When I was a kid, I was a hyper little figgety thing. I used to make all kinds of ruckus at school, and probably pissed off a few people in church. I just couldn't sit still to save my life.
My parents were probably embarrassed at church, since I was always squirming around and being a distraction to anyone nearby. I mean, I wasn't a Spaz or anything, I just got bored easily and tried to find stuff to do. (nowadays, they'd have me on some kind of meds, but this is quite a few years ago.)

So, when my parents would tell me to sit still and stop playing around, I would get even more bored than before. So, I came up with something to do that:
1) didn't make any noise.
2) didn't require any movement.
3) encouraged me to push the boundaries of my own safety, while not playing with sharp objects or anything.

[b]I would time myself to see how long I could hold my breath![/b]

I had heard that anything over 3 minutes would cause permanent brain damage, so my goal was of course the "deadly 3 minutes". Over the weeks, I developed some successful techniques that allowed me to almost comfortably last for [i]3 minutes, 25 seconds[/i]. I might have been able to go further, but my ears ringing and my vision blurring up always scared me into breathing.

I would also try this underwater at the local public pool, but I could only get 2 minutes and a few seconds underwater for some reason.

Anyway, fast-forward to Present Day...
I was in church yesterday for Easter service, with my parents, my girlfriend, My brother, and his girlfriend. I was pretty lazy, and wanted something to pass the time. So, I tried it again!!!
This time, though, I couldn't make it past 50 seconds on my first attempt! I tried a few more times, and got up to 1 minute, 25 seconds. I felt like I was going to pass out! Of course my girlfriend saw me starting to turn red, and elbowed me, so I didn't try again.

My question is, How long can you hold your breath? What's a "normal" amount of time for a "normal" person??

I was a smoker for 11 years or so(I quit last June finally) so that would probably have an affect on the outcome, and I'm in a different kind of shape now than I was as a child, but there's a huge difference between almost 3.5 minutes, and less than 1.5 minutes!


Now you have a little more insight as to why TREETOP is the way he is...

At work we have a small employee bathroom and the owner has this talent for taking extremely foul, paint peeling, stinky dumps that would make a hazmat crew run for cover. Out of sheer survival I have been forced to develop the talent of holding my breath so I can take a long leak, wash and dry my hands and make it back outside all without inhaling any of that stench.

It's all conditioning. Keep doing it and you'll increase your times. But over three minutes!?!
Man, you're lucky you don't have brain damage!

I remember reading about that world record guy. Supposedly when you hyperventilate it allows you to hold your breath longer. This guy hyperventilated for 15 minutes on pure oxygen before setting the record.

I couldn't really do that in church without being even more of a distraction.[:)]

We[u]need[/u] hyper, 'fidgety' kids with short attention spans.

[b]Who else we gonna get to walk point??[/b]

You get some laid-back mutha and he'll lead us straight into an ambush, sho'nuff.

Eric The Hun

Treetop, I have an idea for holding your breath longer.

After feeding my Rottweiler egg salad and broccoli, he has this neat-o trick where he produces the most foul smelling gasious by-product known to man. I have literally seen people run from my livingroom, eyes watering and dry heaving from this. Even days later when the subject was brought up, they STILL couldn't find the humor in it, and swore that they could smell "that" smell as though it was happening all over again. You could actually see a look to their faces that was a combination of disgust and sheer horror......days after the fact.

We could get a little experiment going. All we need is my dog, you and an egg salad/broccoli feast. You could then be sealed in to a small air tight space with the hound in question.

Undoubtedly, your breath holding stats will improve beyond anything you've ever dreamed of.

Let me know if you want to persue this. I've already talked it over with my dog, and he's fine with it.

If you'll re-read my post, you'll notice that I never claimed my brain to be undamaged.[;)] Of course huffing gasoline could have had something to do with it, though...

I was kinda hoping you guys would all try holding your breath, and report back with your times...[:D]

Does anybody have anything more important to do right now?
I didn't think so.[;)]

Get TREETOP, I have yet to get past 1:43.  That is my record, if it means anything.

I just got 1:35, but that was without a methane polluted atmosphere for encouragement.

I would expect better from a wishing-well diver!
Don't you hold your breath when you're stealing people's wishes from the fountain at the mall??[:D]

-McGoonies.

I have to admit I am not in the best of shape. At least I don't smoke, cigarettes.
I just had to try it and I got up to 1:58.

