O2 Table
Freediving O2 tables are designed to improve your ability to operate on low levels of oxygen.
The principal of O2 apnea table is to increase breath hold time between fixed recovery times (breathing times). As a result O2 levels start to decrease in your body with each training round. Body's reaction to decreasing levels of O2 (hypoxia) is to preserve valuable oxygen.
When your body reaches hypoxic state you may start to feel disoriented and lightheaded, or sort of ecstatic like begin drunk. You may also feel tingling in your body or experience involuntary twitching. When oxygen levels become very low, our body shuts down non-critical systems and goes to survival mode known as black-out. It's our body's response to stop unnecessary use of oxygen to protect our brain.
O2 tables can be used as part of apnea training to become more efficient freediver. By improving relaxation skills your body will burn less oxygen, enabling to achieve higher goals before hitting critical oxygen levels. On the other hand it allows to become more aware of your body's oxygen state and potentially avoid black-outs. Although black-outs can still occur without any warning signs.
General Starting Guidelines
Usually beginner freedivers hit breath hold limit due to the urge to breathe. It's recommended to start O2 training once your CO2 tolerance is well developed. You should not feel strong urge to breathe or contractions during O2 training.
- Like any training - start slowly, don't push your limits too aggressively.
- Limit your training to 8 rounds.
- Last breath hold time should not exceed 80% of your personal best breath hold.
- Practice O2 tables 2-3 times a week.
- Do not practice different apnea tables on the same day.
- To become hypoxic faster, you can try to do breath holds on normal inhales or passive exhale.
| Round | Recovery | Breath Hold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 02:00 | 01:00 |
| 2 | 02:00 | 01:15 |
| 3 | 02:00 | 01:30 |
| 4 | 02:00 | 01:45 |
| 5 | 02:00 | 02:00 |
| 6 | 02:00 | 02:15 |