weekly email

Breathing’s Indirect and Unseen Benefits

 

Welcome to another edition of The Breathing 411:

Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for you to consider this week. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS


1. The Science of Breathing’s Indirect Benefits

Last week we learned that breathing is the only true compounding health habit. However, I believe the real magic occurs when breathing begins improving other areas of our lives. I’ve never had a reasonable explanation for these "indirect effects." They just seemed to happen. But now I do, thanks to Tiny Habits.

In this excellent book, behavioral scientist BJ Fogg shows us how tiny changes in one area of your life can lead to massive changes in others. It all comes down to a simple equation: B = MAP

A Behavior happens when Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt all come together. Makes sense. But the significant breakthrough Fogg discovered is the curved (nonlinear) relationship for when action occurs (adapted from his book below):

Befor_and_After.jpg

In this hypothetical example, we see how a breathing practice might help you exercise by increasing your motivation and physical ability (e.g., better sleep and oxygenation). The exercise prompt is now above the action line, and you exercise.

This is behavioral science, not physics. So there are no exact numbers for "motivation" or "ability." It will be unique from person-to-person. But this is where the real magic of compounding occurs. We move beyond just breathing, and begin fulfilling our own individual goals and ambitions.

P.S. Some examples from my life:

  • Walking 100 miles.

  • Having more energy to manage my diabetes.

  • Waking up before 4 a.m. every day for breathing research.

2. Health is What You Don’t See

"But the truth is that wealth is what you don't see. Wealth is the nice cars not purchased. The diamonds not bought. The watches not worn, the clothes forgone and the first-class upgrade declined."

- Morgan Housel, The Psychology of Money

Similarly, health is what you don’t see. It’s the cold you didn’t get, the late night you didn’t have, the stress you didn’t experience, the breathlessness you didn’t have after a brisk walk to catch your flight.

This is why the benefits of a long-term breathing practice might not be immediately apparent. You can’t measure the number of health issues that breathing helped you avoid. But that makes them no less important.


3. Longer Exhalations Are An Easy Way to Hack Your Vagus Nerve

"Just two minutes of deep breathing with longer exhalation engages the vagus nerve, increases HRV, and improves decision-making."

- Christopher Bergland, Psychology Today

Here’s another gem from Psychology Today on slow breathing, stress, and the vagus nerve. I may or may not have visualized "squirting some stress-busting vagusstoff" onto my heart when I took my next slow breath : )

4. Breath Matching

Rather than focus on any specific method, focus on your goals: to reduce anxiety, to increase focus, to improve autonomic function, to fall asleep, and on and on.

Then, based on those aspirations, find the right match. For combatting anxiety, you might choose extended exhales. For focus, you might pick box breathing.

But it’s not about the method; it’s about the outcome you wish to experience.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Life and respiration are complementary. There is nothing living which does not breathe nor anything breathing which does not live."

- William Harvey, 1653, Lectures on the Whole of Anatomy

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: More than 60% of primary care physician visits are related to this condition.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is stress?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Really made me stop and think

 
 

Smiling and the Warren Buffets of Breathing

 

Greetings,

Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer to consider this week. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing is the Only True Compounding Health Benefit

"Growth is driven by compounding, which always takes time."

- Morgan Housel, The Psychology of Money

Many investors are better than Warren Buffet. But did you know he bought his first stock when he was 11 years old? It’s not as exciting to talk about, but a large portion of his success is simply due to how long he’s been investing.

This is because compounding always takes time. And, just as importantly, it always takes consistency. If Buffet jumped in and out of stocks or randomly took time off, he might not have achieved his success. It took time and consistency.

These factors are also why breathing is the only real compounding health benefit. Most of us won’t stick to one health routine as long as Buffet has stuck with investing. It’s natural to try new workouts, start a new diet, and on and on.

But we’ll always be breathing. If we invest in simple changes like nose breathing 24/7, the benefits will compound (literally) for the rest of our life. Time becomes our friend. Since we will always be breathing, we will always be compounding.

2. Nasal Breathing, Smiling, and The Power of Compounding

"All these methods trained children to breathe through their noses, all day, every day. It was a habit they would carry with them the rest of their lives."

- James Nestor, Breath

In Breath, James Nestor describes tribal people with perfectly straight teeth, free of chronic illnesses, and who rarely got sick. Their secret? Nasal breathing.

This was not just any nasal breathing, though. It was a lifetime of nasal breathing. Nestor tells us that mothers would stand over their sleeping babies and close their mouths if needed. They even resisted smiling (!?!) with their mouths open.

This was compounding at its best. Nose breathing was in their genes, and it was passed down from generation to generation for millennia. The result, as Nestor recounts, was seemingly "superhuman physical characteristics" and perfect health. These tribal people were the Warren Buffets of nose breathing.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve

"When it comes to effective vagal maneuvers, any type of deep, slow diaphragmatic breathing…is going to stimulate your vagus nerve, activate your parasympathetic nervous system, and improve your HRV."

- Psychology Today
Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve

I basically highlighted this entire article : ) But what I appreciated most was the author sharing how he uses diaphragmatic breathing in a practical and straightforward way.

Enjoy stimulating your vagus nerve more today!

4. Become A Breathing Genius

"A genius is the man who can do the average thing when everyone else around him is losing his mind." – Napoleon

If you want to be a breathing genius, breathe averagely—nasal, slow, low—in stressful situations. Or David Bidler says, we don’t need more complicated breathing techniques; we need to apply simple ones to harder challenges. 

Give it a shot today when you inevitably find yourself in a stressful situation.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Those of us who practice breathing exercises today may well pass on more disease resistant genes to our descendants tomorrow."

- Michael J. Stephen MD, Breath Taking

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This fish can breathe through its gills in water and through its skin and mouth lining on land.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is a mudskipper?

 
 

Become A World-Class Breather

 

Greetings,

Here are four thoughts, one quote, and one answer to start off February. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Become a World-Class Breather

"World-class performers are less about complexity and more about optimizing simplicity…It’s about the fundamentals. But small, daily improvements on the fundamentals every day done with ridiculous consistency creates insane revolutions over time."

- Robin Sharma, Optimize Interview

Becoming a world-class breather is actually quite simple: reduce the complexity, optimize the simplicity.

Of course, you can still utilize a variety of advanced techniques. Kobe Bryant didn’t only practice shooting free throws, and Tom Brady doesn’t only practice taking snaps. But it all starts with optimizing the fundamentals.

The best way to do that? Nose, belly, quiet, slow, repeat. Let those benefits compound into "insane revolutions over time."

P.S. Don’t forget James Clear’s advice: We have to start before we can optimize.

P.P.S. I condensed the quote, but I’ve never heard so many buzzwords stringed together so eloquently and with so much conviction : ) Enjoy listening.

2. What Optimal Breathing Can Do for Diabetes 

Although it’s not a panacea, improving our breathing might be the simplest thing we can do for our overall health. And for diabetes, in particular, optimal breathing has several direct and indirect benefits that are especially useful.

For example, it can improve cardio-autonomic function, reduce stress and anxiety (see next thought), improve blood flow, and improve sleep. These benefits can lead to better insulin sensitivity, more stable blood sugars, and less risk of long-term complications. Not bad for something as simple as breathing.

