increasing levels of CO2 cause the need to breathe, usually accompanied by diaphragm contractions.
CO2 tables can be used as part of apnea training to delay the urge to breathe. Besides delaying, CO2 tables can be used to become more comfortable coping with the need to breathe and contractions. It provides possibility to evoke and experience the uncomfortable feeling in dry safe environment. Allowing freedivers to practice staying relaxed by getting familiar with some of the most essential signals in freediving - the urge to breathe.
General Starting Guidelines
- Like any training - start slowly, don't push your limits too aggressively.
- Your initial goal should be delaying the urge to breathe, rather than coping with it.
- For safety, lie down on your back when practicing apnea tables.
- Limit your training session to 8 rounds.
- To work on delaying the urge to breathe, aim for training setup where the urge to breathe starts to kick in right before the end of the round.
- Breath hold time will probably not exceed 50% of your personal best breath hold.
- Increase breath hold time when the urge to breathe does not kick in anymore.
- Practice CO2 tables 2-4 times a week.
- Do not practice different apnea tables on the same day.
| Round | Recovery | Breath Hold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 02:00 | 01:00 |
| 2 | 01:45 | 01:00 |
| 3 | 01:30 | 01:00 |
| 4 | 01:15 | 01:00 |
| 5 | 01:00 | 01:00 |
| 6 | 00:45 | 01:00 |