What is the Guinness World Record for lung capacity

The Guinness World Record for lung capacity is 14.76 liters, set by Danish free diver Stig Sverinsen in 2014. This value far exceeds the lung capacity range of about 4-5 liters for ordinary adult males and about 3-4 liters for females, mainly related to long-term professional training, respiratory muscle group strengthening, low oxygen adaptation ability, diaphragm elasticity, and genetic factors.

1. Professional Training:

Free divers need to undergo several years of respiratory control training, including specialized exercises such as static breath holding and dynamic flat diving. By repeatedly stimulating alveolar expansion and chest mobility, the oxygen storage capacity of the lungs is gradually improved. Severinsen conducts 4-6 hours of underwater training daily, combined with carbon dioxide tolerance exercises, to significantly enhance lung tissue compliance.

2. Respiratory muscle strengthening:

The synergistic contraction ability of intercostal muscles, diaphragm muscles, and abdominal muscles directly affects lung capacity. The record holder adopts a weight-bearing breathing training method, such as using an inspiratory resistance device for progressive load training, to achieve a maximum inspiratory pressure of 120cmH ₂ O or above, which is about 75cmH ₂ O for an average person. This high-intensity training can increase chest volume by 15% -20%.

3. Low oxygen adaptation:

Long term exposure to low oxygen environments can stimulate the secretion of erythropoietin and enhance blood oxygen carrying capacity. Severinsen regularly trains in areas above 3000 meters above sea level, maintaining a hemoglobin concentration of around 180g/L for normal males at 130-175g/L, resulting in a 30% increase in single breath oxygen utilization efficiency.

4. Diaphragm elasticity:

Through yoga style complete breathing training, the range of diaphragm movement can be increased from the regular 4-5 centimeters to 8-10 centimeters. The record creator can actively control the descent of the diaphragm to increase the vertical diameter of the chest cavity, and cooperate with rib arch abduction to achieve "whole lung breathing", making the supplementary inhalation volume reach 3000 milliliters or more, which is about 1500 milliliters for ordinary people.

5. Genetic factors:

The Nordic population generally has a significant advantage in thoracic anatomy, with Severinsen's chest circumference reaching 145 centimeters during deep inhalation, which is about 100 centimeters for an average person. Genetic testing shows that the ACE gene I/D polymorphism is type II, which is significantly associated with excellent aerobic endurance performance. The general population can moderately improve lung function through aerobic exercises such as abdominal breathing training and swimming, but achieving extreme lung capacity requires professional guidance. It is recommended to engage in moderate intensity aerobic exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week, combined with breathing exercises such as balloon blowing and deep breathing exercises. Eat more foods containing magnesium nuts, dark green vegetables, and antioxidants such as blueberries and green tea, and avoid smoking and air pollution. Lung capacity testing can be used as a routine indicator to evaluate respiratory health, but sudden drops exceeding 20% may require screening for interstitial lung disease, pleural lesions, and other diseases.