Beyond Nine Minutes: Heike Schwerdtner on Static Apnea, Training Hypoxia, and Making History
How the woman who broke the nine-minute barrier trains hypoxia, masters stillness, and continues pushing the limits of static apnea.
This interview originally appeared in Pillar One of The Depth Collector Book One, the section dedicated to Resistance to Hypoxia training. I am republishing it here as part of Depth Talks, a series of conversations with freedivers, coaches, and ocean people whose experience shaped the way I think about training, performance, and depth.
I was in Roatán when the AIDA Pool World Championship was taking place in Jeju, Korea. Our routine revolved around pre-Vertical Blue preparation with the Taiwanese athletes: diving in the mornings, resting or hitting the gym in the afternoons, and tuning into the AIDA live stream during dinner. One evening, I was glued to my screen, watching German freediver Heike Schwerdtner push past the 8'30"mark, then 8'40". My heart raced as I screamed at my screen from the other side of the world, convinced she was about to break the 9'00" barrier and surpass Natalia Molchanova's world record of 9'02", which had remained unbroken since 2013. At 8'44", the clock stopped. By 8'45", Heike was performing her recovery breathing, securing her white card and the gold medal. Fantastic.
The interview you're about to read was conducted a few months before the 2024 AIDA World Pool Championship in Lithuania, where Heike didn't stop at 8'45". She didn't stop at 9'00" either. She went beyond Natalia's world record, setting a new one at 9'07", pushing human limits even further. I cannot express enough my respect and admiration for her dedication, hard work, and discipline. She just made HISTORY.
Editor’s note: Since these words were written, Heike has continued doing what once seemed impossible. She has broken her own world record again and again, and on June 13, 2026, she pushed the women’s static apnea record to an extraordinary 9 minutes and 39 seconds. Nine minutes and thirty-nine seconds on a single breath. The nine-minute barrier that once looked almost untouchable is now far behind her. At this point, ten minutes no longer feels like fantasy. It feels like the next frontier, waiting for Heike Schwerdtner to reach it. I cannot wait to watch her cross it.
In This Interview |
From Beginner to World Record Holder
As the world's leading female STA athlete, your achievements have set benchmarks in the sport. Please share a bit about your journey. What drew you to STA, and what aspects do you find most compelling?
Heike: I started freediving around 10 years ago as a normal student taking a course in a German lake, which included depth, STA (in a lake!), and dynamic (a 60m parkour in this German lake). I was not bad for a beginner, so I founded an apnea group in my club, where we trained dynamic just for fun in a pool once a week. Initially, I hated STA; I loved to swim with my monofin. I really cannot remember when it changed. One day, I started to train STA, too. One of my students wanted to participate in a competition, and I decided to come with him. That's when my journey began. I got the National Record in STA very soon after, in my 3rd competition, and I never expected it. But I never trained just STA; I always trained all pool disciplines. In the last 2 years, I have focused more on STA, but I still train all disciplines, too. Now I love STA because I don't feel my legs burning as in DYN. Most compelling? I think it's really the fact that I don't get lactic legs. Because in DYN and DYNB, my legs are so full of pain, which I hate. In STA, it's just CO2 and then hypoxia; in DYN/DYNB, it's all this plus pain.
Building Hypoxic Resistance
Do you designate specific time slots exclusively for hypoxic resistance training during your training preparation?
Heike: Yes, I do it weekly.
Empty lung breath-holds seem to be the most effective exercise for enhancing hypoxic resistance, and I usually conduct my hypoxia training on dry land. Could you share the specific practices or techniques you've incorporated into your training to push your hypoxic limits further? What are your thoughts on this approach?
Heike: I do it like all others. I do 8 x empty lungs, resting for 2:00 min. I think it's one of the most important approaches for experienced freedivers.
Preparing for a Maximal Static
Can you elaborate on your breathing preparation technique before an 8 min 45 s STA breath-hold? Are you hyperventilating? How has your preparation evolved?
Heike: I do nothing special. Inhale, exhale, counting until 4 for 5-7 minutes until Official TOP and slightly hyperventilating. It has not evolved much; maybe now I consciously pay more attention to it. Before warming up, I just go into the water. Maybe I should do something else for more calmness?
Nutrition, Fasting, and Blood Markers
Nutrition undeniably plays a pivotal role in an athlete's performance. Are there any specific foods or supplements you rely on to bolster your resistance to hypoxia? It is believed that alkaline foods aid in CO2 tolerance; are there foods known to enhance hypoxia resistance?
Heike: No, I don't know of any supplements or specific foods to bolster resistance to hypoxia. I think easily digestible vegetarian food and hours of fasting are bolstering it. I don't believe in alkaline food; the body has a system to regulate it correctly so that your blood pH value is always the same.
I would also love to hear your perspective on the role of fasting in enhancing hypoxic resistance.
Heike: Ah, yes. Fasting is good, but I believe it's not good to empty your glucose storage before a competition.
Do you advocate for regular blood tests to monitor hematocrit levels and gauge the effectiveness of your training regimen? If so, can you tell us more, and could you recommend a frequency for these tests?
Heike: I checked my hematocrit and hemoglobin level before the last competition. All I have determined was that I had–for me–a higher level than normal. But at the actual competition, I did the same as last year. I saw no change.
Training Hypoxia Safely
Safety is of paramount importance in freediving. Could you elaborate on the measures you take to ensure you push your limits safely during hypoxia-focused training sessions? Additionally, do you primarily train on dry land or in water?
Heike: I know my body very well (I hope). I only train STA at a high level with buddies I trust 100 % and who know what to do if a blackout or something else happens. And we always have oxygen next to us.
