However, I'm absolutely positive that you'll agree 22 minutes and 22 seconds while not taking a breath would seem like an absolute eternity. I mean, how would you pass the time? Would it be like when youre in a hot sauna and all you can think about is how hot it is?
Not so for Tom Sietas a 35 year old German. I have no idea why his age or nationality matters to anyone, but apparently its important to all the reporters relaying the story.
Anywhoo.... This guy has a huge lung capacity, which I suppose goes without saying if you can hold your breath for over 20 minutes. His lung capacity is 20% larger than the average person for his size. However, if you increased my lung capacity by 20% I'm still not sure I could hold my breath for 2 minutes, never mind the other 20.
Much as I would like to report that Tom discovered his breath holding ability while lying under foamy bath suds one Sunday night, it wasn't. His 'talent' was actually discovered by his suba diving teacher, which does seem like a bit of a let down.
Anyway, Tom was competing alongside the previous world record holder (maybe that should be world record breath holder), Ricardo Bahaia from Brazil. He only managed to hold his breath for a paltry 20 minutes and 21 seconds.
In order to make this 'task' easier, Sietas says that he lowers his metabolism by not eating for 5 hours before hand. To help them out, they start submerged in colder water about 5C which later on gets raised up to a much more hospitable 40C.
I find the whole idea of holding your breath for 22 minutes totally bizarre. I mean, breathing is something you have to do to to stay alive, so why would you want to practise not doing it?
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