3. Harvard Business Review: Why Breathing Is So Effective at Reducing Stress

"So what makes breathing so effective? It’s very difficult to talk your way out of strong emotions like stress, anxiety, or anger…But with breathing techniques, it is possible to gain some mastery over your mind."

- Harvard Business Review,
Research: Why Breathing Is So Effective at Reducing Stress

So much goodness in this quick article. It’s a nice complement to last week’s thought on using breathing instead of thinking, and much more. Enjoy!

4. A Breathing Competition?

Compete: from Latin competere,

in its late sense 'strive or contend for (something)'

from com = 'together' + petere = 'aim at, seek'

- Apple Dictionary

So to "compete" literally means to strive for something together. In that case, we can consider this newsletter to be a breathing competition, with all of us striving to become world-class breathers together.

I hope you enjoy this competition as much as I do.

This thought was inspired by this Optimize +1

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"The pattern of your breathing affects the pattern of your performance. When you are under stress, deep breathing helps bring your mind and body back into the present."

– Gary Mack, Mind Gym

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This is the longest recorded breath-hold that didn’t use pure oxygen inhalation.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 11 min 35 sec?

 
 

More Breathing in Less Time

 

Greetings,

This week’s 411 is brought to you by espresso, curiosity, my appreciation for your readership, and espresso. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Use Breathing Instead of Thinking

"Social psychologists now know that the truth lies in the opposite direction. People need to change their actions and their minds will follow." – Sean D Young, Stick With It

Experts tell us it’s hard to think our way out of thinking. We need to act and let the mind follow. I believe this is what makes breathing so powerful. It gives you an action you can perform anytime to trick your mind into following.

If you’re anxious, you can breathe slowly, which will calm your nervous system and lead to calmer thoughts. If you’re tired, you can breathe rapidly and stimulate your nervous system, increasing your heart rate and alertness.

There are many ways to use actions to control your emotions and thoughts. But breathing is free and easy. Stop thinking, begin breathing.

2. Post-Meal Breathing for Better Blood Sugars & Digestion

Relaxing breathing methods have been shown to reduce blood sugar spikes associated with meals and glucose tolerance tests. In Breath (pg 43), James Nestor also tells us that right nostril breathing heats up the body and aids in digestion. Together, it seems like a post-meal breathing practice might be a good idea.

I have been testing this in a simple and practical way. Specifically, I’ve been spending ~3 to 5 minutes performing either alternate nostril or diaphragmatic breathing (or their combination) after lunch.

The results have been quite noticeable. My sugars are much better (and even get low sometimes) in the hour following the meal. And these short minutes are especially helpful midday to focus my mind and get me back to work quickly.

Science + Practicality = Better Living

Even if you don’t have diabetes, adding this tiny habit after eating might help with digestion and improve energy levels. Not bad for just a few minutes.

3. More Breathing in Less Time

Brian Johnson is my favorite teacher. Long-time readers are probably sick of me talking about him : ) His motto: More wisdom in less time. In that spirit, here are a few excellent summaries Brian has made of some of the best breathing books:

Enjoy!

Thanks to new 411 reader W.G. for inspiring this thought.

4. The Best Advice You Can Give Someone Interested in Breathing

"Start now. Optimize later. Imperfect starts can always be improved." - James Clear

The Oxygen Advantage, Wim Hof, The Art of Breath, Buteyko, Breatheology, SKY, ujjayi, and on and on. They are all phenomenal for different reasons.

But the most important thing is to choose one and start—experience for yourself how simple and powerful these practices are. You can optimize later.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

In my own experience, a deep breath is always a good first reaction to a first report. Try to let the potato cool a bit before you pick it up.

— General Colin Powell, It Worked For Me

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This "nasal nerve" is the first one emerging from the brain.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the olfactory nerve?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Preach

 
 

Wim Hof in One Sentence, and A Calming Breath

 

Greetings everyone,

Here are four thoughts, one quote, and one answer for you to ponder this week.

Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. 20 One-Sentence Thoughts on the Wim Hof Method

"Wim Hof breathing doesn’t help with the cold; your belief that it helps with the cold is what helps with the cold."

The Wim Hof Method. For some, it’s easy to point out its flaws. For others, it’s hard to deny its power. But one thing is certain: it’s confusing as hell for just about everyone.

In this post, I share 20 one-sentence thoughts about the WHM. You might still be confused, but at least we can be confused together : )

2. Why Nose Breathing Might Be Especially Important for Diabetics

We have recently learned that inhaled NO is transported systemically throughout the body (a paradigm shift in breathing science). Specifically, we discovered that:

Both of these findings are particularly important for diabetes. For example, people with diabetes suffer from reduced endothelial-derived NO and reduced blood flow. Diabetics also have a tendency to store less NO as SNO-Hb.

Collectively, these papers suggest that inhaled NO might be essential for people with diabetes, providing support that diabetics should be breathing nasally 24/7.

Ultimately, it will require better blood sugars to fix the issues with NO metabolism in diabetes. But breathing might also help here, as it both improves glucose control and helps reverse the harmful effects of high blood sugars.

3. How Breathing Can Calm Us - A Perfect Read

"Instead of trying to think yourself out of feeling anxious, you can do something concrete — breathe slow or fast, in a particular rhythm, or through one nostril — and sometimes find immediate relief." - Feeling anxious? The way you breathe could be adding to it

This TED/UC Berkeley article is a gem. It will be my new go-to for people interested in the calming effects of breathing. Enjoy the excellent read.

4. Breathing is Practical Idealism

"Mahatma Gandhi called this “practical idealism,” which means that it can be practiced in every aspect of life. It doesn’t call so much for great acts of heroism as for a continuing, persistent effort to transform ill will into good will, self-interest into compassion.” – Your Life is Your Message

Breathing is a form of "practical idealism." It’s idyllic in that we can talk about how "breath is life" or how it’s our body’s most important function.

But it’s practical in that it can be used by anyone, anytime, anywhere. It doesn’t call for huge acts, just simple changes like using your nose, slowing down your breath, and extending your exhales.

And, quite literally, it can transform "ill will into good will, self-interest into compassion." Not in some woo-woo way, but in a concrete way, by stimulating the vagus nerve and shifting dominance to your parasympathetic (calming) system.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: Of the five senses, this is our oldest.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is smell?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. They just show up

 
 

Intravenous Oxygen Delivery and The River of Breath

 

Welcome to another edition of the 411 newsletter. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for you to consider this week. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS


1. Intravenous Oxygen Delivery?

"For example, oral vitamin C is absorbed in the small intestine…but intravenous vitamin C bypasses the gut, achieving blood and tissue concentrations that are markedly higher than those achieved with the oral form." - Dr. Rhonda Patrick

While reading this, I thought, nose breathing is like intravenous oxygen delivery. It improves your body’s ability to use the oxygen you breathe, increasing tissue concentrations by 10% compared to the "oral form." But we don’t need any fancy equipment. We just have to breathe the way our bodies were designed.

So for fun, we can imagine nasal breathing to be like an IV, "injecting" oxygen to the organs, tissues, and muscles that need it most.


2. The River of Breath and Chemoreceptor Flexibility

Most popular breathing methods focus on pushing carbon dioxide (CO2) to one extreme, whether it’s with hyperventilation (low CO2) or breath holds and reduced breathing (high CO2). But this misses the point. The goal is to return our breathing to its natural physiological levels, to make it optimal.

