Running then Diving - what's the advice?

1547 Views 20 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Tilesey, Apr 22, 2010

Fart Mersho

Discussion Starter · Apr 22, 2010

Hi All,

Speaking to seastar last weekend, she said that someone has done some research into the effects of exercising before and after diving, and how long a gap you should leave, etc etc...

Anyway, I have a full weekend of diving this weekend, so can't keep up my 'running 2 miles every other morning' plan...

So, having been for a run this morning, I'm thinking of going for a longer than usual run (3 miles) on friday afternoon after work, so as to make up for not running on saturday.

I'd be very interested to know what everyone's thoughts are on this. Is a 3 mile run, 15 hours before I go diving, a bit dodgy? I know cramp can be an issue, and indeed has been for me in the recent past... the new turtle fins will hopefully help a bit with that, BUT, even they have their limits. Does anyone have a link to the afore mentioned research results?

Many thanks in advance.

Adam

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

Tilesey

· #2 · Apr 22, 2010

It is not dodgy at all.

In fact - exercise (over 20 minutes worth) 20 hours before diving reduces your risk of DCI.

Stop making excuses tubby and get running

Reactions: 1

Marky Mark

· #3 · Apr 22, 2010

I suppose the only problem with running before diving is dehydration, but 15hours should give you plenty of time to rehydrate. They do say that any exercise after a dive is provocative (depends what you wear

), so post dive running is probably out.
Having watched Run Fat Boy Run over the weekend, I'm inspired too.

Reactions: 1

Fart Mersho

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 22, 2010

Marky Mark said:
I suppose the only problem with running before diving is dehydration, but 15hours should give you plenty of time to rehydrate. They do say that any exercise after a dive is provocative (depends what you wear), so post dive running is probably out.
Having watched Run Fat Boy Run over the weekend, I'm inspired too.

I'm deffo not provocative when I run....

cool, looks like pre-dive I'll be ok then... Apparently eating banana's can help with the cramp issue.... so i'm told..

Marky Mark

· #5 · Apr 22, 2010

To bo honest, after we've launched the rib and loaded it up, I feel like I've done a marathon (sorry, Snickers)

Two Hats

· #6 · Apr 22, 2010

I was told this on Mark Powells deco course.

Exercise creates some substance that helps to make the blood vessels more 'slippy', thus promoting more efficient blood flow.
This is obviously good from a deco point of view, as 'slippier' blood vessels will be a bit smoother, thus making for less turbulence, and less chance of bubble formation.

The sweet spot was 20 hours before a dive.

Fart Mersho

Discussion Starter · #7 · Apr 22, 2010

londonsean69 said:
I was told this on Mark Powells deco course.

Exercise creates some substance that helps to make the blood vessels more 'slippy', thus promoting more efficient blood flow.
This is obviously good from a deco point of view, as 'slippier' blood vessels will be a bit smoother, thus making for less turbulence, and less chance of bubble formation.

The sweet spot was 20 hours before a dive.

Can you remember what happens as you move closer to the dive from the sweet spot? I'll be running at about 2/3pm on friday, and diving wont be till about 07:30 on saturday (assuming the open the gates at 06:45 again like last weekend!) so that's actually about 17 hours... close enough

Bog Snorkeller

· #8 · Apr 22, 2010

I looked into this a while back. There is a fair amount of research into it, but like all decompression stuff - it's a bit woolly as there is no clear-cut dose-response relationship.

However, all the medics seemed to agree that if you want to be ultra-safe, don't do any strenuous exercise in the 6 hours before or after diving. You can probably get away with a lot less, but you won't know how far you can draw the line until you've stepped over it and taken a hit.

The reason is that strenuous exercise puts all sorts of stuff into your blood stream, which can act as 'micro-nuclei', i.e. miniscule particles which nitrogen is attracted to that can lead to the formation of bubbles.

Reactions: 1

millssy

· #9 · Apr 22, 2010

i know this may sound like an odd thing to input but.......

What constitutes strenuous exersize??
I have a master plan which means that every time i go diving i get home and treat the mrs to some private time

when i am not diving i always have a headache! this means she looks forward to me going diving almost as much as i do

Is private time classed as strenuous? as i wouldnt want to tell the mrs she bent me!!

Reactions: 1

HeBails

· #10 · Apr 22, 2010

Simon Mitchell has run a study on this and states that there is a very definite benefit to exercising up to 24 hours before any big dive (he does some very big dives).
You can probably google the piece that he wrote.
In fact you could do a lot worse than read his body of work. I saw him give a number of talks at Eurotek '08 and was very impressed.
He's on Rebreatherworld and pops up on here occasionally too.

Reactions: 1

Mrs Calamity

· #11 · Apr 22, 2010

millssy said:
Is private time classed as strenuous? as i wouldnt want to tell the mrs she bent me!!

Depends

EllieCee

· #12 · Apr 22, 2010

Adam, Doing 3 miles on Friday instead of 2 to 'make up' for not running Sunday is a bad idea ( in my humble opinion of course! ). It doesn't really work like that, you are essentially adding 50% increase to your training, which is more likely to lead to more fatigue and muscle soreness than normal, for next days dive, if your body is not used to it. How do you feel after your 2 mile runs currently? And how long does it take you? If your current 2 mile runs are a breeze, then you might be OK, but doing 1 extra mile as a one off isn't going to give any positive benefit to your fitness. Missing one session really won't hurt

Ellie

Fart Mersho

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 22, 2010

EllieCee said:
Adam, Doing 3 miles on Friday instead of 2 to 'make up' for not running Sunday is a bad idea ( in my humble opinion of course! ). It doesn't really work like that, you are essentially adding 50% increase to your training, which is more likely to lead to more fatigue and muscle soreness than normal, for next days dive, if your body is not used to it. How do you feel after your 2 mile runs currently? And how long does it take you? If your current 2 mile runs are a breeze, then you might be OK, but doing 1 extra mile as a one off isn't going to give any positive benefit to your fitness. Missing one session really won't hurt

Ellie

cheers ellie.... I know it wont quite make up for it, but I'm glad you raised the point about muscle fatigue... now that I know I'm not risking a bend, the effects on my muscles are my main concern.

