When you swim, you are forcing your body to adjust to the lack of oxygen while also producing energy for movement. Competitive swimmers are better and being able to swim and breathe less frequently compared to non-swimmers. So what makes competitive swimmers better at adapting to a lesser intake of oxygen than a non-swimmer. Studies have shown that competitive swimmers have larger lungs and better lung capacity. Could it be that the swim training increased their lung capacity?
A recent study looked at a group of females between the ages of 11-14 (prime developmental ages for lungs). They compared two groups. One group females with competitive swimming experience and the other group of females equally competitive athletic ability. The competitive swimmers had larger and stronger lungs. However, after swimming season both groups had continued growth and stronger lungs. These attributes can be attributed to their normal growth patterns. No clear evidence indicated that the competitive swimmers had an increase of lung size and capacity. It is possible to predict that swimmers just naturally have larger lungs and chose the best sport for them.
Bovard, J. M., Welch, J. F., Houghton, K. M., McKenzie, D. C., Potts, J. E., & Sheel, A. W. (2018). Does competitive swimming affect lung growth?. Physiological reports, 6(15), e13816.
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