So instead of picking a side, I prefer the idea of "chemoreceptor flexibility." To adopt a concept from Dan Siegel, we can think of it like a river. On one side is low CO2 and on the other is high. We want the flexibility to occasionally push to either side. But, we’ll be most efficient when we’re flowing down the middle.

 
Chemoreceptor_Flexibility.png
 

P.S. This also brings to mind James Nestor, who said, "Today, chemoreceptor flexibility is part of what distinguishes good athletes from great ones. […] All these people have trained their chemoreceptors to withstand extreme fluctuations in carbon dioxide without panic." - Breath, pg. 170

3. Breathing is a Communication Skill

"The quality of your breath lets dogs know if you are the one who has what it takes to be the leader, the one who can confidently lead them to food, safety and rest. That would be the belly breather." - Breathing is a Communication Skill

I love dogs. So even though this article isn’t strictly scientific or entirely correct (and even got a little woo-woo here and there), I enjoyed reading it.

Overall, it captures the essence of relaxed breathing and provides a unique idea of how our breathing communicates with our pets. Enjoy, fellow pet lovers!

4. The Best Slow Breathing Practice for You

The best slow breathing practice is the one you’ll commit to, the one you enjoy doing most. None of the science matters if you don’t put it into action.

So, I suggest you don’t worry about the "best practice" you read in a health book or on a website. Instead, just get started and be consistent with the one you enjoy most.

Extended exhales, box breathing, or ujjayi. One minute, two minutes, or twenty minutes. It can only help, and it’s the consistency that pays off.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint."

- Mark Twain

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: The total length of the airways running through your lungs.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 1,500 miles?

 
 

One-Sentence Ideas and Your Breathing Identity

 

Happy New Year!

Thanks for joining me for the first 411 of the year. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for you to consider this week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. 21 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas

"Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his breath; strong is he who forces his breath to control his thoughts."

Breathing ideas are often long-winded, but they shouldn’t be.

Here are 21 one-sentence breathing ideas to kick off 2021. You’ll learn how breathing is the compound interest of health, the most effective way to breathe right now, and the best time to start a breathing practice. Enjoy!

P.S. Josh Spector’s excellent post on communication inspired this idea.

2. What Not to Focus On in 2021

"Just because you can measure something doesn’t mean it’s the most important thing." - James Clear, Atomic Habits

Focusing on any one outcome (e.g., CO2 tolerance or BOLT) is simplistic, even in breathing. The problem is, as James also states, "we optimize for what we measure." So, let’s avoid putting too much weight on any one measurement in 2021.

The alternative, James tells us, "is to build identity-based habits. With this approach, we start by focusing on who we wish to become." Measuring progress is important, but we don’t want our identity to be based on a measurement ("I have a high BOLT score"). Instead, we want the measurement to be an outcome of our identity ("I am someone who focuses on optimal breathing, so I have a high BOLT").

It’s a significant distinction.

3. "The Consequences of Sucking at Breathing"

"Without knowing it, you might be messing up your sleep, mood, digestion, heart, nervous system, muscles, brain, and even the development of your teeth and face structure." - Patrik Edblad, How to Breathe Properly – A (Surprisingly Important) Complete Guide

I love finding breathing articles from "non-breathing" people. It makes my heart (and lungs) happy. Even more so when they are excellently written, like this one.

My favorite part was that Patrik conveyed all the benefits of breathing without ever mentioning CO2. 👏 Enjoy the awesome read!

4. Harmonize the Butterflies in Your Stomach

"It's all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation." - Dr. Rob Gilbert

Controlling your breathing is an easy way to help synchronize them.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"A hundred objective measurements didn't sum the worth of a garden; only the delight of its users did that. Only the use made it mean something."

- Lois McMaster Bujold

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: Approximately 2/3 of the mass of the human body is made up of this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is oxygen?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. A new reason to be upset

 
 

A Breakthrough in Respiratory Physiology

 

Happy End of the Year,

Thank you for sharing part of your Mondays with me during 2020. Here are 4 more thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer to reflect on as we wrap up the year.

Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. A Breakthrough in Respiratory Physiology

"We noted that the inhalation of NO led to a significant increase in nitrite and SNO-Hb. Nitrite peaked at 5 minutes and SNO-Hb peaked beyond 15 minutes, of discontinuing the NO inhalation." - Tonelli et al. (2019), PLOS ONE

Two weeks ago, we learned that inhaled NO is transported throughout the entire body. I promised to follow-up with newer research, and here it is.

This 2019 study, led by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, found that inhaled NO increases circulating levels of SNO-Hb and nitrite. This matters because SNO-Hb is crucial to whole-body oxygenation.

The levels of inhaled NO studied here were much higher than what is produced in the nose. However, it seems likely that the NO we inhale during nasal breathing acts through this same pathway, assisting with oxygen delivery throughout the entire body. We’ll have to see what future studies show…

In the meantime, if you geek out on breathing, this represents a paradigm shift in respiratory physiology. Learn more in the full summary.

Here’s to another year of nasal breathing and continuous learning.

2. How to Begin Something New this Year

"If there’s one concept from my book I hope you embrace, it’s this: People change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad." – BJ Fogg, Tiny Habits 

Let’s remember BJ’s advice as we embark on any change in 2021. Specifically for breathing, we should remember that our practice should be natural, not burdensome. It should make us feel good, not be another source of worry.

More broadly, let’s not feel "obligated" to change, but instead, do it because it makes us feel good and improves our health. This just seems like common sense, but sometimes it takes a really smart person like BJ Fogg to state the obvious.

P.S. Do you remember BJ’s number one tip for feeling good? Celebrate. A lot.

P.P.S. Things that are hard during but make you feel good after, like workouts and cold showers, still fit into this : )

3. The Breathing Essentials and "Nice-to-Haves"

"The first section contains the essential things you need to follow…The rest are nice-to-haves. If you have the time and energy to add these things, your program will be a lot better." - CLI Guidelines

I do a lot of computer programming in my "job job." As a true nerd, I also occasionally read articles like this one in my free time. However, when I read this passage, I immediately saw how this concept could be applied to breathing.

The breathing essentials would be:

  • Nose breathing

  • Slow breathing

  • Diaphragmatic breathing

And the nice-to-haves:

  • Breath holds

  • Alternate nostril breathing

  • Fast & slow oscillations

  • And on & on

If you focus on the essentials, you’ll be on your way to better health. Throw in a few "nice-to-haves," and your breathing program will be that much better.

4. Some Breathing Quotes to Reflect On

"Have you ever observed that we pay much more attention to a wise passage when it is quoted than when we read it in the original author?" - Philip G. Hamerton

I love scrolling through quotes and reading ones that pop out. If you do too, here’s a page I hope you enjoy:

Page of Quotes

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"As long as we have breath, as long as we are still conscious, we are each responsible for answering life’s questions." - Viktor Frankl

Thanks goes to Brain Pickings for this one 🙏

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: In the 2 h 15 min leading up to the New Year, the average person will take approximately this many breaths.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 2021?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Post-Christmas shopping deals

 
 

The Skill of Breath and Pillars of Health

 

Greetings,

Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer to reflect on this holiday week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing is a Universal Skill

Most skills you learn in soccer don’t make you better at baseball.

