Swimming Australia Calls For New Guidelines to Prevent Shallow Water Blackout

Jun 21, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Start of heat two of the Women's 50M Freestyle during the preliminary heats at George F. Haines International Aquatic Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

BELCONNEN, Australia, September 22. THE issue of shallow water blackout continues to gain worldwide attention with Swimming Australia’s release of a statement asking its members to use caution during hypoxic training.

Shallow water blackout occurs when the amount of oxygen going into the brain gets drastically low. Swimmers often feel like they can continue to hold their breath because the low amount of carbon dioxide in the lungs mistakenly tells the brain that no oxygen is immediately needed. The swimmer then passes out underwater, often going unnoticed because, for the most part, the swimmer is experienced and not watched closely during the exercise.

In a press release issued last weekend, Swimming Australia and the Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association warned against pushing the boundaries of hypoxic training with the following statement:

Dear Swimming Community,

The Australian Swimming Coaches and Teaches Association (ASCTA) and Swimming Australia Ltd (SAL), haven identified risks revolving around the practice of Hypoxic Training. ASCTA and SAL have jointly formulated strict guidelines on any such activity.

We advise any teachers, coaches and others utilising this performance enhancing skill – primarily in competitive environments – to revise their position and policy immediately.

Ultimately, our stance on hypoxic training is, it:
– Has NO place in recreational swimming;
– Has NO place in learn-to-swim; however,
– Has a role to play in the sport, to help the development of competitive swimmers, under controlled conditions, by qualified coaches.

The safety and welfare of our members is our first priority. We want to promote a safe and secure learning and training environment.

Going further in a document published on their website, Swimming Australia offered these four tips for hypoxic training:

1. Never swim alone.
2. Never hyperventilate prior to any swimming activities.
3. Never ignore the urge to breathe.
4. Never play breath-holding games or challenges.

In 2012, North Baltimore Aquatic Club swimmer Louis Lowenthal died from drowning due to shallow water blackout when he stayed after practice to work on underwater kicking. Though he was in the pool with others, no one noticed that Lowenthal had passed out underwater until it was too late.

Earlier this month, Dr. Rhonda Milner visited the clinic to speak with SwimmingWorld.TV about the organization she helped start to raise awareness of shallow water blackout.

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Swimming Australia Calls For New Guidelines to Prevent Shallow Water Blackout

1. Never swim alone. 2. Never hyperventilate prior to any swimming activities. 3. Never ignore the urge to breathe. 4. Never play breath-holding games or challenges.

1. Never swim alone.
2. Never hyperventilate prior to any swimming activities.
3. Never ignore the urge to breathe.
4. Never play breath-holding games or challenges.