Video summary

Why Am I Exhausted After Swimming 50m!?

Main summary

Key takeaways

Wellness and Self-Improvement

Why you feel exhausted after swimming 50m (key takeaway)

The main cause is usually breathing mechanics. Swimmers often feel breathless not because they “lack fitness,” but because their breathing pattern makes it harder to exhale, time breaths, and fill the lungs efficiently—which then creates a cycle of gasping and rising breathlessness.

Key wellness/self-care & performance strategies (breathing-focused)

1) Exhale properly underwater (most important fix)

  • Stop holding your breath underwater.
  • Exhale during your stroke (ideally “all of the air” out).
  • Finish the last bit of exhale right before the next inhale.

Goal effect: empty lungs make inhalation faster and more efficient; avoids CO₂ buildup and tension.

2) Avoid common breathing errors (the “four issues”)

  • Holding your breath

    • Leads to CO₂ buildup, increased breathing effort, and more body tension → faster breathlessness.

  • Exhaling too much / too soon

    • Can create a gap where you don’t have enough air when you need it → panic/gasp breathing.

  • Rushing inhalation

    • Quick, shallow breaths fill lungs inadequately → you must breathe again sooner → gasps stack up.

  • Breathing too infrequently or too frequently

    • Too infrequent: may not match your stroke/effort demands.
    • Too frequent: exhale doesn’t fully “keep up,” so inhalations become rushed and shallow, leaving you under-oxygenated.

3) Match breathing to stroke rhythm

For newer swimmers, a suggested starting point:

  • Breathe every 2 strokes

(Many swimmers breathe every 3–4 strokes, but the video suggests “every 2” as a beginner baseline.)

If you’re struggling with one-sided breathing:

  • Focus on fixing breathing first rather than forcing “bilateral breathing.”
  • Option for balance later: do one length breathing left, return breathing right.

4) Use a rhythm adjustment, not just willpower

If you’re breathless because breathing feels rushed:

  • Exhale harder underwater first
  • If needed, reduce frequency (e.g., move toward breathing every 3–4 strokes).

Other common causes of exhaustion after short distances

5) Kicking too much (too much muscle work = faster oxygen demand)

  • Reduce kick effort: keep it around 3/10 effort
  • Reduce kick amplitude: more of a light flutter than a big “kneading” kick
  • Consider training with a pool buoy briefly
    • Helps you learn swimming with less leg dependence
    • Avoid becoming over-reliant

6) Going too hard / too fast (over the optimal effort point)

There’s an “optimal” effort where technique stays effective. If you push beyond it:

  • Technique breaks down
  • You may actually get slower, not faster

Experiment suggested:

  • Time yourself over a distance
  • Try a more relaxed effort while aiming to keep similar pace
  • Option: use a pool buoy to balance and re-learn pacing/distance building

7) Legs dropping / balance issues

  • If your legs drop:
    • Breathing becomes harder (more effort to get your mouth to air)
    • Efficiency decreases (more drag / harder to move through water)

8) High head position

If you swim “head up,” looking forward/up:

  • Hips/feet tend to drop
  • More drag and harder breathing position

The “breathing paradox” (how to think about it)

  • Wanting to breathe more → leads to quick gasps → actually gives less effective oxygen and more breathlessness.
  • Instead:
    • Slow down/relax
    • Take easier, deeper full breaths
    • Exhale fully underwater while your head is submerged, ready for the next inhale

Presenters / sources

  • GTN (Global Triathlon Network) — channel referenced in the video (“support us here at gtn”).

Original video