I ran 3 miles last sunday (albeit on a treadmill), with a 3 min sprint in the last 3rd.... The 2 mile runs are fine, I've been doing them for a while, and they're not too taxing. I dont get sore muscles the day after like I used to. Having said that, the 3 mile run is all road work, and will be at a different time of day, so there's a fair few variables.

I think I'm running about an 7 or 8 min mile at the moment over the 2 mile run.

I'm just trying to keep the weight loss momentum going..... maybe there's a better way...

Marky Mark

· #14 · Apr 22, 2010

millssy said:
i know this may sound like an odd thing to input but.......

What constitutes strenuous exersize??
I have a master plan which means that every time i go diving i get home and treat the mrs to some private time when i am not diving i always have a headache! this means she looks forward to me going diving almost as much as i do
Is private time classed as strenuous? as i wouldnt want to tell the mrs she bent me!!

Interesting - you're not the only person using this technique (Pavlov's Shag is the technical term).

EllieCee

· #15 · Apr 22, 2010

I'm sure you've already found out that running on the road is a lot harder than on the treadmill, but if your current 2 miler's are only taking you 14 - 16 minutes ( which is a fairly decent pace ) then you should really up the distance a bit. Doing less than 20 minutes is not really enough to get your muscles working properly and won't give you much in the way of fitness gains, and being fit makes you feel fab!

Ellie

farmershort said:
cheers ellie.... I know it wont quite make up for it, but I'm glad you raised the point about muscle fatigue... now that I know I'm not risking a bend, the effects on my muscles are my main concern.

I ran 3 miles last sunday (albeit on a treadmill), with a 3 min sprint in the last 3rd.... The 2 mile runs are fine, I've been doing them for a while, and they're not too taxing. I dont get sore muscles the day after like I used to. Having said that, the 3 mile run is all road work, and will be at a different time of day, so there's a fair few variables.

I think I'm running about an 7 or 8 min mile at the moment over the 2 mile run.

I'm just trying to keep the weight loss momentum going..... maybe there's a better way...

PBrown

· #16 · Apr 22, 2010

farmershort said:
Does anyone have a link to the afore mentioned research results?

Fill your boots:
Rubicon Research Repository: Item 123456789/7793
Rubicon Research Repository: Item 123456789/4079
Rubicon Research Repository: Item 123456789/2210
Rubicon Research Repository: Item 123456789/5020

cheers,
Paul

Reactions: 1

Tilesey

· #17 · Apr 22, 2010

EllieCee said:
I'm sure you've already found out that running on the road is a lot harder than on the treadmill, but if your current 2 miler's are only taking you 14 - 16 minutes ( which is a fairly decent pace ) then you should really up the distance a bit. Doing less than 20 minutes is not really enough to get your muscles working properly and won't give you much in the way of fitness gains, and being fit makes you feel fab!

You find running on the road harder? I find it a lot easier, but then I get bored on treadmills...

Adam - Ellie is right about < 20 minutes exercise so HTFU and run for longer. My weekday runs take about 45-55 minutes, my weekend runs last an hour and a half - and I'm not even doing the marathon next weekend

- and I still have a beer gut, how does that work!?!

Fart Mersho

Discussion Starter · #18 · Apr 22, 2010

EllieCee said:
I'm sure you've already found out that running on the road is a lot harder than on the treadmill, but if your current 2 miler's are only taking you 14 - 16 minutes ( which is a fairly decent pace ) then you should really up the distance a bit. Doing less than 20 minutes is not really enough to get your muscles working properly and won't give you much in the way of fitness gains, and being fit makes you feel fab!

Ellie

the 'normal' proceedure for the morning runs at the moment involves a couple of stops - to check/reset traps -so it's sort of like interval training, and as such takes me just over 20 mins.... so hopefully i'm JUST in the right zone.... when I'm not checking the traps... weekends, or evening, or mornings when we dont have any out, then 16 mins is a pretty comfortable time. I can up the distance in the morning, but it gets tight with having enough time to get ready for work etc.

in conclusion then, I'll prob be alright on this 3 mile run... but I might be a bit more achy than normal....

That's alright, I can prob live with that.

Fart Mersho

Discussion Starter · #19 · Apr 22, 2010 (Edited)

Tilesey said:
You find running on the road harder? I find it a lot easier, but then I get bored on treadmills...

Adam - Ellie is right about < 20 minutes exercise so HTFU and run for longer. My weekday runs take about 45-55 minutes, my weekend runs last an hour and a half - and I'm not even doing the marathon next weekend - and I still have a beer gut, how does that work!?!

maybe you need the YDFC t-total challenge!!!

no, you're right, tis a silly idea

I just can't bear the idea of running for an hour on my own... i get sooooo bored. 30 mins is my absolute max.

EllieCee

· #20 · Apr 22, 2010

It depends if we are talking mentally or physically?

I can't stand aerobic indoor equipment, and after 15 mins on a treadmill am bored to tears. Physically, my mile times on the road are slower than they are on a treadmill, I guess this is due to having to propel my bodyweight forward rather than just having to move my legs on the treadmill.

Ellie

Tilesey said:
You find running on the road harder? I find it a lot easier, but then I get bored on treadmills...

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