Recognizing the early signs of hypoxia is often considered crucial. Can you share the strategies or techniques you've developed to identify these signs promptly?
Heike: Do empty-lung STA dry until hypoxia, and then you will get to know your body with the early signs of hypoxia.
Please provide a detailed walkthrough of your recovery breathing process.
Heike: I just do hook breathing, and between the hook breathing, I do my surface protocol.
The Mental Side of Static Apnea
Mental preparation is a vital aspect of freediving. How do you maintain composure and suppress restless thoughts, especially considering the significant amount of oxygen consumed by the brain?
Heike: I have planned my STA dive: from the beginning until the first contraction, through the transit zone, and until the end, and I 'force' myself to follow my plan. In dynamics, this is much more difficult for me. Mental training is very important: learning it on land and trying and learning it during your dives in training and competitions.
STA often requires overcoming mental barriers. Can you share an experience where you had to overcome a significant mental challenge in STA?
Heike: I am lucky, I think. Until now, I didn´t have a significant mental challenge. If I feel too exhausted (like at the current moment, because I trained very hard the last weeks just for STA), I take a break from STA. Instead, I just do dives until the first contraction and do things I love, like eat more chocolate and drink a glass of wine or beer. After a few days, maybe one week or two, I focus again on my goal and start to train.
Altitude and Hypoxic Adaptation
The "Live High/Train Low" strategy is frequently discussed in the context of endurance sports. Would this approach be beneficial for freediving?
Heike: I think yes. But it's complicated to do it. And you have to be careful with overtraining.
From your perspective, what should be the target blood oxygen saturation (SpO2%) to initiate adaptations, and how long should one maintain that hypoxic state to maximize its benefits? Is it the lower, the better?
Heike: I really don't know. I was reading something about lower than 80-90 %, 20-30 hours per week, for a minimum of 4 weeks.
I don't think the lower, the better. I believe the middle would be good.
How do you monitor and evaluate your hypoxia resistance during training? Are there specific benchmarks or goals you strive to achieve?
Heike: I do it with paper and a stopwatch. Sometimes I use a pulse oximeter, and I usually note my body's reactions, like intense hypoxia shortly before an LMC. My goal is to have longer empty-lung times, but of course, it also depends on what and when you have eaten before.
Oxygen Storage and Blackout Prevention
Myoglobin plays a critical role in oxygen storage in muscles. Could you discuss its significance in freediving and any strategies to optimize its levels through training?
Heike: Sorry, but I know too little about this topic.
Is avoiding a blackout a priority, or have you accepted it as a normal and inevitable aspect of your training?
Heike: I definitely avoid blacking out.
In the event of a blackout, which some might view as unfortunate, how do you manage the aftermath, both physically and mentally?
Heike: It was a long time ago that I had one. And I've never had a deep blackout; I've had some small ones at the surface, but it's years ago.
Mistakes, Plateaus, and Breakthroughs
Could you shed light on individuals' common mistakes when training to resist hypoxia?
Heike: I assume that they often don´t go deep enough into hypoxia. However, at the moment, I'm going very deep into hypoxia, and I am not able to increase my breath-hold. So, maybe I'm making a mistake, too.
Can you describe a breakthrough moment in your STA training when you realized you could push your limits further than previously thought?
Heike: No, I try not to have any expectations. I just try to do my best, and what will happen and what belongs to me will come–or not. I try to be happy with this. Overall, I achieved so much in freediving, which I never thought I could. I should be happy and satisfied with this.
Hyperventilation and Advanced Hypoxia Training
Hyperventilation is a contentious topic in the freediving community. What is your stance on it? Should it be strictly avoided, or can it serve as a tool in training?
Heike: For experienced freedivers, it is a good tool for dry hypoxia training. Contractions will come later, and then it's much easier to go deep into hypoxia without a lot of contractions and CO2.
Could you share any advanced techniques or research that are currently being explored in the field of freediving, particularly concerning hypoxic training?
Heike: I am currently looking into some research to boost hypoxic training, but so far, I haven't found a game changer.
Advice from a World Record Holder
As one of the best breath-holders on the planet, what advice or insights would you offer to someone aiming to enhance their resistance to hypoxia?
Heike: A lot of apnea training: statics and dynamics. High volume, but empty-lung training, too.
Lastly, for all the freedivers out there who might not have a fondness for STA, what message or advice would you offer to shift their perspective and change their minds about the discipline?
Heike: Just try it with a good coach. But if you don´t like it, still do it, just a little bit to compete in the other disciplines (like dynamic or depth), because STA is the base of all apnea disciplines.
Stillness Is Never Passive
What I admire most about Heike is not only the record. It is the honesty behind it. She trains hard, pushes hypoxia deep, but never pretends to have every answer. She observes, adjusts, steps back when needed, then returns to the work.
Static may look like doing nothing. It is not. Inside, everything is moving.
Heike has already pushed the women’s record to 9 minutes and 39 seconds. Ten minutes no longer feels impossible.
It feels close.
Connect with Heike
Heike is, in my opinion, one of the most inspiring freedivers in the sport today. Take a few minutes to explore her work and discover the experience, discipline, and understanding of static apnea behind her extraordinary performances, as well as everything she shares with freedivers who genuinely want to understand what it takes to reach the highest level.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heike_schwerdtner/
Further Reading
Heike’s answers open the door to a much wider question: how can hypoxia be trained deliberately, progressively, and safely rather than simply pushed harder?
In Hypoxia Resistance Training for Freediving, I develop my own framework, with practical exercises and structured methods to improve oxygen efficiency, extend your limits, and reduce blackout risk.
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