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It all comes down to our need for that invisible yet vital basis for human life: oxygen. Here’s the paradox: The amount of oxygen your muscles, organs, and tissues are able to use is not entirely dependent on the amount of oxygen in your blood. Our red blood cells are saturated with between 95 and 99 percent oxygen, and that’s plenty for even the most strenuous exercise. (A few of my clients with serious pulmonary disease have a lower oxygen saturation level, but this is very rare.) What determines how much of this oxygen your body can use is actually the amount of carbon dioxide in your blood. You may remember from biology class that we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, also called CO2. Most people learn that carbon dioxide is just a waste gas that we exhale from our lungs, but it is not a waste gas. It is the key variable that allows the release of oxygen from the red blood cells to be metabolized by the body. This is called the Bohr Effect. Understanding and utilizing this physiological principle will allow you to stop overbreathing.
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When we breathe correctly, we have a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide, and our breathing is quiet, controlled, and rhythmic. If we are overbreathing, our breathing is heavy, more intense, and erratic, and we exhale too much carbon dioxide, leaving our body literally gasping for oxygen.
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But taking a large breath into the lungs during rest will not increase oxygen content. It is exactly the wrong thing to do if you seek greater endurance.
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We need the blood to release oxygen, not hold on to it. The human body actually carries a surplus of oxygen in the blood—75 percent is exhaled during rest and as much as 25 percent is exhaled during physical exercise. Increasing oxygen saturation to 100 percent has no added benefits.
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the primary stimulus to breathe is to eliminate excess carbon dioxide from the body.
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When we breathe in excess of what we require, too much carbon dioxide is exhaled from the lungs and, hence, is removed from the blood. It forces that door to a more closed position, making it harder for oxygen to pass through. Breathing too much for short periods of time is not a significant problem, as no permanent change in the body occurs. However, when we breathe too much over an extended period of days to weeks, a biochemical change takes place inside us that results in an increased sensitivity or lower tolerance to carbon dioxide.
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Their blood oxygen saturations are normal, yet they constantly feel tired. The problem is not a lack of oxygen in the blood, but that not enough oxygen is being released from the blood to tissues and organs, including the brain, resulting in feelings of lethargy and exhaustion. This happens because too much carbon dioxide has been expelled from the body.
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Carbon dioxide performs a number of vital functions in the human body, including: • Offloading of oxygen from the blood to be used by the cells. • The dilation of the smooth muscle in the walls of the airways and blood vessels • The regulation of blood pH.
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A fundamental element of the Oxygen Advantage technique is to understand the Bohr Effect—the way in which oxygen is released from hemoglobin and delivered to the muscles and organs.
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The crucial point to remember is that hemoglobin releases oxygen when in the presence of carbon dioxide. When we overbreathe, too much carbon dioxide is washed from the lungs, blood, tissues, and cells. This condition is called hypocapnia, causing the hemoglobin to hold on to oxygen, resulting in reduced oxygen release and therefore reduced oxygen delivery to tissues and organs. With less oxygen delivered to the muscles, they cannot work as effectively as we might like them to. As counterintuitive as it may seem, the urge to take bigger, deeper breaths when we hit the wall during exercise does not provide the muscles with more oxygen but effectively reduces oxygenation even further.
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In general, blood flow to the brain reduces proportionately to each reduction in carbon dioxide. A study by Dr. Daniel M. Gibbs, which was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry to assess arterial constriction induced by excessive breathing, found that the diameter of blood vessels reduced in some individuals by as much as 50 percent. Based on the formula πr2, which measures the area of a circle, blood flow decreases by a factor of four. This shows you how radically overbreathing can affect your blood flow.
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It is well documented that habitual mouth breathing during waking and sleeping hours results in fatigue, poor concentration, reduced productivity, and a bad mood.
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Depending on genetic predisposition to asthma, the loss of carbon dioxide in the blood can also cause the smooth muscles of the airways to constrict, resulting in wheezing and breathlessness. However, an increase of carbon dioxide opens up the airways to allow a better oxygen transfer to take place and has been shown to improve breathing for persons diagnosed with asthma.
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In addition to determining how much oxygen is released into your tissues and cells, carbon dioxide also plays a central role in regulating the pH of the bloodstream: how acidic or alkaline your blood is. Normal pH in the blood is 7.365, and this level must remain within a tightly defined range or the body is forced to compensate. For example, when the blood’s pH becomes more alkaline, breathing reduces to allow carbon dioxide levels to rise and restore pH. Conversely, if the pH of the blood is too acidic (as it is when you overconsume processed foods), breathing increases in order to offload carbon dioxide as acid, allowing pH to normalize.
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Without the requisite amount of CO2 in the blood, blood vessels constrict and hemoglobin cannot release oxygen into the bloodstream; without the requisite amount of oxygen, working muscles do not perform as effectively as they should.
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It’s important to bear in mind at this point that the purpose of breathing is to get rid of the excess carbon dioxide, and not to get rid of as much as possible. Overbreathing for a period of days and weeks, however, removes more carbon dioxide than is necessary, increasing the sensitivity of the brain’s receptors.
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Efficient breathing means that fewer free radicals are produced, reducing the risk of inflammation, tissue damage, and injury.
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Researchers investigating reduced breathing found that running economy could be improved by a remarkable 6 percent following a brief course of breath-hold training.
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You can measure your BOLT now: 1. Take a normal breath in through your nose and allow a normal breath out through your nose. 2. Hold your nose with your fingers to prevent air from entering your lungs. 3. Time the number of seconds until you feel the first definite desire to breathe, or the first stresses of your body urging you to breathe. These sensations may include the need to swallow or a constriction of the airways. You may also feel the first involuntary contractions of your breathing muscles in your abdomen or throat as the body gives the message to resume breathing. (Note that BOLT is not a measurement of how long you can hold your breath but simply the time it takes for your body to react to a lack of air.) 4. Release your nose, stop the timer, and breathe in through your nose. Your inhalation at the end of the breath hold should be calm. 5. Resume normal breathing. Please be aware of the following important points when measuring your BOLT score: • The breath is taken after a gentle exhalation. • The breath is held until the breathing muscles first begin to move. You are not measuring the maximum time that you can hold your breath. • If you do not feel the first involuntary movements of your breathing muscles, then release your nose when you feel the first definite urge or first distinct stress to resume breathing. • The BOLT is not an exercise to correct your breathing. • Remember that measuring your BOLT involves holding your breath only until you feel the first involuntary movements of your breathing muscles. If you need to take a big breath at the end of the breath hold, then you have held your breath for too long.
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A common starting BOLT score for an individual who exercises regularly at a moderate intensity will be approximately 20 seconds. If your BOLT score is below 20 seconds, depending on genetic predisposition, you will probably find you experience a blocked nose, coughing, wheezing, disrupted sleep, snoring, fatigue, and excessive breathlessness during physical exercise. Each time that your BOLT score increases by 5 seconds, you will feel better, with more energy and reduced breathlessness during physical exercise. The aim of the Oxygen Advantage program is to increase your BOLT score to 40 seconds, and this can be realistically achieved.
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The ideal BOLT score for a healthy individual is 40 seconds.