Most skills you learn in tennis don’t make you better at hockey.

But the skill of breathing is universal, applicable in every domain, available every second of every day.

2. A New Foundation for the Pillars of Health

"Sleep is more than a pillar; it is the foundation on which the other two health bastions sit. Take away the bedrock of sleep, or weaken it just a little, and careful eating or physical exercise become less than effective, as we shall see."

- Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep

Beautifully said, but I would go a step further and state that breathing is the bedrock of healthy sleep. Remove correct (nasal) breathing at night, and even excellent sleep hygiene becomes less effective.

Of course, breathing isn’t a cure-all that replaces the other health pillars. But, it is the foundation on which they all sit. We’d be wise to make it a solid one.

Related: Three pillars of mental health: Good sleep, exercise, raw fruits and veggies - Note the portion about sleep quality versus quantity.

P.S. This thought also brings to mind James Nestor, who said, "No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or strong you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly."

3. "Take a Long, Deep, Deliberate Breath"

"Deliberate breathing is a simple, but powerful, skill you can practice every day...It can be used to improve your performance…and/or speed up your recovery." (my emphasis)

- Army Ready and Resilient

Here’s a quick read from Army Ready and Resilient. I don’t think I’ve seen a more succinctly written article on the benefits of breathing. Their advice for starting a daily practice, including the amount of time per day, is quite perfect.

Great to see this being brought to those who serve and protect.

Enjoy the quick read.

4. Ready for Change? Replace Positive Thinking with Positive Action

How we think change occurs:

  1. Positive Thinking ("I want to begin a breathing practice soon")

  2. Positive Speaking (Tell friends, "I’m starting a breathing practice")

  3. Positive Action (You sit down with a phone app and start breathing)

How it usually happens:

  1. Positive Action (You experience a change from breathing)

  2. Positive Speaking (You share your experience with others)

  3. Positive Thinking (You strive to understand how it happened)

Interestingly, we focus most of our energy on positive thinking and positive speaking, when all we need is positive action.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Breathing is a tool that enables anyone to perform better in every aspect of life. We can’t emphasize that enough."

- James Loehr & Jeffrey Migdow, Breathe In, Breathe Out

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This device has been measuring peoples’ breath to assist law enforcement since the 1950s.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is a breathalyzer?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Every mom & dad on Christmas

 
 

A Breathing 4-Minute Mile, plus Inhaled Nitric Oxide

 

TGIM. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for this week. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. The Breathing 4-Minute Mile

The Wim Hof endotoxin study is breathing’s equivalent to a "4-minute mile."

People have been using breathing to modulate their autonomic nervous and immune systems for thousands of years. But Wim brought it to the world.

He proved it was possible, scientifically. And similar to how people now run 4-minute miles without using Roger Bannister’s exact training, I believe science will show that many breathing techniques work in similar ways.

But what matters most is that it’s possible. And it’s possible through breathing.

2. Inhaled Nitric Oxide has Whole-Body Effects

To date, I believe this might be one of the most important findings in breathing.

We typically believe the benefits of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) end in the lungs. However, a paper I recently reviewed showed it has whole-body effects.

Here are the take-home points from the study:

  • Their measurements were consistent with systemic transport and delivery of bioactive inhaled NO.

  • Inhaled NO can improve blood flow in distant regions where endothelial NO is suppressed—it works "where needed."

  • These effects on blood flow might be most relevant in diseases that disrupt endothelial-derived NO, like diabetes & many others.

If you’re interested, see the full summary for more details. I will be expanding on this topic with more recently-published research in the coming weeks.

3.   Why We Sigh - A Vice Article

"Breathing isn’t only the automatic exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, afterall. The way we breathe is influenced by our emotions and environment, and vice versa."

- Shayla Love, Why We Sigh

This was a fantastic read; I couldn’t recommend it more. I especially enjoyed the short passage about sighing and breathing variability.

I hope you all like it as much as I did.

4. Three Steps to Breathe Better Right Now

  1. Breathe through your nose.

  2. Slow down your breathing.

  3. Make each breath inaudible.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"How do you identify someone who needs encouragement. That person is breathing."

- Truett Cathy

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: In the atmosphere, nitric oxide is generated from this energetic process.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is lightning?

 
 

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Doesn’t seem like a fair fight.

The Breathing 411 Newsletter

Each Monday I share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer like the ones you just read. If you enjoyed it, please sign up below.

 
 

Patch Your Breath, and Wim Hof’s Slow Breathing Method?

 

Happy Monday, and welcome back to another issue of The Breathing 411. Here are four thoughts, one quote, and one answer for you to reflect on this week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Instead of a Bigger Engine, Patch the Hole in Your Boat

If you have a hole in your boat, a bigger engine or better fuel might keep you afloat longer. A more aerodynamic design might help you temporarily go faster. But either way, you’ll still be slowly sinking until you patch the hole.

Your breathing is that hole. You can eat better, workout harder, and take more supplements, which will all be very helpful. But until you "patch" your breath, you’ll never see the true potential of your energy and performance.

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing from the Cleveland Clinic

"But keep at it, because with continued practice, diaphragmatic breathing will become easy and automatic."

- Diaphragmatic Breathing, Cleveland Clinic

Last week, we discussed how diaphragmatic breathing improves recovery. Here’s a brief article from The Cleveland Clinic (regarded as one of the best hospitals and research centers worldwide) on how to get started.

Enjoy!

3. Become a Breathing Flâneur

"The flâneur continuously—and, what is crucial, rationally—modifies his target as he acquires information."

- Nassim Taleb, Antifragile

I propose we become breathing flâneurs. Let’s not be rigid with our techniques, but rather be open to change as we get new information.

Importantly, let’s rationally modify our approach based on the best information we have and the circumstances we find ourselves in.

The best way to do this is to have many options to choose from (slow breathing, Oxygen Advantage, Wim Hof, and so on) and use them as needed.

4. Wim Hof’s Slow Breathing Method - A Thought on Statistics

Here’s a fun thought about the infamous Kox et al. (2013) study on the Wim Hof Method (WHM). This paper scientifically validated that the WHM can allow people to control their autonomic nervous system and innate immune system.

There is a plot (their Figure 2) showing about 10.8 minutes of data. In that time, participants did 3 rounds of hyperventilation, and 3 breath holds. Each hyperventilation session was ~30 breaths. So, over the 10.8 minutes, they took about 90 breaths. On average, that’s ~8.3 breaths/min.

Thus, from a statistical perspective, the Wim Hof Method is slow breathing.

Now consider how much different it is to "breathe at 8 breaths/min for 11 minutes" compared to "performing three rounds of the WHM." This is why we must always put statistics into context…

But it’s also just fun to ponder : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable."

- Mark Twain

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: About 50% of the oxygen you breathe originated from this location.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the ocean?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. A fun thought exercise.

 
 

On Recovering Better and Setting A Breathing Budget

 

Welcome back to another issue of The Breathing 411. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer to end November with.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. You Already Work Hard Enough—Recover Harder

"The problem in today’s corporate world, as well as in many other realms, is not hard work; the problem is insufficient recovery."

- Tal Ben-Shahar

We all work hard enough. That’s likely not the problem. In fact, it’s probably the opposite: We need to be focusing on recovery so we can continue to work hard.

