Apolo Ohno Yawning: Yawns Provide Strategic Advantage (PHOTOS)

Apolo Ohno yawning may have been a strange sight to viewers of the Vancouver Olympics last weekend. Even as he became the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian of all time, Ohno's pre-race yawn appeared out of place.

Yet according to Fourth Place Medal, Ohno's yawning is all about strategy. "The yawning lets extra oxygen into his lungs in the seconds before bursting across the ice," writes Martin Rogers. And indeed, as Ohno's rigorous training methods show, he seeks every advantage possible. Scroll down for pictures of Ohno's yawns in action.

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Comments

[Gravity Werks]

07:13 PM on 03/02/2010

Apolo is engaged in the little known process of pandiculation. Pandiculations are well documented in research on healthy vertebrate animals. While it may appear he is yawning, he is actually contracting a set of muscles and then he releases them which produces chemicals of relaxation. Whether or not he knows about this natural process is immaterial rather that the process itself is what keep animals moving as well as they do. Ask them the next time you see one in the gym or rather when they wake them self up in the morning. Fido already knows what Apolo knows.

http://bit.ly/9QxpDz

[Mariosright]

07:30 PM on 02/24/2010

Just reading this article and the comments about yawning has triggered my yawning reflex several times.

[OrangeSalad]

10:05 AM on 02/23/2010

Obviously whatever he is doing works for him but I wonder why he would choose yawning over deep breathing exercises?

[Gravity Werks]

07:18 PM on 03/02/2010

"if' someone gets into the heart of this response, then deeper breathing is one of the results.

[kmdippenger]

09:38 AM on 02/23/2010

My border collie yawns when she's in a situation where she feels nervous or anxious. No, she's not tired..she's never tired.

[DavidWyld]

09:17 AM on 02/23/2010

OK, I noticed this during the endless hours of skating coverage that I mindlessly had on (notice, did not say "watch"). Yet, it turns out that this is a good relaxation-performance strategy tip for all us weekend warriors! Maybe before your next interview as well!

David

[alumtrix]

09:08 AM on 02/23/2010

I'm a yawner also. I think it has more to do with nerves than whatever funky theory they came up with. People handle nervousness in many different ways. I actually had 3 fainting episodes while in my 20's and had some tests run following the third. Since nothing was found conclusively, I was told it was related to the fight or flight reaction and that my heart rate would drop drastically to cause the fainting. I assumed it was the same thing that caused me to yawn just prior to playing a sport.

[Travis bdboy]

08:48 AM on 02/23/2010

Sista Sarah has also been seen yawning during her speeches...could it be her brain lacks oxygen?

[DonJM]

09:14 AM on 02/24/2010

What brain?

[Travis bdboy]

08:47 AM on 02/23/2010

Its amazing how HP has done so much scientific studies on yawning...have the people at HP been

living in a cave all their lives, or just need to try and make a non-story a non-story?

[plzchuteme]

08:40 AM on 02/23/2010

I'm not buying the pre-oxygenation story as there are better and more efficient ways of doing that. I suspect that, instead, it has to do with relaxation.

[Gravity Werks]

07:16 PM on 03/02/2010

Yes, when one voluntarily contracts and then releases with intention then you can produce the very chemicals of relaxation as noted by how Apolo was appearing sleepy after his movements with the jaw.

[Eduardo Lopez]

07:39 AM on 02/23/2010

I do that when I'm sleepy. I'm quite the olympic champion of sleeping.

[JavaManiac]

05:16 AM on 02/23/2010

I do that before I go on stage. Someone gave me that advice years ago. It does give you a little burst of energy and focus.

[lussiexh]

05:15 AM on 02/23/2010

Hi frieds, i m sonixh. i want to say that Games is most important keep in our life..you can say we fit with Games...i mostly play all the Game...........

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[xlntcat]

03:46 AM on 02/23/2010

There is no emperical evidence that yawning increase blood oxygen but it does increase cerebral blood flow and muscle flexibility.

[amber15]

02:46 AM on 02/23/2010

awesome guy!!!

[lp4ju]

02:39 AM on 02/23/2010

so if it's to get extra oxygen is it technically still a yawn