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BOLT Score and Breathing Volume At this point, it can be useful to perform the following experiment: • Sit down with a pen and paper. • Bring your attention to your breathing and follow both the rate and depth of each breath. • As you observe your breathing, draw the rate and depth across the sheet of paper. • Do this for about half a minute or so, then check how your drawing relates to your BOLT score and the illustrations on the following page. The following image is an example of the relationship between breathing volume and a BOLT score of 10 seconds. When a BOLT score is 10 seconds, breathing is noisy, loud, irregular, large, heavy, erratic, and effortful, with no natural pauses between breaths. If your BOLT score is 10 seconds or less, you will often experience a hunger for air, even when you are just sitting down. Habitual upper-chest breathing and mouth breathing is also expected. The number of breaths during rest per minute can be anything from 15 to 30 breaths.
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A general rule for the relationship between BOLT scores and breathing volume is as follows: The lower the BOLT score, the poorer the match between breathing volume and metabolic activity, hence the need to control breathing during rest and physical exercise. The closer the BOLT score is to 40 seconds, the better the match between breathing volume and metabolic requirements. When your breathing volume matches the amount of carbon dioxide produced, it will be much easier to exercise at a higher intensity while still retaining a calm and even breathing pattern.
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Three Steps to Increasing Your BOLT Score The exercises in this book will guide you through each stage of your journey to improved breathing, fitness, and endurance. Below is a brief guide to each of the three steps to increasing your BOLT score: 1. Stop Losses of Carbon Dioxide • Breathe through your nose, day and night. • Stop sighing; instead, swallow or suppress the sigh. One sigh taken every few minutes is enough to maintain chronic overbreathing, so it is necessary to counteract the sigh by swallowing or holding the breath. If you notice your sighs only after they have taken place, then hold your breath for 10 to 15 seconds to help compensate for the loss of carbon dioxide. • Avoid taking big breaths when yawning or talking. Individuals with a low BOLT score are often tired, and yawn frequently throughout the day. Try not to take in a large breath during a yawn. Likewise, individuals who talk for a living need to be aware that their breathing should not be heard during talking. If you find that you can hear your breathing during talking, then it is better to slow down the speed of your talking, use shorter sentences, and take a gentle breath through your nose between each sentence. • Observe your breathing throughout the day. Good breathing during rest should not be seen or heard. 2. Improve Tolerance of Carbon Dioxide This is where you practice exercises designed to reduce your breathing volume toward normal. They will bring a feeling of relaxation to your body and encourage your breathing to slow down and become calmer. The objective is to create a tolerable need or hunger for air. A sustained need for air over the course of 10 to 12 minutes resets the receptors in the brain to tolerate a higher concentration of carbon dioxide. Steps 1 and 2 are necessary to increase BOLT score from 10 to 20 seconds. 3. Simulate High-Altitude Training During physical exertion, as discussed, breathing volume increases along with metabolic activity, which generates carbon dioxide. Breathing less than you feel you need to during physical training is an excellent method of conditioning the body to tolerate a higher concentration of carbon dioxide, while at the same time subjecting the body to a reduced concentration of oxygen. The benefit of implementing Oxygen Advantage breathing techniques during physical exercise is that a stronger air shortage can be created than at rest. A strong air shortage is necessary to increase your BOLT score from 20 to 40 seconds. Please note the following important points about increasing your BOLT score: • You will feel better each time your BOLT score increases by 5 seconds. • The general progression is for a BOLT score to increase by 3 to 4 seconds during the first 2 to 3 weeks. When your BOLT score reaches 20 seconds, it is normal for the progression of your BOLT increase to slow down. It is not uncommon for a BOLT score to remain “stuck” at 20 seconds…
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It was only when our ancient ancestors were in dangerous situations that they reverted to mouth breathing to take in greater volumes of air in preparation for intense physical activity. It is for this reason that mouth breathing is synonymous with emergency, activating the same fight-or-flight response that our ancestors experienced but these days usually without the accompanying physical exercise to allow our operating systems to revert to normal. From the perspective of breathing physiology, mouth breathing activates use of the upper chest, while nasal breathing results in abdominal breathing.
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Upper-chest breathing is more likely to be associated with a stress response, while nasal breathing helps ensure regular, calm, steady breathing using the diaphragm.
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Dentists and orthodontists have also documented these profound facial changes as a result of habitual mouth breathing: narrow jaws, crooked teeth, sunken cheekbones, and smaller nasal cavities. While orthodontic treatment and the wearing of braces are epidemic among modern-day teenagers, it was normal for our ancestors to have wide faces with perfectly shaped teeth.
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Weston Price investigated the cause of facial changes and crooked teeth in various countries and civilizations. One of his observations while visiting Gaelic people living on the Hebridean islands off the coast of Scotland was that children became mouth breathers after parents switched from their natural diet of seafood and oatmeal to the modernized diet of “angel food cake, white bread and many white flour commodities, marmalade, canned vegetables, sweetened fruit juices, jams, and confections.”
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Dr. Price’s discovery illustrates the link between modern diet and chronic hyperventilation. Processed foods are mucus and acid forming. Throughout evolution, our diet consisted of 95 percent alkaline-forming and 5 percent acid-forming foods. Nowadays the reverse is true: Our diet is 95 percent acid- and 5 percent alkaline-forming foods. Acid-forming foods—such as processed products, dairy, meat, bread, sugar, coffee, and tea—stimulate breathing. A natural response to experiencing a greater demand to breathe is to open the mouth to take in more air. Over time, the brain adjusts to this larger intake of air, and overbreathing becomes a habit. On the other hand, alkaline-forming foods such as fruit and vegetables, along with plain water, are easy for the body to process; they are “breathing-friendly” foods.
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In his aptly titled 1882 book Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life, Catlin wrote, “When I have seen a poor Indian woman in the wilderness, lowering her infant from the breast, and pressing its lips together as it falls asleep
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Below is a brief list of the functions of nasal breathing: • Nose breathing imposes approximately 50 percent more resistance to the airstream in normal individuals than does mouth breathing, resulting in 10 to 20 percent more O2 uptake. • Nasal breathing warms and humidifies incoming air. (Air entering the nose at 42.8˚F/6˚C will be warmed to 86˚F/30˚C by the time it touches the back of the throat, and a cozy 98.6˚F/37˚C—body temperature—upon reaching its final destination, the lungs.) • Nasal breathing removes a significant amount of germs and bacteria from the air you breathe in. • Nasal breathing during physical exercise allows for a work intensity great enough to produce an aerobic training effect as based on heart rate and percentage of VO2 max. • As discussed in the next section, the nose is a reservoir for nitric oxide, an essential gas for the maintenance of good health. Now compare the benefits above with the effects of mouth breathing: • Mouth-breathing children are at greater risk of developing forward head posture, and reduced respiratory strength. • Breathing through the mouth contributes to general dehydration (mouth breathing during sleep results in waking up with a dry mouth). • A dry mouth also increases acidification of the mouth and results in more dental cavities and gum disease. • Mouth breathing causes bad breath due to altered bacterial flora. • Breathing through the mouth has been proven to significantly increase the number of occurrences of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
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Nasal breathing is imperative for harnessing the benefits of nitric oxide, working hand in hand with abdominal breathing and helping to maximize body oxygenation. Think of the nose as a reservoir: Each time we breathe gently and slowly through the nose, we carry this mighty molecule into the lungs and blood, where it can do its work throughout the body. Mouth breathing bypasses this special gas, missing out on the important advantages that nitric oxide provides for general well-being.
