• Question: I have swam a lot the past few years, so does that make my lungs any way different than others who don't swim.

    Asked by Kevin to Alex, Laura, Lesley, Richard, vediacan on 22 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Vedia Can

      Vedia Can answered on 22 Jun 2015:

      Dear Kevin,

      Yes, I believe so. But how much is a lot? If you have trained in distance swimming; swimming a long distance repeatedly every day or 5 times a week, then, yes, you are more likely to have better lungs than some people; a larger lung capacity. Therefore, your lungs will deliver more oxygen efficiently. However, environmental factors such as smoking and consuming alcohol, will affect your lungs (negatively). From personal experience I also know that swimmers are able to hold their breath a lot longer than the non-swimmers 🙂

      Best Wishes,

      Vedia

    • Photo: Richard Prince

      Richard Prince answered on 22 Jun 2015:

      Hi Kevin,
      Yes and no. The basic parameters for lung volume, diameter of the airways etc are determined genetically – they are related to your height and gender but decline with age (after the age of about 25). You can develop the strength of the muscles that power your lungs though – most kinds of exercise will do this to a certain extent and swimming is a pretty good form of exercise. This is what we’ve found with our brass band players – their lung muscle strength increases, but their lung volumes are no different. You can learn to take deeper breaths and this might make it seem like you have a larger lung capacity, but you haven’t really – you are just making the most of what nature has given you!
      As you probably know, muscles are “plastic” – their mass can increase or decrease depending on what the needs of your current activities are. That’s why going to the gym builds muscle mass. You need to keep up the exercise if you want to maintain your newly buffed muscles though. Slack off and they will disappear because your body will think you don’t need them anymore.
      Another interesting thing about muscle cells is that you have different types: ones for short, powerful contractions and ones for endurance. The proportion of each you have is determined genetically and you can’t change it much by training. Mo Farah has a high proportion of the type of muscle for endurance and no matter how much he trained, he would not be able to turn himself into, say, Usain Bolt.
      Best wishes
      Richard

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