One excellent way to do this is with diaphragmatic breathing.

For example, imagine taking a group of 16 endurance cyclists and having them see how far they can go in 8 hours. Then, you split them into two groups. One group performs 1 hour of diaphragmatic breathing post-event. The other group reads quietly. That’s what a study published back in 2011 did.

The outcome: The diaphragmatic breathing group showed reduced oxidative stress, reduced cortisol, increased antioxidant potential, and increased melatonin.

That is, they recovered better.

If diaphragmatic breathing reduces these stress markers in this extreme case, it seems like it would be even more useful for recovering from chronic, everyday work stress. Recover better, work better.

2. How Do You Budget Your Breathing?

"Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are."

- James W. Frick

The same can be said for your breathing. Where you spend your breath, and thus your energy, shows what your physiological priorities are. But, like money, you can set your own priorities by setting a breathing budget.

For example, suppose you would like to try out a new method that involves mouth breathing, but you also recognize the hazards of chronic mouth breathing. In that case, you might budget a small portion of breaths for that activity. Then, save the rest (especially sleep) for nasal breathing.

You can apply this idea to any technique. Make light nasal breathing the foundation of your budget (like paying your rent or mortgage) and spend your leftover "disposable breathing income" on new methods that interest you.

3. How Deep Breathing Opens Up the ADHD Brain

"So Ethan’s mother, who had used coherent breathing to calm her own anxiety, taught him how to do it. His overall behavior improved in four or five weeks, and he fell asleep without difficulty." - ADDitude Magazine

This topic is way outside my jurisdiction. But, reading this article was both inspiring and humbling as I reflected on how important this "breathing" stuff is.

I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks to great friend, and new 411 reader, S.S. for sending me this article.

4. Intermittent Hypoxia Improves Immune System Function

"These responses…may serve to augment the body’s immune defenses without exacerbating inflammation."

Serebrovskaya et al. 2011, High Altitude Medicine and Biology

This paper published in 2011 found that intermittent hypoxia (IH) enhances the body’s innate immune system, increases its ability to fight infection, and had a net anti-inflammatory effect.

Although IH and breath holds are not technically the same, we can experience IH using breath holds. Thus, research like this suggests, but doesn’t prove, that breath holds might help us fight illnesses (when done safely, of course).

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers."

- James Thurber

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: The Earth has ~3.1 trillion of these organisms (or ~400 per person) that help us breathe.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are trees?

That link has a neat video of the Earth "breathing," if you’re interested.

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. "omg GO ON"

 
 

Alcohol, and Why You’ll Forget About Breathing

 

Hello, and Happy Monday. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer that I hope you enjoy this week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Cure Your Hangover: Why We Can’t Always Wait on Science

"If you have a hangover…if you do 20 minutes of this breathing, then you have no hangover anymore. You are learning to detox yourself in 20 minutes."

- Wim Hof, *October 21, 2015*

A study recently published in Nature - Scientific Reports about breathing and alcohol is receiving a lot of attention. People are excited to learn that controlled hyperventilation might help cure their hangover.

It’s rather amazing, but let’s not forget that Wim Hof has been talking about this for over 5 years. He didn’t know the science. He just figured it out.

And yes, I might have used his method a time or two myself : )

I’m a huge advocate of science in both my professional and personal life. But in some cases, we can’t wait on science. We must trust our intuition.

"I knew that there was no book. The book was me. The book was the interaction with the nature." - Wim Hof, FoundMyFitness, January 3, 2016

2. Why You Will Forget About Breathing

"It’s much easier to sell 'Look what I did for you' than 'Look what I avoided for you.'"

- Nassim Taleb, Antifragile

Some of us experience profound benefits from breathing. Some of us don’t. But even for those who do, life still happens. You get sick. You still get anxious. Despite your diligent practice, your energy levels still aren’t always perfect.

You might decide this "breathing" stuff isn’t working after all or that there must be something else you’re missing. So you move on and forget about breathing.

Fortunately, you’ve already laid the foundation. You can "forget" about breathing, but still reap most of the benefits. (It’s quite amazing, actually.)

Unfortunately, we will never know what it saved us from. Yes, we still got sick. Yes, we still got anxious when life got stressful. But we will never know how much worse it might have been without our breathing practice…

3. "You are Probably Breathing Wrong"

"Training yourself to breathe correctly isn't complicated, but it can help you beat back stress, sleep better, stop snoring, get fitter, avoid asthma and allergies, and even focus more easily. That's a lot of positive change for such a small intervention."

- Inc. Magazine

Here’s a quick read from Inc. Magazine with a great title: "You are probably breathing wrong. Fixing it could change your life."

I was pleasantly surprised to find several embedded links to other Inc. articles about breathing. Enjoy!

4. Un-Flaunt Your Breathing

"Flaunt: display ostentatiously, draw attention to, make a (great) show of, put on show, put on display, parade"

- Apple Thesaurus

Your breathing should be the exact opposite. It should be subtle and quiet. Here’s how: breathe through your nose and make sure you cannot hear your breathing, even internally.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."

- Walt Disney

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: In your nose, this gas can reach the maximum permissible concentrations (25 ppm) set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is nitric oxide?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. I’m not even drinking

 
 

Stop Breathing Sugar

 

Happy Monday!

Let’s get right to it. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for this week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing is so Cliché

"Defense wins championships // The best defense is a good offense.

Birds of a feather flock together // Opposites attract.

You get what you pay for // The best things in life are free"

- Neil Pasricha, The Happiness Equation

For any situation you’re in, you can find a cliché to help you through. And as seen above, clichés are often contradictory. Likewise, breathing clichés are also contradictory, as we saw about a month ago:

Wim Hof tells you to breathe more. // Patrick McKeown tells you to breathe less.

Lung capacity determines longevity. // But you also shouldn’t take big breaths.

Oxygen is your body’s most important energy source. // But the exhale is the most important part of the breath.

For breathing, I suggested that we embrace these contradictions. But from a practical perspective, I like Neil Pasricha’s advice: "Any cliché, quote, or piece of advice that resonates with you only confirms to your mind something you already know."

We’re all different. So if you notice a specific breathing method standing out, it’s probably confirming something you already know to be right for you.

2. Stop Breathing Sugar

"Cutting sugar-sweetened beverages from your diet is the single-biggest thing you can do to improve your health."

- Mark Hyman, Food Fix

Many different diets work for many different people. But they all pretty much agree on one thing: remove processed sugar. And Mark Hyman’s number one recommendation is even more straightforward: "Don’t drink sugar."

Similarly, despite all the inconsistencies in breathing advice, there is one thing we can all agree on: don’t breathe through your mouth. Mouth breathing is like drinking sugar. It’s easy and it feels good, but it is detrimental to your health.

Let’s cut this processed "breathing sugar" from our diets. It may very well be the most important thing we can do for our health.

Thanks (for the millionth time) to Brian Johnson for inspiring this thought.

3. Nitric Oxide Reduces Alveolar Dead Space

"Alveolar dead space…represents alveoli, typically in the apex of the lung in an upright person, that do not receive blood flow"

- Respiratory Physiology, A Clinical Approach, pg. 96

By redistributing blood flow in the lungs, inhaled nasal nitric oxide reduces the alveolar dead space described above. Specifically, it allows more alveoli to receive blood flow, which allows more gas exchange to occur. This is something you won’t find in textbooks because the science is just too new.