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The production of nitric oxide in the nasal sinuses can be increased by simply humming.
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humming increased nitric oxide up to fifteenfold in comparison with quiet exhalation.
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The breathwork technique called Brahmari involves slow, deep breaths through the nose, humming on each exhalation to generate a sound similar to a bee buzzing, and while the exact science may have been a mystery to the creators of this meditation method, the associated feeling of calmness of the mind is a clear indication of its benefit.
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Breathing through the mouth causes blood vessels in the nose to become inflamed and enlarged. This, along with an increased secretion of mucus, creates the uncomfortable feeling of nasal stuffiness.
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Nose Unblocking Exercise • Take a small, silent breath in through your nose and a small, silent breath out through your nose. • Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold your breath. • Walk as many paces as possible with your breath held. Try to build up a medium to strong air shortage, without overdoing it. • When you resume breathing, do so only through your nose. Try to calm your breathing immediately. • After resuming your breathing, your first breath will probably be bigger than normal. Make sure that you calm your breathing as soon as possible by suppressing your second and third breaths. • You should be able to recover normal breathing within 2 or 3 breaths. If your breathing is erratic or heavier than usual, you have held your breath for too long. • Wait 1 or 2 minutes before repeating the breath hold. • In order to prepare yourself for the longer breath holds, go easy for the first few repetitions, increasing your paces each time. • Repeat for a total of 6 breath holds, creating a fairly strong need for air. Generally, this exercise will unblock the nose, even if you have a head cold. However, as soon as the effects of the breath hold wear off, the nose will likely feel blocked again. By gradually increasing the number of steps you can take with your breath held, you will find the results continue to improve. When you are able to walk a total of 80 paces with the breath held, your nose will remain decongested. Eighty paces is actually a very achievable goal, and you can expect to progress by an additional ten paces per week.
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Taping the mouth at night ensures the benefits of good breathing during sleep, allowing you to fall asleep more quickly, stay asleep longer, and wake feeling energized. The tape that I have found most suitable, as it is simple to use, hypoallergenic, and light, is 3M Micropore tape, which can be bought from most drugstores. To help make the tape easier to remove in the morning, gently press the tape against the back of your hand a couple of times to remove some of the glue before applying the tape to your face. All you need to do is tear off about 4 inches/10 cm of tape, fold a tab over at both ends to make removal easier in the morning, dry your lips, close your mouth, and gently place the tape horizontally over the lips.
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how it affects physiology from those who don’t. Unlike many modern Western teachers of yoga, who instruct students to breathe hard in order to remove toxins from the body, authentic teachers know that when it comes to breathing, less is more. The traditional Chinese philosophy of Taoism succinctly describes ideal breathing as “so smooth that the fine hairs within the nostrils remain motionless.” True health and inner peace occurs when breathing is quiet, effortless, soft, through the nose, abdominal, rhythmic, and gently paused on the exhale. This is how human beings naturally breathed until modern life changed everything.
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Abdominal breathing is more efficient simply because of the shape of the lungs. Since they are narrow at the top and wider at the bottom, the amount of blood flow in the lower lobes of the lungs is greater than in the upper lobes. The fast upper-chest breathing of people who chronically hyperventilate does not take advantage of the lower parts of the lungs, limiting the amount of oxygen that can be transferred to the blood and resulting in a greater loss of CO2. Not only this, but upper-chest breathing activates the fight-or-flight response, which raises stress levels and produces even heavier breathing.
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Another advantage of abdominal breathing is that it assists with lymphatic drainage. The lymphatic system is effectively the body’s sewerage system, draining away waste materials and excess fluid. As the lymphatic system does not have a heart to pump the waste throughout the body, it is reliant on the motions of the muscles, including the diaphragm. During abdominal breathing, lymph is sucked through the bloodstream, neutralizing and destroying dead cells, reducing fluid retention, and improving detoxification of the body.
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When the level of carbon dioxide in the blood increases above programmed levels, the respiratory center transmits impulses that tell the respiratory muscles to breathe in order to remove the excess gas. When we breathe too much over a period of hours to days, as in the case of chronic stress, the respiratory center adjusts to a lower tolerance of carbon dioxide. Having a lower than normal tolerance to carbon dioxide results in the respiratory center increasing the rate of impulses to the respiratory muscles. The result is habitual overbreathing and excess breathlessness during physical exercise.
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When you practice Breathing Light, the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood will result in certain physiological changes in the body. These include: • A feeling of increased warmth resulting from the dilation of blood vessels • A rosy red color coming into the face • Increased production of watery saliva in the mouth, which is an indication that your body is going into relaxation mode and activating the parasympathetic nervous system
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There is only one way to change your breathing volume and rate, and that is by slowing down and diminishing the size of each breath in order to create a shortage of air.
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But remember that the nose is made for breathing, and nasal breathing ensures a number of benefits that are essential not only for good health but for improved sports performance, including: • Filtering, warming, and humidifying air before it is drawn into the lungs • Reducing the heart rate • Bringing nitric oxide into the lungs to open airways and blood vessels • Better oxygen delivery throughout the body • Reduced lactic acid as more oxygen is delivered to working muscles
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During physical exercise, there are three ways to reduce air intake: 1. Relax your body and take less air into your lungs. 2. Increase exercise intensity while nasal breathing. 3. Practice breath holding during exercise.
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Competitive athletes who regularly take part in high-intensity training will need to alternate nasal breathing with mouth breathing for an overall improvement to breathing patterns. High-intensity training helps to prevent muscle deconditioning and will require an athlete to periodically breathe through his or her mouth. This is to be expected and can be combined with nasal breathing to attain the best results. For less-than-maximum intensity training, and at all other times, nasal breathing should be employed.
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When your body is warmed up prior to exercise, the following benefits can be maximized: • The production of more carbon dioxide—improving the release of oxygen from the blood to tissues and organs—increasing VO2 max, improving endurance, and reducing the risk of injury • The opening of blood vessels and airways—allowing for better blood flow and easy breathing
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Oxygen Advantage Warm-Up • Begin walking at a pace that is comfortable for you. • During your warm-up, try to breathe regularly and calmly through your nose, using your diaphragm to maintain a gentle and relaxed breathing technique. • Feel your abdomen gently moving outward as you inhale and gently moving inward as you exhale. • As you walk, allow a feeling of relaxation to spread throughout your body. Silently encourage the area around your chest and abdomen to relax (you will find that any tension can be released by silently telling that area of the body to relax). Feel your body relax and become soft. Body relaxation during physical exercise helps to ensure steady, calm, and regular breathing. • After 1 minute or so of walking at a fairly good pace, exhale normally through your nose and pinch your nose with your fingers to hold the breath. (If you are in a public place, you might prefer to hold the breath without holding your nose.) • While holding your breath, walk for 10 to 30 paces, or until you feel a moderate need to breathe. When you feel this hunger for air, let go of your nose and resume breathing through your nose. • Continue walking for 10 minutes, performing a breath hold every minute or so. Creating an air shortage by holding the breath during your warm-up is vitally important to cause an accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood before physical exercise commences.
