I wonder if the diver used any assistance to improve their oxygen capacity?

Adding extra red blood cells into our body?

Increasing the oxygen capacity of existing cells?

Is there anything we can eat/drink that would soak up excess carbon dioxide?

The funny thing is the co2 isn't doing much in the short term except make you feel completely terrible, because that's how most mammals evolved not dying in caves and underground tunnels. You can't feel low o2 (well, you can with training like aviators get) so you feel excess co2 instead.

Just lots and lots of training. And probably some good genes to start with.

Huffing O2