Kadence Technology™
Kadence Technology™ was developed by Dr. Mark Johnson and Kapitol Reef Aquatics to improve the breathing experience in the aquatic environment. Kadence Technology™ is based upon the observation that while water pressure is sufficicent to provide buoyancy to the swimmer, it also subjects the chest and lungs to stressful extrinsic compression while in water. Unfortunately, this results in the overworking of inhalation muscles and eventually fatigue.
How Kadence Technology™ addresses typical snorkel problems:
Kadence Technology™ was designed to place calibrated resistance into the exhalation path of the snorkel. This introduces a small amount of pressure to improve oxygen delivery and remove carbon dioxide from the bloodstream. It also counters the compressive weight of the water on the chest and lungs subsequently sparing inhalation muscles from fatigue.
Kadence Regulator
Uniquely regulates exhalation pressure and reclaims lung function lost to the compressive forces of the aquatic environment.
Air Exchange Ports
Separates inhaled air from exhaled air. Maintains pressure and auto-purge during each exhalation.
Medical studies have shown that, without Kadence Technology™:
Swimmers’ tidal volumes (amount of air moved with each resting breath) drop 25-30% with immersion relative to the tidal volumes that naturally occur on dry land.
Swimmers’ forced vital capacities (deepest breath that a person can take) drop 8.7% within 30 minutes of being immersed. This is believed to be due to inspiratory muscle fatigue (rather than expiratory muscle fatigue, pulmonary edema, or atelectasis)
Swimmers’ resting lung volumes while immersed are significantly less than while on dry land, causing the brain to be feel confusion about the desirable end-points for inhalation and exhalation while immersed.
Benefits of Kadence Technology™:
The pressure regulation of this innovative technology significantly improves performance and safety, while simultaneously reducing what we have come to call snorkel panic. Kadence Technology™ effectively reduces expiratory flow rates, reduces overall resting respiratory rates by 32%, reduces inspiratory muscle fatigue, reclaims lost lung function, reduces snorkel panic, improves oxygen and carbon dioxide diffusion in the lungs, and improves breath hold time. This is a remarkable achievement in the field of aquatic sports.
Kapitol Reef Aquatics anticipates that Kadence Technology™ will find additional utility in relationship to scuba regulator technology and is pursuing licensing this technology to regulator manufacturers.
Click here to view an animated presentation of Kadence Technology.