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In order to avoid exercise-induced asthma, there are three simple guidelines: 1. Attain a high BOLT score 2. Nasal breathe 3. Warm up
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You can check whether you are pushing yourself too hard during physical exercise by exhaling normally and holding your breath for 5 seconds. When you resume breathing through the nose, your breathing should remain controlled. If you find that you lose control of your breathing, you are pushing yourself too hard.
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As you continue your physical exercise, the increased generation of carbon dioxide and heat will enhance the delivery of oxygen from the blood to working muscles, as well as facilitating the dilation of airways and blood vessels. Your body will be warm and sweating, your breathing will be faster than normal but steady, and your head will be clear. If you keep your mouth closed throughout your exercise, your breathing will recover quickly.
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Following physical exercise, cool down by walking for 3 to 5 minutes, performing the following small breath holds: • Exhale as normal through the nose. • Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold the breath for 2 to 5 seconds. • Breathe normally through the nose for 10 seconds. • Repeat the first 3 steps throughout your cooldown. • Resume regular breathing.
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Follow these steps to track your progress using your BOLT score: • Measure your BOLT score before training. • Perform your physical exercise. • Measure your BOLT score one hour after you finish training. • If your BOLT score is higher after exercise than before, your breathing is efficient during exercise. • If your BOLT score is lower after exercise than before, your breathing is inefficient during exercise. In this situation, it is safer to slow down and ensure your breathing remains controlled throughout exercise.
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A higher concentration of red blood cells can benefit your sporting performance in several ways, including: • Improving the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood • Increasing your VO2 max • Extending your endurance potential
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Maximal oxygen uptake, or VO2 max, refers to the maximum capacity of an individual’s body to transport and utilize oxygen during 1 minute of exhaustive exercise. The V refers to volume, the O2 to oxygen, and max to the maximum capacity of your body. Your VO2 max is measured by the amount of oxygen that is used during 1 minute of exercise per kilogram of body weight.
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Levels of hemoglobin will vary from person to person, but the following figures provide a general guide for normal results: Male: 13.8 to 17.2 gm/dL Female: 12.1 to 15.1 gm/dL (gm/dL = grams per deciliter)
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Hematocrit refers to the percentage of red blood cells in the blood. Under normal conditions, hematocrit will relate closely to the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood. Hematocrit is usually found to be 40.7 to 50.3 percent for males and 36.1 to 44.3 percent for females.
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Traditional altitude training methods involve living and training at a high altitude, forcing the body to adapt to exercising with less oxygen and therefore increasing the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity. Athletes still use this technique today, particularly those who live at high altitudes such as Kenyan and Ethiopian runners. However, there is a significant drawback to training at high altitude, since exercising in such an atmosphere increases resistance, which can prevent an athlete from achieving his or her maximum work rate. This reduction in exercise intensity can result in muscle deconditioning.
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“live high and train low,” showed a 9 percent improvement in red blood cell volume and a 5 percent improvement in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max).
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The United States national team for long track speed skating utilized the “live high, train low” model to prepare for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. That year they enjoyed unprecedented success, with six athletes winning eight medals (three of which were gold) and two world records broken.
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In another study, Stephen Bailey and colleagues from the University of Exeter in the UK compared a high-intensity sprint training program with low-intensity endurance training, measuring VO2 uptake and muscle deoxygenation. Posttrial results showed that the high-intensity group experienced faster VO2 kinetics and an increased tolerance of high-intensity exercise. This means that the athletes experienced faster oxygen uptake when transitioning between rest and exercise, allowing them to perform at a higher standard more easily. This improved oxygenation of active muscles also contributes to decreased recovery time following exercise and a reduction in the production of lactic acid.
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high-intensity training offers several positive benefits to athletes, including: • Improved anaerobic and aerobic energy supplying systems, allowing for greater endurance, strength, speed, and power • Faster VO2 kinetics, allowing the blood to carry more oxygen to the muscles • Increased tolerance to high-intensity exercise • Decreased recovery time from less than maximum exercise • Reduced lactic acid buildup • Improved oxygenation of active muscles, allowing you to exercise harder and longer
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breath-holding techniques allow us to simulate many of the positive benefits of high-altitude and high-intensity training, including: • The release of red blood cells from the spleen, improving aerobic performance • The production of natural EPO • A higher tolerance to carbon dioxide • Reduced stress and fatigue of working muscles • Improved psychological preparedness • Improved recovery time • Reduced lactic acid • Improved swimming technique (as discussed later) • The ability to maintain fitness during rest or injury • Maintenance of these benefits without the need to travel to high altitudes
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The spleen is an organ that acts as a blood bank; when the body signals an increased demand for oxygen, the spleen releases stores of red blood cells. It therefore plays a very important role in regulating blood hematocrit (the percentage of red blood cells in the blood), as well as hemoglobin concentration.
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Provoking the body to release additional red blood cells and increase the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood improves the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to working muscles during exercise. Breath-holding studies involving volunteers whose spleens had been removed for medical reasons demonstrate just how vital this organ is in changing the composition of the blood. After a series of short breath-holding exercises, those with spleens intact showed an increase in hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration of 6.4 percent and 3.3 percent respectively, while those without spleens showed no alterations in blood composition at all. This means that after as few as 5 breath holds, the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood can be significantly improved with the help of the spleen.
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In one study, participants were able to achieve their longest breath hold on their third attempt. Trained breath-hold divers peaked at a total of 143 seconds, untrained divers at 127 seconds, and splenectomized volunteers—those who had previously had their spleens removed—achieved 74 seconds. Not only that but spleen size decreased by a total of 20 percent in both breath-hold divers and the untrained volunteers, demonstrating a rapid contraction of the spleen in response to the reduction of oxygen.
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splenic contraction has been found to take place with even very short breath holds of 30 seconds.
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The most appealing aspect of breath holding is that it is feasible for most individuals and is not as taxing on the body as high-intensity exercise. Performing just 3 to 5 breath holds of maximum duration can lead to a 2 to 4 percent increase in hemoglobin. This might not sound like much, but where a fraction of a second can determine the difference between the winner and the loser, every possible advantage counts.
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Gently exhaling prior to holding the breath reduces air content in the lungs, allowing a quicker buildup of carbon dioxide and eliciting a stronger response. While this reduces the length of time for which you can hold your breath, increased carbon dioxide has been shown to improve hemoglobin concentration by around 10 percent compared to a breath hold with normal carbon dioxide. Higher levels of carbon dioxide in the blood can produce an even greater contraction of the spleen, resulting in an increase in the release of red blood cells and therefore the oxygenation of the blood. Increased CO2 in the blood also causes a rightward shift of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve. As described by the Bohr Effect, an increase in carbon dioxide decreases blood pH and causes oxygen to be offloaded from hemoglobin to the tissues, further reducing blood oxygen saturation. Holding the breath on the exhale also capitalizes on the benefits of nitric oxide by carrying the gas into the lungs rather than expelling it. By exhaling and holding the breath, nitric oxide is able to pool in the nasal cavity so that when breathing resumes, air laden with nitric oxide is inhaled into the lungs.
