Sleep Apnea, Michael Phelps & Swimming Records

November 20, 2008

This may just be coincidence, but on an online forum for sleep apnea sufferers, a member commented that he could hold his breath the longest while swimming when he was in the military. Shortly thereafter, two others replied with similar experiences when they were children. As we know, sleep apnea is not something that develops all of a sudden at a certain age when you reach a certain age. If you have sleep apnea, you’ve had some degree of it since you were an infant. So if you have episodic breath holding spells while sleeping when young, it makes sense that your capacity to utilize oxygen is enhanced, similar to what occurs when elite athletes train in higher altitudes to acclimate to lower oxygen levels.

This brings us to Michael Phelps. He seems to always surge ahead when he’s swimming underwater just after the turns. Next time, look at his narrow jaws and malocclusion. Could he have a sleep-breathing problem? Look at his mother.

Is there anyone reading this post who has sleep apnea with a similar story?

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Blog
Tagged: ,breath holding, michael phelps, sleep apnea, swimming

8 Responses to “Sleep Apnea, Michael Phelps & Swimming Records”

Laura Kuligowski on November 25th, 2008 7:49 am

I read your comments on the NYtimes.com website. I also have a tongue that is too large for my mouth. I am tired all the time and wake up through out the night. I went for a sleep study and wasn’t offically diagnosed with sleep apnea but they gave me a mask to wear. I could never fall asleep with the mask on. Is there anything else I could try??? Do you have suggestions somewhere on your website?
Steven Park on November 25th, 2008 11:00 am

Your problem is much more common than you think. I was seeing the same type of patients day after day in my practice. This is why I felt compelled to write my book.

You were fortunate enough to undergo a sleep study, but it sounds like you came out in the gray area—this is what’s called upper airway resistance syndrome. I have more detailed articles on obstructive sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome under the articles menu option. There are a number of issues to consider, but before you go any further, I suggest you read more about these topics first.
Tom F on November 26th, 2008 9:39 am

My wife is convinced that I suffer from sleep apnea, though I’ve never been tested. In addition to snoring and regularly waking several times a night, more than one dentist has commented on the irregularity of bone structures in my mouth. I am also a highly-ranked amateur cyclist.
Strangely enough, I’ve always assumed that my athletic success resulted from a mix of inherited big heart and lungs as well as ADHD-focus on preferred activities (ADHD runs in my family – no pun intended). Perhaps not…
Steven Park on November 26th, 2008 10:19 am

I often see people who don’t sleep well (usually due to a sleep-breathing problem) usually compensate by excelling in other activities or sports. These highly intense activities are what keeps them feeling alive (and awake). I see the same phenomenon in creative and artistic types as well. Almost every creative type I’ve met or interacted with have various degrees of sleep difficulties. The common theme here seems to be overcoming adversity to achieve greatness.

Tom F, it sounds like you may have obstructive sleep apnea. You should probably get that checked out.
Janet Blackwell on December 2nd, 2008 11:55 pm

My daughter has had a few sleep studies since age 10, she is now 16. With each study, the conclusions were different. First I was told she had narcolepsy (mild form) to borderline narcoleptic. The recent studies show that she has no form of narcolepsy but has sleep apnea. She’s had her tonsils removed as well as shaving a part of her adenoids. After all this, her condition has not improved. I have yet to find a doctor who is concerned about treating her properly other than giving her medication from Ritalin to Provigil. The most recent doctor I took her to is a neurologist who slightly hinted that she may be depressed and gave her medication to help with her depression? She’s only 16 and I do not feel comfortable medicating her, especially given the fact that she has NOT been diagnosed with depression. We also tried the CPAP machine. It seems somewhat effective when used during her sleep studies (using the CPAP machine at the sleep study center). However, when the CPAP machine is used at home, it is not effective when used at home. Do you have any suggestions? Please help.
Steven Park on December 3rd, 2008 12:31 pm

Ms. Blackwell, it sounds like you and your daughter are in a difficult situation. Before you look at other options, how compliant is your daughter in using the CPAP machine? Does her machine have a data card the monitors usage? I would try to optimize her CPAP use and effectiveness before giving up. Apneasupport.com is a forum site that the American Sleep Apnea Association runs and is a great site for peer support for various CPAP issues.

Also, can she breathe well through her nose? Nasal congestion can prevent proper CPAP usage.

Another option is to see a dentist that specializes in these kind of problems. Most people with sleep-breathing problems have relatively small jaws with dental crowding and tongue collapse. These dentists can made devices that pull the lower jaw forward, which pulls the tongue forward, opening up the airway. Check with the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine to find a dentist in your area. There are also certain dentists/orthodontists that widen jaws using orthodontic techniques. She may be too old for it, but probably worth checking out. Search for functional orthopedic dentistry in Google.
rebecca on May 4th, 2009 11:44 am

i have had sleep apnea evid..all my life also..
did not find out unitl recently.

have always had to exercise/ jog/walk always move..to
deal with it..(i feel i did this intuitively) since young as i did not know i had the problem
but was the only way i could think straight as well as feel limber rather than tight.
growing up people always thought i was so in shape) however..i had not choice…while most girls were being prissy etc..i was trying just to feel well.

i also did get into the arts and creative things as well as ballet etc.
i also have always been able to hold my breath under water.

i found the comments above interesting..
i recently had orthognathic surgery which improved the airway. some, however
am having problems with the tongue feeling too big for the mouth/dental arch.
so having some problems again.

i am hoping this will get better. am trying to figure out with the md/ what possibly can be done.. it is very bothersome..to the point that it is pushing on my teeth and palate at night…and truly very diffficult to deal with. there is concern re: relapse as well as the tension on the joints.

i feel the orthognathic surgery is a good option…however, is not always straightforward..however i feel for most people it is very successful and the right thing to do..

people who are born with a small mouth etc…class 11 maloclussion as i did
and then have also there bicuspids removed..i feel somehow it does effect us.

i think there is so much we/and the medical profession still need to learn.
Steven Park on May 4th, 2009 6:12 pm

Rebecca,

It’s interesting that you note that you’re a creative type. I frequently see people with sleep-breathing issues having creative tendencies, sometimes very talented, in fact.

What type of orthognathic surgery did you have? Was your upper jaw pushed back or your lower jaw pulled forward, or neither?