The 3 Most Insane World Records For Holding Your Breath: 29 Minutes And 3 Seconds Explained

The human body's capacity for survival is routinely redefined by elite athletes, and no record pushes the limits of human physiology quite like the longest time spent holding one's breath. As of today, December 12, 2025, the official Guinness World Record for the longest time a person has voluntarily held their breath underwater stands at a mind-blowing 29 minutes and 3 seconds. This astonishing feat, achieved by Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić, shatters all previous benchmarks and requires a deep understanding of the body's natural defense mechanisms, specialized training, and a crucial distinction involving oxygen pre-breathing.

This article dives deep into the two primary categories of breath-holding records—the pure, no-oxygen challenge and the oxygen-assisted maximum—to explain the science, the training, and the incredible athletes who risk everything to achieve the impossible. We will explore the vital role of the Mammalian Diving Reflex and introduce you to the record holders who have mastered the art of static apnea.

The Current World Record Holder: Vitomir Maričić's Biography

The man who holds the most impressive breath-holding record is more than just an athlete; he is a scientist and an explorer who has dedicated his life to pushing human boundaries.

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• Full Name: Vitomir Maričić
• Nationality: Croatian
• Current Record: Longest time breath held voluntarily underwater (male)
• Record Time: 29 minutes and 3 seconds (29:03)
• Date Set: 2023 (Specific date varies in reports, but the record is confirmed as the current GWR)
• Location: Opatija, Croatia
• Category: Oxygen-Assisted Static Apnea (Pre-breathing 100% pure oxygen)
• Background: Maričić is a highly accomplished freediver, climber, and explorer. He is a representative for the Croatian national freediving team.
• Education & Research: He holds degrees in sports science, IT, and photography, and is actively involved in research at a University's Diving & Hyperbaric Medicine Center. This scientific background informs his extreme training methodologies.
• Previous Records: Maričić is a multi-time world record holder across various freediving disciplines, demonstrating a comprehensive mastery of the sport.

The Two Categories of Breath-Holding Records: Oxygen vs. Pure Apnea

When discussing the world record for holding your breath, it is essential to distinguish between the two major categories, as the difference in time is monumental—nearly 18 minutes. The distinction lies in the use of pre-breathing pure oxygen, a technique that saturates the bloodstream and tissues with oxygen far beyond normal levels.

1. Oxygen-Assisted Static Apnea (The 29:03 Record)

This is the category where Vitomir Maričić set his 29-minute, 3-second record. The full title is the "Longest time breath held voluntarily underwater (male)."

• The Process: Before the attempt, the freediver spends a significant amount of time (often 30 minutes or more) breathing 100% pure oxygen. This process is called pre-oxygenation.
• The Effect: Pre-oxygenation flushes out nitrogen and hyper-saturates the blood's hemoglobin and the body's plasma with oxygen. This creates a massive oxygen reserve that delays the onset of hypoxia (low oxygen) and the urge to breathe, which is primarily triggered by the buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2).
• Previous Record Holders: This record was previously held by another Croatian, Budimir Šobat, who reached 24 minutes and 37.36 seconds in 2021. Before that, the record belonged to Aleix Segura Vendrell with a time of 24 minutes and 3 seconds. The continuous breaking of this record highlights the ongoing evolution of training and the understanding of human physiology.

2. Pure Static Apnea (The "No Oxygen" Record)

This category, known simply as Static Apnea (STA), is the truest test of the human body's natural breath-holding ability, as no supplemental oxygen is used. The athlete simply takes a single, deep breath of ambient air before submerging.

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• The Current Benchmark: The official AIDA (International Association for the Development of Apnea) World Record for Static Apnea (on air) is 11 minutes and 35 seconds.
• The Record Holder: This incredible feat was set by French freediver Stéphane Mifsud in 2009.
• The Challenge: Without the massive oxygen reserve, the body quickly builds up CO2, leading to an overwhelming, painful urge to breathe much sooner. This record is a testament to mental fortitude and the body's natural physiological adaptations, rather than pure oxygen saturation.

The Science of Survival: How the Body Holds Its Breath for So Long

Holding your breath for 30 seconds is a struggle for most. To last for 29 minutes requires the activation of ancient, involuntary physiological responses. The key is the Mammalian Diving Reflex.

The Mammalian Diving Reflex (MDR)

The MDR is an evolutionary trait shared by all air-breathing vertebrates, particularly strong in aquatic mammals like seals and whales. It is triggered by chilling the face and holding the breath, and it forces three critical changes in the body:

1. Bradycardia (Slowing Heart Rate):

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The heart rate can slow dramatically, sometimes dropping to less than 20 beats per minute (BPM) from a resting rate of 60–70 BPM. This extreme slowing conserves oxygen, as the heart is a major consumer of oxygen. Stéphane Mifsud, for instance, has been recorded with a heart rate in the teens during a dive. This is a primary mechanism for extending the apnea time.

2. Peripheral Vasoconstriction (Blood Shift):

The blood vessels in the extremities (fingers, toes, arms, and legs) constrict. This redirects oxygen-rich blood away from non-essential muscle groups and organs and prioritizes the delivery of the remaining oxygen to the body's most critical organs: the brain and the heart. This blood shift is vital for preventing organ damage during prolonged breath-holding.

3. Splenic Contraction:

The spleen, which acts as a reservoir for red blood cells, contracts and releases a surge of oxygenated red blood cells into the circulation. This transient increase in oxygen-carrying capacity provides a small, but significant, boost to the body's internal oxygen supply.

The Training and Dangers of Extreme Apnea

Achieving a 29-minute breath hold is not a matter of simply "trying harder." It involves years of rigorous physical training, mental conditioning, and specialized techniques to manage the body's response to low oxygen and high carbon dioxide.

Training for the Extreme

Freedivers like Maričić and Mifsud use several advanced techniques:

• CO2 Tolerance Tables: These are training routines involving repeated, short breath holds with short recovery times. This trains the body to tolerate the intense, burning urge to breathe caused by carbon dioxide buildup.
• O2 Deprivation Tables: Longer breath holds with longer recovery times are used to train the body to function efficiently with low oxygen levels (hypoxia).
• Packing (Glossopharyngeal Insufflation): A technique used to compress extra air into the lungs after a full inhale. This allows the freediver to increase their total lung capacity by up to 20% or more, providing a larger initial oxygen reserve.
• Mental Conditioning: Meditation, visualization, and complete physical relaxation are paramount. The less the body moves and the calmer the mind, the lower the metabolic rate and the slower the oxygen consumption.

The Inherent Dangers

While performed under strict supervision, extreme breath-holding carries significant risks, which is why these records should never be attempted by untrained individuals. The primary dangers include:

• Shallow Water Blackout (Syncope): This is the sudden loss of consciousness due to cerebral hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain), often occurring during the ascent or immediately after surfacing.
• Hypoxia: Prolonged oxygen deprivation can lead to brain damage or death. The body’s involuntary reflex to breathe is a life-saving mechanism that these athletes must override.
• Pulmonary Barotrauma: The extreme pressure changes and the "blood shift" can cause lung squeeze or other injuries to the delicate tissues of the lungs and chest cavity.

The record of 29 minutes and 3 seconds is a powerful statement about the adaptability of the human body. It is a testament to scientific training, mental discipline, and the incredible, ancient physiological tools we all possess, showing that the true limits of human endurance are often much further than we imagine.