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Breath holding is an effective way of stimulating the release of EPO, allowing you to fuel your blood with increased levels of oxygen and enhance your sports performance. The concentration of EPO can increase by as much as 24 percent when the body is subjected to lower oxygen levels using breath-hold exercises.
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During sleep apnea, the oxygen saturation of the blood with oxygen can reduce from normal levels of around 98 percent to as low as 50 percent. These reduced oxygen levels can cause an increase in EPO of 20 percent.
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Studies with athletes have demonstrated that breath holding after an exhalation deliberately exposes the body to higher levels of acidity, thereby improving tolerance and delaying the onset of fatigue during competition.
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By ingesting bicarbonate of soda, you can help to maintain normal blood pH by decreasing lactic acid buildup during anaerobic exercise. This alkaline soda neutralizes the acid that accumulates during high-intensity training, resulting in greater endurance and power output.
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The ingestion of bicarbonate of soda prior to the practice of breath-hold exercises has been shown to increase maximum breath-hold time by up to 8.6 percent.
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How to Take Bicarbonate of Soda I find the following recipe beneficial for improving breathing habits and increasing breath-hold time, and I use it quite often. Try it and take note of its effects on your exercise performance. You can take bicarbonate of soda an hour or so before training. When you are used to taking it before training, you may also wish to do so before a competition. But like anything else, there is no point in overdoing it. As a precautionary measure, please talk to your doctor before using this approach. ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (also known as baking soda or bread soda) 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1. Put the bicarbonate of soda in a glass. 2. Add the apple cider vinegar and stir for about 1 minute, or until the soda is thoroughly dissolved. 3. Drink the mixture. It will taste a little acidic. It’s as simple as that. Alternatively, you can try drinking ordinary soda water from the grocery store. While traditionally used as a mixer for alcoholic beverages, the carbonation of the water can provide an added effect. If you drink soda water, please also make sure that you drink your required intake of ordinary still water to ensure adequate hydration. The color of your urine will allow you to determine when you are adequately hydrated; drink enough plain water to ensure it is not too dark, but don’t drink so much that your urine is completely clear throughout the day.
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As you ascend above 2,500 meters, your breathing will become heavier to compensate for the reduced availability of oxygen. Although heavier breathing brings greater quantities of oxygen to the lungs, it also increases the loss of carbon dioxide. As discussed earlier, the loss of carbon dioxide causes blood vessels to narrow and red blood cells to cling on to the oxygen they carry, resulting in reduced oxygenation of tissues and organs. Ironically, as the body breathes more intensely in an effort to take in more oxygen, less is delivered. In a high-altitude environment, oxygenation is more important than ever if altitude sickness is to be avoided.
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Spending two to three months performing 5 to 10 maximum breath holds each day will condition the body to accept this intense feeling of breathlessness as a familiar occurrence, potentially resulting in a reduced response to this experience at higher altitude.
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Though the ideal BOLT score for each individual will vary, it is reasonable to suggest that a BOLT score of 40 seconds would certainly afford a greater protection from conditions of high altitude than a BOLT of 20 seconds or below.
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Another factor is that during exhalation, mouth breathing is completely ineffective in retaining moisture. To verify this, gently breathe out through your mouth onto a glass and check the moisture left behind. Now do the same thing, except exhale through your nose. You will find that the moisture left on the glass following nasal exhalation is far less than the moisture left from exhaling through the mouth. This loss of fluid can contribute to moderate dehydration, resulting in dryness of the lips, mouth, and throat.
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I usually work with five or six children to a group, ranging in age from four to fifteen years. Beginners are gently introduced to the exercises by walking a distance of 10 paces while they hold their breath. After 3 or 4 repetitions, the number of paces is increased in increments of 5 until the child understands the exercise and experiences a moderate need for air. Most children master the exercise in no time at all, and are soon in friendly competition with their peers to hold their breath for as many steps as possible. I usually expect children to hold their breath for 30 paces during the first session, increasing by 10 extra paces each week. Some children will make quicker progress and can learn to hold their breath for up to 80 paces in as little as two or three weeks without losing breath control or experiencing any stress. Even professional athletes would be impressed by this feat. More important, at 80 paces, in my experience, the child’s blocked nose, cough, wheeze, or exercise-induced asthma will have completely disappeared.
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For premenstrual women, vegetarians, or those with a history of anemia, it may be necessary to take an iron supplement to support the production of normal red blood cells. If, despite sustained practice of these exercises, your BOLT score fails to increase, it may be useful to visit your doctor to have a complete blood count. If your hemoglobin is low, speak with your doctor about iron supplementation. In some individuals, I have witnessed iron supplementation making a remarkable difference to BOLT scores within just a few short weeks.
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A pulse oximeter can be purchased rather cheaply, but my advice is to purchase a better-known brand such as NONIN, as they tend to be more responsive. One of the main benefits of using a pulse oximeter is that it can be very motivating to witness the drop in oxygen saturation as you practice breath holds, reinforcing the success of the exercise. In addition, the device can help to ensure that you don’t overdo the exercises by lowering your SpO2 below 80 percent.
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while the benefits from breath holding occur when the SpO2 level is dropped to below 94 percent.
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Similar to any intense physical exercise, it is important to practice at least two hours after eating. Just as it is not advisable to go for a jog directly after eating, it is also best to practice breathing exercises on an empty stomach. Not only would it be uncomfortable to perform breath holds too soon after a meal, but the benefit of the exercise would be much reduced as the process of digestion increases breathing.
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Due to a delay in the pulse transit time, it is common for the decrease in oxygen saturation to take place not during the breath hold, but soon after it. Therefore, to get the most from the exercise, minimize breathing for about 15 seconds following the breath hold by taking short breaths in and out through the nose. If you have a pulse oximeter, you might enjoy observing the decrease to your oxygen saturation as you do this—effectively simulating high-altitude training and bringing the mountain to you.
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Walk and hold: After a minute of continuous walking, gently exhale and pinch your nose to hold your breath. If you feel uncomfortable pinching your nose while walking in public, you can simply hold your breath without holding your nose. Continue to walk while holding your breath until you feel a medium to strong air shortage. Release your nose, inhale through it, and minimize your breathing by taking very short breaths for about 15 seconds. Then allow your breathing to return to normal. • Continue walking for 30 seconds and repeat: Continue walking for around 30 seconds while breathing through your nose, then gently exhale and pinch your nose with your fingers. Walk while holding the breath until you feel a medium to strong hunger for air. Release your nose and minimize your breathing by taking short breaths in and out through your nose for about 15 seconds. Then allow your breathing to revert to normal. • Repeat breath holds 8 to 10 times: While continuing to walk, perform a breath hold every minute or so in order to create a medium to strong need for air. Minimize your breathing for 15 seconds following each breath hold. Repeat for a total of 8 to 10 breath holds during your walk.