I read once that if you inhale and exhale very deeply just prior to holding your breath you will last longer. Something about oxygenating your blood. I don't know if this really works or if it was just a load of crap.
I would try it now but I suddenly have a killer headache.

1:45   Not too bad for my first try.

I gotta try it again.

I have held my breath for what feels like blissful eternity after inhaling a whippet [;)]

YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY NEED A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so do I but that's another story........

2:08

Getting better!

Hey, I've got a new hobby!

Is your world spinning now? Mine is.

Hey leadfly, is that a nitrous reference?

Last time I looked a whippet was a dog.

Nitrous is a sit down sport!

Speaking of gasoline...
As a kid and still today at times I love the smell of gasoline! When I was younger my grandfather whacked me in the head because I was mowing his lawn and ran out of gas and before I filled the tank back up I took the cap off the can and took a nice whiff of it. My grandfather just happen to see me as I did this and basically popped me in the head and asked me if I was stupid....

I guess I'm stupid...
Stupid is as stupid does...

Maybe I should go in the Shrimpin' business...


John[heavy]

now im glad TreeTop is moving to AZ, one less armed wacko in kalif -- wooooo hoooo --LOL

me thinks AZ will NEVER be the same after TreeTop moves there, you AZ boys invited him and now your STUCK with him -- HA HA [:D]


dont kill me treetop im only kiddin [:)]

1:42 on the first try for me.

I too think gas smells great - exhaust too.  Around 1970, I was about 5 yrs old, I remember my grandmother coming out and yelling at me because I was squatting near the back of her Galaxie enjoying the exhaust fumes.  Ah one of the many pleasures of high octane leaded and a V8....

Tate

2 minutes here. its all in the mind.

THERE!  I did it for 4 minut ..........

[center][b][size=5][red]*THUMP*[/red][/size=5][/b][/center]

2-1/2 minutes, and I'm out of shape.  Of course, I'm a singer...so there ya go.

Jewbroni~

When I was a little kid I could hold my breath for 4 minutes on average. I have never experienced any side effects such as dizziness, blurry vision, headaches, wanting to pass out, etc.
So I decided to give it a try at 39 years old.
First try 3 minutes 15 seconds. Second try
3 minutes 45 seconds. Third try 4 minutes. No side effects of any kind.
Yes, it is definitely a mental thing.

WHEW!  What happened?  What day is this?

2:22

I work in a tire shop and there is a lot of break dust that will fly up off of crappy old cars that are never washed when you take off the lug nuts with the guns. This is compounded in the winter when road salt will come off of the wheels with the other dust and dirt. In an attempt to stop from in hailing all of these particles I will hold my breath from the time that I start to kneel down until the time that I have carried the wheel to the front of the car. Now last summer I was working "concert in the park" with my video friends on the 4th. Old Navy came by and handed out a ton of kazoos. Naturally we took the remainder of the supply home with us to our party. We had a "blow off" to see who could blow the kazoo the longest. I blew it for 1:58 min. I could not believe it. You guys should try to see how long you and your friends can do something like this. I am 6'6" by the way and I stomped every one else I think that this may have something to do with it.  

If a person takes a full breath of ambient air, approximately 1 L of oxygen is brought into the lungs.  .65 L of this oxygen can be used before the partial pressures of arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide signal the need to breathe again.  With some practice most people can get to 2 minutes before they have to breath again.  When arterial PO2 drops to 60mm Hg and PCO2 raises to 50 mm Hg the signal to breathe is sent out.
If you hyperventilate it will significantly increase the breath-hold period.  With hyperventilation before breath-hold, arterial POC2 may decrease from 40 mm Hg to 15 mm Hg.  This means it’ll take longer to reach the 50mmm Hg to signal the need to breath.  I think the record for regular breath-hold it 270 seconds.  With hyperventilation it’s over 15 minutes (I believe close to 20).
DO NOT HYPERVENTILATE UNDER WATER!  IF YOU’RE UNDER WATER, AS YOU COME NEAR THE SURFACE LESS PRESSURE IS ON YOUR LUNGS AND IF CONDITIONS ARE CORRECT, YOUR BODY MAY PULL OXYGEN FROM YOUR BLOOD BACK INTO THE LUNGS.  IN SHORT YOU’LL PASS OUT AND DROWN!!!!!
PS. 1 min and 42 seconds without hyperventilation.  3 minutes and 28 seconds with.