This remarkable effect has led some to postulate that nasal nitric oxide is an evolutionary adaptation that helped allow us to walk upright. Pretty neat.

4. Slow Breathing is Better Than Social Media for Sleep

"Slow-paced breathing appears a promising cost-effective technique to improve subjective sleep quality and cardiovascular function during sleep in young healthy individuals."

- Journal of Clinical Medicine (2019)

This study found that 15 minutes of slow breathing (6 breaths/min) before bed led to better subjective sleep quality than 15 minutes of social media use. Slow breathing also led to higher overnight vagal activity.

Although these results might seem like common sense, I thought they were still compelling nonetheless. Here's to putting away our phones and focusing on our breath before bed.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life because everything is pulling you to be more and more complex."

- Yvon Chouinard

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This condition drops 21% two days after we gain an hour moving from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are heart attacks?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. lmao ok fine.

 
 

Use it or Lose it + Eating and Breathing

 

Happy Monday! I hope you all have a great week ahead.

Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for you to consider this week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. The Nose: Use it or Lose it

"Machines: use it and lose it; organisms: use it or lose it."

- Frano Barovic, Antifragile

I had to get a new computer recently. My Macbook Pro gave me 7 great years, but it was time to move on. I decided to switch to a Macbook Air. I thought, "air is my favorite subject; I should get a computer called an Air." I’m that weird : )

So when I was recently re-reading Antifragile, the quote above (buried in a footnote) popped off the page. We expect machines like my computer to break over time: use it and lose it. But with our body, it’s the opposite: use it or lose it.

This is especially true for one particular organ, the nose. Here’s how James Nestor puts it:

"For noses clogged, you need to find a way of unclogging it. You can do that by breathing more through your nose because it's really a use-it-or-lose-it organ. The more you breathe through it, the more you're going to be able to breathe through it." - NPR Interview

We learned some tricks for unblocking your nose a couple weeks ago. But the ultimate nose-unblocking exercise is to simply use it or lose it.

2. Thinkr Review of Breath

"Though it seems as simple as inhaling and exhaling, the act of breathing is an overlooked artform that can do much more than just sustain life." - Thinkr Review of Breath

Speaking of James Nestor, here’s an excellent summary of his book Breath that I recently came across. It requires an email to sign-up, but you can unsubscribe afterward…although I’ve actually enjoyed the emails they’ve sent since.

If you haven’t read Breath or just need a refresher, this is a nice summary from a company with no vested interest in "breathing."

3. Using Breathing Science to Change the World

Changing our breathing is one of the simplest thing we can do to improve our health. Tiny changes, like switching to nose breathing 24/7, can dramatically impact our health and wellness. That’s why it is great to see researchers using breathing in practical ways that could really change the world.

For example, imagine having a web browser add-on that, without you knowing it, alters your breathing to be more relaxed and rhythmic (rather than e-mail-apnea). That’s what "Breathing Edges" aims to do:

Toward Breathing Edges: A Prototype Respiration Entrainment System for Browser-based Computing Tasks

Or how about audio tracks that slow down your breathing while driving:

Just Breathe: In-Car Interventions for Guided Slow Breathing

Or audio tracks that speed up your breathing to keep you awake when you’re driving late at night:

Breath Booster!: Exploring In-Car, Fast-Paced Breathing Interventions to Enhance Driver Arousal State

It’s awesome to see things like this being developed, and it’ll be exciting to see what the next few years of research and application bring.

4. Can Eating Affect Your Breathing?

"One is able to compare the different fuel sources in this regard by examining the respiratory quotient (RQ), the ratio of carbon dioxide produced per unit of oxygen consumed in the production of energy…The RQ for carbohydrate is 1.0; for fats, it is 0.7; and for protein, it is 0.8." - Respiratory Physiology, A Clinical Approach

The "respiratory quotient" shows how much CO2 is produced per unit of oxygen consumed for energy production. For example, 30% less CO2 is generated when fat is used for energy compared to carbohydrates.

Thus, what you eat might affect how you breathe.

This might help explain why some endurance athletes prefer fueling with fat vs. carbs. Or why we can often hold our breath longer in the morning when we are fasted and using fat for energy. Less CO2 production means less breathlessness and extended breath holds.

This also explains why I start breathing heavily when I splurge on cheesecake : )

We often think about how breathing can help with digestion and post-meal blood sugar spikes. But I guess we should not forget the relationship goes both ways.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, we ought to know a little about everything."

- Blaise Pascal

Thanks to new 411 reader T. V. for inspiring this quote.

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

This section of the newsletter was inspired by my favorite TV show of all time, Jeopardy! With the passing of Alex Trebek yesterday morning, it feels impossible to make an answer about breathing this week. Instead, let’s honor the legacy of this great man.

Answer: From 1984 to 2020, Alex Trebek hosted more than this many episodes of Jeopardy!, earning him spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 8,200?

We love you, Alex.

 
 

Exciting News: A New Breathing Gas Discovered

 

Happy Monday. There was a breakthrough in breathing research over the past few weeks: A new breathing gas has been discovered. I hope the extra hour of sleep you got this weekend will help this exciting news sink in even deeper.

OK, let’s get to it. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for you to think about as we begin November.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. A New Breathing Gas Discovered

"Thus, H2S [hydrogen sulfide] produced by CBS surely has a crucial role in maintaining eupneic-pattern respiration."

- Nature, Communications Biology

Hydrogen sulfide. It’s toxic, and it’s what gives rotten eggs their rotten smell. It also helps maintain our breathing.

A study published in Nature: Communications Biology on October 16, 2020, found that a small amount of hydrogen sulfide is critical to maintaining normal breathing. It does this through modification of the neural connections in the region of the brain that controls breathing.

When hydrogen sulfide production was stopped in rats, normal breathing turned to gasping, implying that it is vital to maintaining rhythmic breathing.

From a practical perspective, I’m not sure what this means yet. At a minimum, breathing now appears to be a four-gas system: oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfide.

We’ve found ways to breathe to optimize the first three. However, it’s not yet clear if the way we breathe (or do anything else, for that matter) can influence hydrogen sulfide.

In any case, as a fellow breathing nerd, I hope you find this as fascinating and humbling as I did. Here’s to the joy of never-ending learning.

P.S. Here’s a short summary of these findings from ScienceDaily.

2. The Single Most Important Part of the Breath

"Interestingly, Törnberg et al. recently showed that more NO is released from the nasal passages during nasal inhalation compared with exhalation." - Lundberg et al. (2008)

Here is yet another reason why inhaling through your nose might be the single most important part of breathing: nitric oxide (NO) production is much greater during inhalation than exhalation.

Here’s the finding from the paper mentioned above: "There was a marked flow dependency of nasal NO output, with the highest levels observed during inhalation at flows similar to those seen during normal breathing." - Törnberg et al. (2002)

In hindsight, this makes complete sense. NO helps protect our lungs from inhaled pathogens and it redistributes blood flow in the lungs. So, of course our bodies would maximize it on the inhale. But it wasn’t until I read these two papers that it made sense to me.