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With repetition, as the weeks go by, you will find yourself being able to hold your breath for 80 to 100 paces. Your ability to hold your breath will increase with practice and without stressing your body. Do not overdo it. Ideally, your breathing should recover easily and become calm within 3 or 4 breaths. While this exercise is a challenge, it should not be stressful.
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Here is a breath-hold exercise to try while jogging or running: • Run and hold: Ten to fifteen minutes into your run, when your body has warmed up and is sweating, gently exhale and hold your breath until you experience a medium to strong air shortage. The length of the breath hold may range from 10 to 40 paces and will depend on your running speed and BOLT score. • Break for 1 minute and repeat: Following the breath hold, continue to jog or run with nasal breathing for about 1 minute, until your breathing has partially recovered. • Repeat breath holds 8 to 10 times: Repeat the breath hold 8 to 10 times during your run, followed each time by a minute of nasal breathing. The breath holds should be challenging but should also allow breathing to recover to normal within a couple of breaths. If you find this exercise in any way stressful, or have difficulty recovering your breathing after a breath hold, then refrain from doing the exercise until your BOLT score has increased to at least 20 seconds.
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Breath Holding During Cycling A similar practice can be employed as you ride your bicycle: • After your body has warmed up, exhale and hold your breath for 5 to 15 pedal rotations. • Resume nasal breathing while continuing to cycle for about 1 minute. • Repeat this exercise 8 to 10 times throughout your ride.
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To receive any benefit from hypoxic (reduced oxygen) training, oxygen saturation levels must drop below 94 percent (and ideally to below 90 percent). The effect of this method depends on two factors: oxygen saturation during training, and the length of the exposure to reduced oxygen. Lowering oxygen saturation below 90 percent for a duration of 1 to 2 minutes can significantly increase the production of EPO, and this can easily be achieved by using this exercise.
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This advanced exercise aims to readjust the composition of your blood and alter levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide. After months of experimenting, I have developed this exercise to lower the oxygen saturation of arterial blood and to maintain this decrease over a number of seconds. I have practiced this exercise hundreds of times and include the following guidelines to help you to perform it correctly and to be aware of potential side effects: • To regulate the decrease in oxygen saturation to below 94 percent and to ensure that it does not go below 80 percent, it is important to use a higher-quality pulse oximeter during this exercise. • This exercise should be practiced on a relatively empty stomach, at least three hours after eating. • The first breath hold is between 40 and 60 paces, or until you feel a medium to strong need for air. • After the first breath hold, subsequent holds are performed every 5 to 10 paces. • Following each breath hold, either exhale through your nose or take a sip of air in through your nose before the next breath hold. • A “sip of air” means taking a tiny breath in, the purpose of which is to relieve tension rather than take in air. It is about 10 percent of a normal breath. • Contractions of the diaphragm will strengthen as the air shortage progresses. Try to bring a feeling of relaxation to your body as the air shortage increases. • With each successive breath hold, oxygen saturation will continue to decrease. • Continue to observe the pulse oximeter, ensuring that you do not go below 80 percent SpO2. • Challenge but do not stress yourself. • If the air shortage is too great, take a slightly larger breath and continue to relax. • Perform this exercise for 1 to 2 minutes. The objective of the exercise is to generate a reasonably strong air shortage in order to lower oxygen saturation and to maintain it at a lower level for a period of between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.
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Does this mean that breath-hold training is only beneficial directly before a competition? The answer is no. Several research studies have shown that permanent improvements to oxygen-carrying capacity can be achieved by regularly exposing the body to reduced concentrations of oxygen. If you incorporate the Oxygen Advantage program into your normal training and practice nasal breathing during rest and day-to-day activity, you will begin to see real physiological changes that will enable you to raise your game and increase your endurance over both the short and long term.
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In addition to following the breath and occupying your inner body with your attention, the following Breathing Recovery Exercise is very helpful in calming the mind during the days and nights leading up to competition. When stressed, hold your breath! It is also helpful for recovering from physical exercise and increasing your BOLT score. Having a high BOLT score will help negate the effects of nervousness. Perform a series of small breath holds following these instructions: • Take a small, silent breath in and out through your nose. • Hold your breath for 2 to 5 seconds. • After each breath hold, breathe normally for around 10 seconds. Do not interfere with your breathing. • Continue to do a small breath hold followed by normal breathing for around 10 seconds. • Practice this exercise for at least 15 minutes.
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The solution to better breathing at night is to Breathe Light to Breathe Right during the day and especially before sleep. To reduce and eventually eliminate breathing through the mouth at night, follow these guidelines: • Avoid eating within the 2 hours before sleep, as the process of digestion increases breathing. • Keep your bedroom cool and airy (but not cold). A hot and stuffy room will only serve to increase breathing. • Sleep on your front or left side; sleeping on your back is by far the worst position, as there is no restriction to your breathing. • Ensure that your mouth is closed while you try to get to sleep (you can wear 1-inch Micropore tape across the lips as described in chapter 3 to help ensure this). • A most important practice to discourage heavy breathing at night is to Breathe Light to Breathe Right for 15 to 20 minutes before going to sleep. This exercise is especially good for calming the mind and helping you to experience deep sleep during the nights leading up to competition.
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Blood samples were taken from runners 72 hours after completion of the race, with researchers noting a “significant alteration of the blood antioxidant defense capacity” and concluding that “such extreme competition induced an imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant protection.” In an attempt to deal with this potentially detrimental imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals, athletes are often encouraged to take large regular doses of antioxidants. At first glance this might seem like sound advice, but studies exploring the use of dietary antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress and exercise-induced muscle injury have met with mixed results to date.
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An alternative and totally natural method of protecting against the excessive buildup of free radicals is to supplement regular exercise with breath holding and to increase your BOLT score. This method is cheap, nontoxic, and less controversial than supplements, providing effective protection against oxidative stress. Breath holding after an exhalation causes a decrease in oxygen saturation, which triggers an increase in lactic acid. At the same time, carbon dioxide levels also increase, leading to a rise in the concentration of hydrogen ions, which further acidifies the blood. Repeated practice of breath-holding exercises offsets the effects of lactic acid, inducing the body to make adaptations to delay acidosis (increased acidity in the blood) and enabling the athlete to push harder without experiencing the same level of fatigue. Research has shown that breath-holding exercises can improve an individual’s tolerance to hypoxemia (low levels of oxygen in the blood) and reduce the acidity of the blood, eliminating oxidative stress and reducing lactic acid buildup.
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The naked mole rat does this remarkably well, given that researchers have discovered that the negative affects of high oxidative stress may be offset by high carbon dioxide levels.
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Nitric oxide plays a monumental role in human health by reducing cholesterol, reversing the buildup of plaque in the blood vessels, and helping to prevent blood clotting, all of which significantly increase the risk for heart attack and stroke. According to Nobel laureate and distinguished professor of pharmacology Dr. Louis Ignarro: “[Nitric oxide] is the body’s natural defense to prevent all of these things from happening.”
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Ways to increase nitric oxide include slow nasal breathing, regular moderate physical exercise, and eating foods that produce nitric oxide.
