Effects of sex differences on breath-hold diving performance

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to measure diving response, CO₂ sensitivity and forced vital capacity in male and female breath-hold divers (BHDs), and to determine their effect on breath-hold diving performance.

Methods: This study included 8 non-divers (NDs, 4 males and 4 females) and 15 BHDs (7 males and 8 females). For NDs, diving response was measured during breath-holding with facial immersion, whereas for BHDs CO₂ sensitivity was also measured.

Results: Compared to NDs, BHDs showed a prominent diving response. In BHDs, no statistically significant sex differences were observed in diving response and CO₂ sensitivity. Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between performance and the % forced vital capacity in BHDs.

Conclusion: It was suggested that % forced vital capacity contributed more significantly to performance than diving response and CO₂ sensitivity. Furthermore, the higher performance of male divers compared to female divers may be due to the % forced vital capacity rather than the diving response and CO₂ sensitivity.

Keywords: CO(2) sensitivity; Diving response; Forced vital capacity; Performance; Sex differences.