"The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply.” - Kahlil Gibran

3. What Focusing on the Breath Does to Your Brain

"Conversely, it may be possible to reduce fear and anxiety by slowing down our breath." - Greater Good, UC Berkeley

Here is a quick-reading article, packed full of excellent information, from The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Anytime you see a headline like "Managing stress: Is it all in the breath?" you know it’s going to be a good read. Enjoy!

4. Sleep Scientists Call for the Elimination of Daylight Saving Time

"It is, therefore, the position of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine that these seasonal time changes should be abolished in favor of a fixed, national, year-round standard time."

- Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

I hope you all enjoyed the extra hour of sleep you got this weekend. The world’s leading sleep scientists say your body will function better, and they suggest we keep it this way (Standard Time) forever.

The above article is pretty short. But if you’re interested, here’s an even more concise summary, along with a rather impressive list of organizations that support the permanent change to Standard Time.

Because nasal breathing at night changed my life, I am endlessly fascinated with sleep. So I hope we all enjoy the next few months of better sleep and better optimization of our body's wake-light cycles.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: Average walking speed (~2-4 mph) is also around the average speed of this physiological function.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is blood flow?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. New life in a new city.

 
 

Is This Stuff Really in Textbooks? And A New Nose-Opening Method

 

Hello, and happy Monday. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for you to consider as we wrap up October.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Is this Stuff Really in Textbooks?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and the Bohr effect have motivated almost all the interest in breathing for health and performance.

CO2 is said to loosen the bond between oxygen and hemoglobin, allowing more efficient release into the tissues (the Bohr effect). Thus, counterintuitively, by breathing less (retaining more CO2), we actually get more oxygen.

It is often stated that this is just basic (but underappreciated) physiology that is in all the medical textbooks. Luckily, I find joy in reading medical books I don’t fully understand : ) Here’s what I have found:

- “Hemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen is also influenced by pH, carbon dioxide concentration, and body temperature…it releases it more readily under conditions of…increased carbon dioxide concentration." - Essentials of Pathophysiology, pg. 534

- “The shift of the curve to the right may be seen as a compensation that results in greater release of oxygen to the tissues…Temperature affects the relationship (increases in body temperature shift the curve to the right), as do carbon dioxide." - Respiratory Physiology, A Clinical Approach, pg. 110

- “Most of the effect of PCO2, which is known as the Bohr effect, can be attributed to its action on H+ concentration. A rightward shift means more unloading of O2 at a given PO2 in a tissue capillary." - Respiratory Physiology, The Essentials, pg. 91

So yes, this is basic physiology. It’s nothing new. But knowledge is only potential energy. What we’re doing is applying this knowledge in a simple way. Breathe less, get more.

2. A New Nose-Unblocking Exercise

Patrick McKeown’s nose unblocking exercise is phenomenal. It’s simple, and you feel it immediately. However, no one knows precisely how it works. My hypothesis is that it’s primarily due to nasal nitric oxide (but have no way of testing this, except on myself).

It just so happens that last week we discovered a way of breathing that increases nasal nitric oxide (nose in - mouth out). It also just so happens that I got a terribly stuffy nose during that same time.

So, here was my N=1 test. If the unblocking exercise works due to NO, it would stand that performing nasal-in, mouth-out breathing would help clear my nose.

So here’s what I did. I inhaled through my nose, pinched my nose, slowly exhaled through my mouth as long as I could comfortably, and repeated. And, lo and behold, it helped.

However, it took much longer than Patrick’s method (about 2 minutes for me). And, it wasn’t nearly as dramatic. Each breath only opened it slightly more. Conversely, in Patrick’s version, you go from blocked to open almost instantly.

What does this mean? Well, nothing, really. There are many factors to consider. But it *might* be suggesting that NO is, in fact, the “unblocking” mechanism.

So, here’s my request: If you get a stuffy nose this cold season, give it a try and let me know if it does anything for you. N=1 means nothing statistically, but it’s better than nothing practically.

3. For the Practice or For the Results? Why Not Both?

"How do you best move toward mastery? To put it simply, you practice diligently, but you practice primarily for the sake of the practice itself." - Robert Greene, Mastery

Why do you practice breathing? For the practice itself, or for the outcome?

What I love about breathing is that it can be both. In fact, you automatically take care of both, regardless of which one you are focusing on. It’s health and mastery, wrapped in our body’s most important function.

4. Woo-Woo or Wu-Wei?

"It refers to the dynamic, effortless, and unselfconscious state of mind of a person who is optimally active and effective."

- Edward Slingerland, Trying Not to Try

Wu-Wei literally means "effortless action." If it didn’t sound so much like "woo-woo," it might be the perfect definition of ideal breathing.

We train our breathing so that we don’t have to think about it. We train our breathing to achieve this state of effortless yet highly effective action.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“It’s not enough to understand; you’ve got to do something.”

- Sandra Day O’Connor

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: On one breath, the world record for this movement is 81.6 meters.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is underwater walking?

(P.S. The video is pretty amazing. Watch out Laird.)

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Very Scary.

 
 

The Simplest Way to Increase Nitric Oxide Through Nasal Breathing

 

Hello, and happy Monday. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy") related to breathing that I hope you enjoy.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Can Mouth Breathing Increase Nitric Oxide?

Yes, but only if done on the exhale.

Nitric oxide (NO) is continuously produced in the nasal cavity. When we inhale through the nose, we harness this wondrous molecule and its benefits in the airways and lungs.

But if we also exhale through our nose, some of it gets washed out. Conversely, if we exhale through our mouth, the NO continues to accumulate in the nasal cavity. Then, more is brought in with the next nasal inhale.

In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Here’s what a researcher at the UCLA School of Medicine says:

"Exhaling through the nose is highly wasteful in that the NO would be expelled away from the lungs, where it is needed most." - Louis J. Ignarro, Inhaled NO and COVID-19

While I personally don’t recommend exhaling through the mouth all the time, there are clearly times when it might be beneficial, even if only for short periods.

The next thought has a few ideas about putting this knowledge into practice.

2. Increase Oxygenation by 10% (without increasing carbon dioxide)

"The subject inhaled through the nose with the mouth closed and exhaled through the mouth with the nose blocked. Thereby, a maximum of NO from the nasal airways is inhaled while a minimum is lost during exhalation." - Lundberg et al. (1996)

This protocol, nose in - mouth out, led to a 10% increase in tissue oxygenation when compared with mouth in-nasal out.

Notably, there were no significant carbon dioxide changes between protocols. Thus, by inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, we can increase tissue oxygenation without increasing carbon dioxide.

It’s all due to nitric oxide.

We should not base all our breathing on any one conclusion. And many factors need to be weighed, such as moisture and heat loss from exhaling through the mouth. But these results are intriguing nonetheless.

Here’s a simple way I put them into practice: I start each slow breathing session with 3-5 nose in - mouth out breaths before switching to nose in - nose out.

This study also implies that nose in - mouth out could increase oxygenation to the working muscles during exercise. So, if you’re uncomfortable with nasal-only breathing during your workout, switching to nose in - mouth out could be a beneficial compromise from an oxygenation perspective.

3. Why Slowing Your Breathing Helps You Relax

"By repeatedly stimulating the vagus nerve during those long exhalations, slow breathing may shift the nervous system towards that more restful state, resulting in positive changes like a lower heart rate and lower blood pressure." (my emphasis)

- BBC, Why Slowing Your Breathing Helps You Relax

It’s always fun to find an article reporting the science behind slow breathing from a news outlet like BBC. They even present some information you might not have considered, like how taking "big breaths" might benefit relaxation.

