Increasing Breath-Hold Time to Maximal Safe Levels

The primary objective of this study was to increase breath-hold time to a maximal safe level without danger of loss of consciousness or functional incapacity. The breath-hold project studied the effects of hyperventilation, work of breathing, breathing mixture and dive depth on immersed breath-hold duration.

This study was completed in 2005.


The research team at the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology at Duke University Medical Center conducted a study of breath-hold diving in 2005. Breath-hold diving has been practiced for many centuries both as an occupation and for recreation.

The primary objective of this study was to increase breath-hold time to a maximal safe level without danger of loss of consciousness or functional incapacity due to hypocapnia, hypoxia or hypercapnia. It was meant to help develop an operational procedure for use by military divers. A secondary objective was the generalized study of the physiological effects of hyperoxia, hypoxia hypercapnia and hypocapnia as they relate to breath-hold diving.


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