Vitomir Maričić is one of the world’s best freedivers.
And this summer he set a new world record:
He held his breath for 29 minutes and 3 seconds.
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Ingrid Eftedal has researched freedivers.
These are people who dive underwater without a supply of air.
Eftedal finds the record is impressive.
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Most ordinary people can usually only hold their breath for about one minute.
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Breathing works like a switch
The reason for this is our breathing reflex. It forces itself on like an automatic switch.
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The reflex is triggered when carbon dioxide builds up in the blood, something that happens when we hold our breath.
“Freedivers train themselves to suppress that reflex,” she says.
Our body has an organ that can help us underwater: the spleen.
“Freedivers often call it an extra diving tank,” says Eftedal.
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When you hold your breath, it can release red blood cells – and give the body extra oxygen.
“For some people, freediving is part of their everyday life,” says Eftedal.
This applies to the Bajau people in Indonesia.
“They have developed larger spleens,” she says.
