The Longest Breath Hold Was Longer Than a Sitcom Episode

In 2021, there was a new world record for breath holding underwater, clocking in at nearly 25 minutes. For perspective, the average sitcom episode is about 22 minutes. That's an eternity to spend without breathing, although the record holder was assisted by breathing pure oxygen for a period of time directly before his attempt.

Below are the current world record holders. Like many athletic and human achievements, men and women have separate categories.

Both of these records are certified by the Guinness World Records, an international body that covers unusual and exceptional achievements. In both cases, the record holders were lying face down in a swimming pool, floating gently near the surface, with helpers beside them just in case of an emergency.

Back in 2008, professional daredevil, magician and overall limit-pusher David Blaine put competitive apnea into the mainstream. On live television — in fact, on the Oprah Winfrey Show — Blaine, in a silver dive suit, was submerged in a sphere of water, holding his breath for 17 minutes, 4 seconds.

The previous record was from February of that year, when Peter Colat of Switzerland held his breath for 16 minutes, 32 seconds.

David Blaine's world record only stood for around five months, until Tom Sietas, of Germany, held his breath for 17 minutes, 19 seconds, in September of the same year. All of these record holders utilized pure oxygen to stay underwater longer.

Holding your breath is something most people try at one time or another. But since there's almost no activity that humans won't make into a contest, breath holding has evolved over the years, with new techniques and a clear progression in records.

Ancient cultures would dive for food — as in the technique of spear fishing — as well as for pearls, coral and sponges. In the modern era, with the development of breathing apparatus such as scuba tanks and respirators, it became possible to spend long stretches of time underwater, without the need to resurface for air (though spearfishing with scuba gear is frowned upon).

But why do something the easy way when you can do it the hard way and boast about it afterwards? In 1949, the first free diving world record was set when Raimondo Bucher dove to a depth of 98 feet (30 meters). From then on, records for the deepest free dive kept being broken by both men and women.

The International Association for the Development of Apnea (AIDA) is an international body that keeps tabs on free diving, and which includes records for competitive static apnea (a fancy term for breath holding while lying still). Free divers try to go as deep as they can, for as long as they can, which is impressive in its own right, given that the entire activity is done without breathing.

The other international organization that keeps records of breath holding is Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS). CMAS covers more ground (or would that be water?), as it helps organize a wide variety of different underwater sports, but they also certify long breath-holds.

For a record to be entered and certified by these organizations, it has to be monitored, and the entrant must pass an anti-doping test afterwards.

Apneists, as they are called, undergo extensive training to hold their breath far longer than the average person. Everyone has their own particular combination of physical and mental techniques, but the result is the same: By moving very little, and by entering a state of deep concentration, they are able to hold their breath for astonishing amounts of time.

Optimizing Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

There are essentially two variables that have to be kept track of when going for the static apnea record: oxygen and carbon dioxide. As you hold your breath, your body continues to use the last dose of oxygen you inhaled in your lungs to keep your heart rate steady, your brain functioning, and all the rest of your organ tissues alive.

While that's happening, carbon dioxide is building up in your blood. There are physical mechanisms that alert you when too much CO2 is present, which is experienced by a strong urge to breathe.

As time passes, the buildup of CO2, combined with the gradual depletion of O2, creates increasing pressure, leading to an almost panic-like state as your internal system sounds the alarm: "Breathe now! It's important if you want to stay alive!"

Strategic Hyperventilation

Elite apneists are able to hold off this powerful urge for as long as possible. They also usually deploy a kind of hyperventilation technique before beginning their attempt, which helps flush CO2 from the system and make it easier to withstand the reflex to breathe.

Eventually, you will pass out, but these expert athletes are able to hold their breath until the last possible second.

The records recognized by AIDA and CMAS pertain to people who have held their breath without the help of breathing pure oxygen. That's because the game is changed pretty significantly when a person uses this technique, as the records listed above attest.

When you breathe pure oxygen, your system becomes saturated with this life-giving molecule. This bumps the time up considerably, as you'll see when perusing the next record-holders.

Current AIDA Records

Current CMAS Records

It depends on the conditions. All of the records we've just looked at are intentional, the product of enormous effort and training. They simultaneously represent the outer limits of human achievement and testify to how that limit shifts over time. We've seen that, without breathing oxygen ahead of time, the limit seems to be just over 10 minutes.

However, there have been several cases of unintentional breath holding, where people (especially children) have survived being underwater for around 20 minutes, often with the help of very cold water. It seems as though the low temperature, which helps slow down metabolism, can help keep a person alive without breathing for exceptionally long amounts of time.