Running and diving

[petemc]

Just wondering - in my experience /reading of diving literature excercise and diving should not be mixed. I am a runner. Over the next 2 months I will be diving 2 times a day 5 days a week to a max depth of 25m (generally a lot less) all the diving is on air with no deco. Can I safely run in the mornings?Around 10-12 hours after diving?

[Rich.i]

Quote: (Originally Posted by petemc)

Just wondering - in my experience /reading of diving literature excercise and diving should not be mixed. I am a runner. Over the next 2 months I will be diving 2 times a day 5 days a week to a max depth of 25m (generally a lot less) all the diving is on air with no deco. Can I safely run in the mornings?Around 10-12 hours after diving?

Before I start, I’m sure there are individuals who are more qualified to answer this question………….

What type of diving are you doing?

How long are you in the water? Average depth? (I understand you mentioned max. depth 25m).

How often do you currently run?

How far do you normally run?

Occasionally when I go away for a weekend cave diving, I’ll run in the mornings <10km. Surface interval is around 12 – 14hrs though, I make sure I take it a bit easier than normal.

On deeper dives 80m+ I make sure I have a clear 24 hrs beforehand

Maybe you need to modify your training schedule and be a little conservative whilst you’re diving?

How long will you be diving 2 x 5 days for?

[Brian Allen]

Last summer I used to run 10km everyday even before gas diving and found it did me no harm, except the usual muscle aches. I now swim instead but haven't had the chance to combine it with decent diving yet.

I think it was on here about a year ago that someone posted about exercise before diving. Best check before trusting any of this but it was something about how exercise up to 24 hours before diving reduced the risk of a bend developing but if it was only up to 4 hours beforehand there was no harm done but not really much benefit either. I was never brave enough to try to run after a deep gas dive, but used to wait 3-4 hours after small dives.

[Single Tank Numpty]

See the following link Cameron's book is very good.

https://secure.gue.com/catalog/order/books.shtml

Personally (YMMV, I'm not an expert, I'm happy to be shot down in flames by someone that is.)

Re exercise after diving:

• I would be happy running 4 hours after diving.
• I base this on the fact that it is generally felt that bubbling is finished from majority of accelerated deco dives after 3 hours (Obviously not monster dives)
• Cardio at this time might help surface off gassing, by stimulating blood flow

Re exercise before diving

• If my body has recovered from the exercise and I'm no longer hot and sweaty then I'm happy to go and do deco dives.
• This takes longer as I get older!
• If my body hasn't recovered and I go deco diving then my understanding is that the increased blood flow will promote on gassing
• If I then cool down and have slower perfusion during deco, then I off gas at a slower rate than I on gassed. Thereby necessitating longer deco.
• I have also read recently that this argument has been 'disproven'

I know that you are talking about non deco dives, but I hope that this helps.

Mike

[Rich.i]

Quote: (Originally Posted by Single Tank Numpty)

See the following link Cameron's book is very good.

https://secure.gue.com/catalog/order/books.shtml

Personally (YMMV, I'm not an expert, I'm happy to be shot down in flames by someone that is.)

Re exercise after diving:

• I base this on the fact that it is generally felt that bubbling is finished from big deco dives after 3 hours

Mike

3 hrs??? Hmmm? please validate 3 hrs?

[petemc]

Thanks for the information so far. The diving is habitat surveying using scooters. We haven't started yet so I am not 100% sure of all the details. The depths are likely to be less than 25 m generally and quite often less than 10m but I imagine the in water times will be quite long given the amount of work we have to do. At the moment I run 4 times a week (but cycle on those days I don't run 15-20 km) and am running around 8-10km.

[Ahmed Adly, Marlin Inn DC]

Pretty ineresting.
As far as my own experiance tells, you can go ahead no saftey worries at all. A good workout in the morning actually is supposed to reduce likelyhood of DCS, although you should not strain your joints to ensure good bloodflow thoughout the day.

If you would use nitrox, I bet you would start to feel it in your breath towards the end of the week. I don't know why, but lots of enriched air makes me breath funny and I seem to get over it after a week or so of not diving.

But do remember, that diving uses a lot of energy without you realizing it, so you could become exhausted after a few days as you will essencially be raising your total daily work.

What is also likley to happen is you will eat more during that week and not be able to stop after....... So watch out.

My advise is to run 5 clicks a day instead of your regular 8-10 when diving. The catch up a week after with an extra click a day for 10 days. That way, you will feel the distance without running the risk of that "underline exhaustion"

[Ahmed Adly, Marlin Inn DC]

Quote: (Originally Posted by Single Tank Numpty)

Re exercise after diving:

• I would be happy running 4 hours after diving.
• I base this on the fact that it is generally felt that bubbling is finished from big deco dives after 3 hours

Mike

Hi Mike,

I think a greater problem with working out after a big dive is Pulmonary toxicity. Your lungs just don't function the same way.
after deep long dives especially when I use O2 for deco I experianced weakness and breathlessness IN THE GYM and have been hopless running

[Martin Burnard]

I used to play squash about three hours after diving as an AOW diver, the dives where around the 15-20m mark and no longer than 40 minutes.

My game was terrible, I tired very quickly, my reactions were slower, my recovery between rallies was longer.

I then read that it wasn't a good idea as we bubble for a long time after a dive. So I stopped.

If I exercise in the morning, and dive (nitrox) in the afternoon, I feel good, and any muscle aches from the sport seem to fade away.

I wouldn't recommend it to anybody else though as I am no hyperbaric doctor!

So I would say tread cautious, listen to your body, enjoy the diving and exercise as suits you.

Happy diving

Martin

[Ahmed Adly, Marlin Inn DC]

Quote: (Originally Posted by Martin Burnard)

I used to play squash about three hours after diving as an AOW diver, the dives where around the 15-20m mark and no longer than 40 minutes.

My game was terrible, I tired very quickly, my reactions were slower, my recovery between rallies was longer.

I then read that it wasn't a good idea as we bubble for a long time after a dive. So I stopped.

If I exercise in the morning, and dive (nitrox) in the afternoon, I feel good, and any muscle aches from the sport seem to fade away.

I wouldn't recommend it to anybody else though as I am no hyperbaric doctor!

So I would say tread cautious, listen to your body, enjoy the diving and exercise as suits you.

Happy diving

Martin

YES! I now have absolution.