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A study group of men aged between nineteen and thirty-eight drank about two cups of beet juice every day for a week. This resulted in a “remarkable reduction” in the amount of oxygen required to perform exercise in comparison with a control group who drank water: The beet juice drinkers were able to cycle up to 16 percent longer before tiring. Furthermore, blood pressure within the beet juice drinkers dropped (within normal levels), even though it wasn’t high to begin with. In conclusion, the researchers commented that the reduction of oxygen required for submaximal exercise following the drinking of beet juice “cannot be achieved by any other known means, including long-term endurance exercise training.”
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Henderson noted that even a “slight reduction of carbon dioxide of the arterial blood caused a quickening of the heart rate.”
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Even though a sigh is often involuntary, taking place before the individual is aware of it, we still have a measure of control to reduce and eliminate the pattern. I explained to Anna that she should hold her breath or swallow any time she felt a sigh coming on. If by chance she missed one, she should hold her breath for 10 seconds to compensate for the overbreathing. I also provided her with a relaxation exercise and taught her the Breathe Light to Breathe Right exercise, which she proceeded to practice diligently for 10 minutes, 6 times per day.
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This state of hypocapnia (which Henderson called acapnia) can affect cardiac functioning by decreasing the circulation of blood in the blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the heart. Since low levels of carbon dioxide in the blood lead to a strengthening of the bond between the red blood cells and oxygen, the result is reduced delivery of oxygen to the heart. On the other hand, increasing carbon dioxide levels in the blood by reducing breathing volume toward normal will result in improved blood flow and increased available oxygen, providing the heart with a ready and reliable supply of oxygen.
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As we have seen, normal breathing volume for a healthy adult is generally agreed to be 4 to 6 liters of air per minute, but adults with asthma demonstrate a resting breathing volume of 10 to 15 liters per minute, two to three times more than required. Imagine the effect on the respiratory system when an individual breathes twice or three times too heavily all day, every day.
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Either way, it is a vicious cycle; narrowed airways lead to heavier breathing that causes an increase in breathing volume, resulting in the narrowing of the airways and on and on, worsening the condition and establishing bad breathing habits as a matter of necessity. The only way to determine whether breathing too much causes asthma is to investigate what happens when a group of individuals with asthma practice breathing exercises designed to bring their breathing volume toward normal.
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Mouth breathing influences asthma in a number of ways: • Air taken in through the mouth is not filtered of airborne particles, including germs and bacteria. • The mouth is simply not as effective as the nose in conditioning air to the correct temperature and humidity prior to entering the lungs. • Because the mouth provides a larger space to breathe through than the nose, breathing volume will be higher, causing too much carbon dioxide to be expelled from the lungs. Carbon dioxide is a natural “opener” of the smooth muscle in the airways. The loss of carbon dioxide therefore causes asthma airways to narrow even more. • Unlike nasal breathing, mouth breathing does not allow us to benefit from nasal nitric oxide, which supports the lung’s defensive capabilities.
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Not only is it important to breathe through the nose during rest, it is also beneficial to nasal breathe during physical exercise. In a paper published in the American Review of Respiratory Disease, researchers studied the beneficial effects of nasal breathing on exercise-induced asthma. The study observed that most subjects with asthma spontaneously breathed with their mouths open when instructed to breathe “naturally.” The authors found that mouth breathing during exercise caused the airways to narrow even further. In contrast, when subjects were asked to breathe only through their nose during exercise, exercise-induced asthma did not occur at all. The paper concluded that “the nasopharynx and the oropharynx play important roles in the phenomenon of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.” In simple terms, the effects of breathing through the nose are integral to reducing or avoiding exercise-induced asthma completely.
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Your success in addressing asthma will be based on your ability to increase your BOLT score using the Breathe Light to Breathe Right and simulation of high-altitude exercises described in this book. You will find a program specific to your needs in Part IV. The general aim is to increase your BOLT score to 40 seconds. The best time to measure your BOLT score to track your progress is first thing in the morning, and if your BOLT measurement remains less than 20
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To stop asthma symptoms before they take hold, follow these steps: • Take a small, silent breath in and out through your nose. • Hold your breath and walk for 10 to 15 paces. • Stop walking, release your nose, and resume gentle breathing in and out of your nose. • Wait for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat. • Continue to walk while holding your breath for 10 to 15 paces followed by resting with nasal breathing for 30 to 60 seconds. • If your symptoms are mild, you may hold your breath for more than 10 to 15 paces. • Do this exercise for at least 10 minutes.
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In fact, Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, is one of the very few top-class athletes who does not exhibit forward growth of the jaws and a wide facial structure. Based on his facial profile, there is a high likelihood that he was a mouth breather during childhood, possibly requiring orthodontic treatment in his early teens. It is also possible that Phelps chose swimming, either consciously or unconsciously, as it was the one sport that he could excel in. The very act of swimming restricts breathing to help offset any negative effects that have developed from mouth breathing or an inefficient breathing pattern.
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First, there is a tendency for the face to grow long and narrow. Secondly, the jaws do not fully develop and are set back from their ideal position, thus reducing airway size. If the jaws are not positioned forward enough on the face, they will encroach on the airways.
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In the correct resting position, three-quarters of the tongue should press gently against the roof of the mouth with the tip of the tongue placed just behind the top front teeth—the same place we put the tongue to make the N sound “nuh.” Just like nasal breathing, optimal resting tongue posture is not a recent discovery; for thousands of years it formed an important part of Eastern yoga and the religion of Buddhism. Yogi Bhajan, who introduced Kundalini yoga to the United States in 1968, accredited the upper palate and the tip of the tongue as the two most important parts of the body. The ancient Buddhist scriptures of the Pali Canon contain passages describing how the Buddha pressed his tongue against the roof of the mouth for the purposes of controlling hunger and the mind. This illustration shows the facial characteristics of a nasal breather and is based on the Irish International and LA Galaxy soccer captain Robbie Keane: Note the forward position of the jaws, high cheekbones, airway size, and width of the face. The jaw is strong and positioned well forward so that the chin is nearly as far forward as the tip of the nose.
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few years ago I wrote a self-help book for children, teenagers, and parents entitled Buteyko Meets Dr. Mew: Buteyko Method for Children and Teenagers about the craniofacial changes associated with mouth breathing. I put extensive amounts of research into the subject and included many peer-reviewed papers and studies to support my claims. Most parents are shocked when they realize that crooked teeth, narrow faces, large noses, and undeveloped jaws can be avoided if a child is simply encouraged to breathe through his or her nose. Not only is sports performance affected, but lifelong health!
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Quick Reference Summary of the Oxygen Advantage Program Habitual overbreathing involves breathing more air than your body requires during rest and exercise. Overbreathing leads to: • A reduction of the gas carbon dioxide in the blood • Mouth breathing and underutilization of the gas nitric oxide • Impaired release of oxygen from red blood cells (see the Bohr Effect.) • Constriction of the smooth muscle in the blood vessels and airways • Adverse effects on blood pH • Reduced oxygenation of working muscles and organs, including the heart and brain • Increased acidity and fatigue during exercise • Limited sports performance • Negative effects to overall health Benefits of practicing the Oxygen Advantage program include: • Improved sleep and energy • Easier breathing with reduced breathlessness during exercise • Naturally increasing the production of EPO and red blood cells • Improving oxygenation of working muscles and organs • Reduction of lactic acid buildup and fatigue • Improved running economy and VO2 max • Improved aerobic performance • Improved anaerobic performance
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Your BOLT score is the length of time in seconds that you are able to hold your breath until you feel the first physical signals to take a breath. To increase your BOLT score, it is necessary to: • Nose-breathe at all times, including during physical exercise and sleep. • Avoid taking large breaths while sighing, yawning, and talking. • Practice Oxygen Advantage exercises appropriate to your health and fitness.
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1. Nose Unblocking Exercise (Please do not practice this exercise if your BOLT score is less than 10 seconds, or if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, or any serious health concerns.) To unblock the nose, perform the following: 1. Take a small, silent breath in and a small, silent breath out through your nose. 2. Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold your breath. 3. Walk as many paces as possible with your breath held. Try to build up a strong air shortage, without overdoing it, of course! 4. When you resume breathing, do so only through your nose; your breathing must be calmed immediately. 5. After resuming your breathing, your first breath will usually be bigger than normal. Make sure that you calm your breathing as soon as possible by suppressing your second and third breaths. 6. You should be able to recover your breath within 2 to 3 breaths. If you cannot, you have held your breath for too long. 7. Wait for about a minute or so and then repeat. 8. Repeat this exercise 5 or 6 times until the nose is decongested.
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2. Breathe Light to Breathe Right 1. Place one hand on your chest and the other just above your navel to help you to follow your breathing. 2. Breathe in and gently guide your abdomen outward. 3. Breathe out and gently guide your abdomen inward. 4. Observe your breathing pattern, noting the size and depth of each breath. 5. Apply gentle pressure with your hands to slightly reduce your breathing movements. It should feel as if you are breathing against your hands. 6. Encourage the depth of each breath to reduce. 7. Take in a smaller or shorter breath than you would like. 8. Allow a relaxed breath out, exhaling gently, slowly, and easily. 9. Bring a feeling of relaxation to your breathing. 10. Do not tense your body, hold your breath, or pause your breathing. Continue to breathe smoothly but take in less air than before. 11. The objective of this exercise is to create a tolerable hunger for air. Try to sustain this for 3 to 5 minutes at a time. If your breathing rhythm becomes chaotic or if your breathing muscles contract, then the air shortage you have created is too much. If these signs occur, stop the exercise and return to it when breathing is back to normal.
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4. Breathing Recovery, Improved Concentration To recover from physical exercise and to help calm your breathing or mind, practice the following exercise for 3 to 5 minutes: 1. Exhale as normal through the nose. 2. Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold the breath for 2 to 5 seconds. 3. Breathe normally through the nose for 10 seconds. 4. Repeat the first three steps.
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5. Simulate High-Altitude Training—Walking If you have a pulse oximeter, you might find it motivating to observe the decrease to your oxygen saturation as you do this. Continue walking throughout the exercise and hold your breath only until you feel a medium hunger for air for the first 2 to 3 breath holds. For the remaining breath holds, it is beneficial to hold the breath until you feel a relatively strong hunger for air. 1. Walk for 1 minute or so while breathing through your nose. 2. Gently exhale and hold your breath, followed by minimal breathing for 15 seconds: Gently exhale, pinch your nose, and walk while holding the breath until you feel a medium hunger for air, then release your nose, inhale through it, and minimize your breathing for 15 seconds by taking short breaths. After 30 seconds of continued walking and nose breathing, repeat the breath hold until you feel a medium hunger for air. Minimize your breathing for 15 seconds, then allow your breathing to return to normal and through the nose. 3. Continue walking for 30 seconds and repeat: Continue walking for around 30 seconds while breathing through your nose, then gently exhale and pinch your nose with your fingers. Walk while holding your breath until you feel a medium to strong hunger for air. Release your nose and minimize your breathing by taking short breaths for about 15 seconds. Then resume breathing through your nose. 4. Repeat breath holds 8 to 10 times: While continuing to walk, perform a breath hold every minute or so in order to create a medium to strong need for air. Minimize your breathing for 15 seconds following each breath hold. Repeat for a total of 8 to 10 breath holds during your walk. A typical increase in the number of paces per breath hold might look like this: 20, 20, 30, 35, 42, 47, 53, 60, 60, 55.
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6. Simulate High-Altitude Training—Running, Cycling, Swimming Breath Holding During Running Breath holding can also be incorporated into more intense exercise, such as running: 1. 10 to 15 minutes into your run, gently exhale and hold your breath until a strong air shortage is reached. The length of the breath hold may range from 10 to 40 paces and will depend on your running speed and BOLT score. 2. Following the breath hold, continue to jog with nose breathing for about 1 minute, until your breathing has partially recovered. 3. Repeat the breath hold 8 to 10 times for the duration of your run. The breath hold should be a challenge and, at the same time, should allow breathing to recover to normal within a couple of breaths. Breath Holding During Cycling A similar practice can be employed during cycling: • After your body has warmed up, exhale and hold your breath for 5 to 15 pedal rotations. • Resume nose breathing while continuing to cycle for about 1 minute. • Repeat this exercise 8 to 10 times throughout your ride. Breath Holding During Swimming During swimming, increase the number of strokes between breaths. You can do this in gradual increments, increasing the number of strokes between breaths from 3 to 5 to 7 over a series of lengths.
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7. Advanced Simulation of High-Altitude Training For this exercise, it is necessary to monitor your blood oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter, ensuring that your SpO2 does not drop below 80 percent. 1. Walk for a minute or so. Exhale and hold your breath for approximately 40 paces, then take a sip of air into the lungs. A “sip” is a tiny breath—just enough to reduce tension. Hold the breath for a further 10 paces. 2. Now take a sip of air in or out of the lungs. Hold for 10 paces or so. 3. Continue taking sips of air and repeating short breath holds until you feel a fairly strong air shortage. 4. If the air shortage is too strong, then reduce the hold to 5 paces or less. With each successive breath hold, oxygen saturation will continue to decrease…
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The Oxygen Advantage: Encompassing Many Factors to Improve Health and Fitness
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Program for Children and Teenagers • The Nose Unblocking exercise is the best exercise for children as it is easy, quick, and measurable. • Practice the Nose Unblocking Exercise a total of 12 times per day, divided into 2 sets of 6 repetitions. Practice 6 repetitions before breakfast and 6 during the day. The number of paces that a child is able to do should increase by 10 every week, with a goal of reaching a score of 80 to 100 paces. • While practicing the Nose Unblocking Exercise, I often encourage children to wear paper tape over their mouth. This ensures that the mouth is closed during the exercise, with no air sneaking. • Wearing the tape while watching TV or going about the house can also be very helpful for a child to get used to breathing through his or her nose only. • Breathe through the nose throughout the day with the tongue placed in the roof of the mouth. To find out more about mouth breathing and development of the growing face, I suggest that you read my book Buteyko Meets Dr. Mew: Buteyko Method for Children and Teenagers. • Fill in the following chart to mark your progress.
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