The article also touches on everything from pain to arthritis and provides many useful references. It's an excellent summary. Enjoy!

Thanks to 411 reader A. P. for inspiring this thought.

4. What is Breathing? And is it Woo-Woo (part II)?

When I was drafting last week’s thought about breathing being woo-woo, my grammar editor said that I was using the word "breathe" too much. Almost ironically, the synonym it suggested was: live.

I thought, "funny that a word synonymous with life itself is often considered woo-woo." But at the same time, interchanging "breath" with "life" is borderline woo-woo : )

But this is an appropriate synonym. Because at its root, what is breathing? At the risk of sounding a bit woo-woo myself, here is one answer: breathing is living.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on the earth."

- Sanskrit Proverb

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This is the lowest blood oxygen saturation recorded in a human climbing Mount Everest.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is 34.4%?

Wim Hof

"Fainting is okay, it just means you went deep." – Wim Hof

Maybe Wim Hof has some crazy ideas, but he has done more for "breathing" than just about anyone on this planet. I am incredibly grateful for him and his work.

His new book comes out tomorrow. I ordered a copy and hope you will too.

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. We’ve Been Ordering Pizza All Wrong

 
 

The Breathing 411 - Understand This, and You Will Understand Breathing

 

Happy Monday. I hope you enjoy this edition with a cup of coffee : )

Enjoy 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy") related to breathing.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Understand This, and You Will Understand Breathing

Breathing information is often contradictory:

  • Wim Hof tells you to breathe more oxygen.
    Patrick McKeown tells you to breathe less.

  • Oxygen is your body’s most important energy source.
    But the exhale is the most important part of the breath.

  • You need to teach yourself to tolerate higher levels of carbon dioxide.
    Carbon dioxide also causes fear in people who literally can’t feel fear.

  • Lung capacity determines longevity.
    But you also shouldn’t take big breaths.

  • And on & on

To understand breathing, you must accept that all of these are right, and all of them are wrong. It depends on the circumstance.

Despite its simplicity, breathing is one of the most complex functions in the human body. Blanket statements on "right or wrong" simply cannot be made without context. We must embrace the contradictions.

2. Should You Be Breathing Even Slower?

A study published in 2006 found that resonance frequency was inversely correlated with height. That is, the taller you are, the slower you need to breathe to synchronize your heart rate, breathing rate, and autonomic nervous system.

In their excellent book, The Healing Power of the Breath, Richard Brown and Patricia Gerbarg give this specific recommendation: "For people who are over six feet tall, the ideal resonant rate is three to three and a half breaths per minute."

So, if you’re over six feet tall, you might find that breathing slower than the typical recommendation of 5-6 breaths per minute works better for you. I fall into that category, and I’ve found 3 - 3.5 breaths per minute (currently 7 sec inhale, 11 sec exhale) to be my sweet spot.

3. What is Hyperventilation?

"Respiratory alkalosis is caused by hyperventilation or a respiratory rate in excess of that needed to maintain normal PCO2." - Essentials of Pathophysiology, pg. 205

"Hyperventilation is a term that describes breathing beyond that which is required to meet the metabolic needs of the body as reflected in the production of carbon dioxide." - Respiratory Physiology, pg. 128

Here are two different textbook definitions of hyperventilation. It’s actually pretty straightforward. And, as you can see, it doesn’t involve huffing and puffing. Thus, we can hyperventilate without even knowing it.

Two easy ways to check if you are overbreathing are the BOLT score and the CO2 Tolerance Test.

Two easy ways to fix it are to breathe through your nose and make your breathing quiet while at rest.

Thanks to 411 reader W.H. for inspiring this thought.

4. Is Breathing Woo-Woo?

It fascinates me that breathing, your body’s most important function, has kind of a "woo-woo" reputation. It shouldn’t. There is a mountain of scientific evidence showing its efficacy for health and wellness. For example, I have reviewed over 80 scientific papers, and HHPF seems to post a new one every day.

But you actually don’t need any of the science. Here is the quickest way to determine for yourself:

Hold your breath.

I think you will agree "breathing" isn’t woo-woo after only a few seconds.

Thanks to fellow breathing nerd R. vdC. for inspiring this thought.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: The estimated prevalence of this condition is about 23% in women and 50% in men.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is sleep-disordered breathing?

 
 

The Breathing 411 - On Becoming Indisfunctionable

 

Welcome to October and another edition of The Breathing 4.1.1.

Below, you’ll find 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy") related to all things breathing. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing to Gain Traction

"On the left side is distraction, the opposite of traction...the word means the 'drawing away of the mind.' Distractions impede us from making progress toward the life we envision."

- Nir Eyal, Indistractable

I’ve never thought of "distraction" being the opposite of "traction." (Pretty neat.) Distraction, as Nir Eyal states, is the drawing away of the mind.

But what can we do to bring it back, to gain traction?

"It has long been claimed by Yogis and Buddhists that meditation and ancient breath-focused practices… strengthen our ability to focus on tasks. A new study explains for the first time the neurophysiological link between breathing and attention.…
The way we breathe, in other words, directly affects the chemistry of our brains in a way that can enhance our attention and improve our brain health." - ScienceDaily

That sounds like a great place to start. Here’s to combining ancient wisdom with modern science on our path to becoming indistractable.

(Thanks, a million times over, to Brian Johnson for inspiring so many of my thoughts.)

2. How to Become Indisfunctionable

In addition to improving focus, a staple of slow breathing is that it reverses autonomic dysfunction. It does this by promoting cardio-respiratory balance, in as little as two minutes, putting us back on the track to health and wellness.

In the process of becoming indistractable, we also become indisfunctionable.

3. Similar Lung Deficiencies in Diabetes and Asthma

"In a study of the pulmonary biopsies of 171 patients,(18) it was concluded that individuals with DM [diabetes mellitus] present an increase in basement membrane thickness similar to that seen in asthma patients." - Forgiarini et al. (2009)

I have often wondered why breathing principles that work so well for asthma also benefit people with diabetes. Here’s one interesting similarity: The oxidative stress from diabetes leads to similar lung structure changes seen in asthmatics.

Thanks to 411 reader T. P. for inspiring this thought.

4. Heavy Breathing at the Start of Exercise (it’s not just CO2)

Your breathing rate typically increases after just a few minutes of exercise…unless you’ve been reading this newsletter long enough :)

By now, we would all probably agree this increase in breathing is due to a build-up of CO2. But is that truly the case?

"The increase in ventilation does not appear to be the consequence of changes in arterial blood gases." - Respiratory Physiology pg 187

The reason is perhaps more impressive. It’s what this textbook calls "Phase 1: The Neurological Phase" of exercise. The movement itself might be sending neurological messages to the brain, instructing it to begin breathing more.

That is, your body has a built-in, anticipatory mechanism that links movement to the respiratory controller in the brain to help prevent blood-gas imbalances from ever happening. The result is that changes in breathing precede changes in CO2.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

Same goes for breathing:

"It is easy to be heavy; hard to be light."

- G.K. Chesterton

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: The time it takes gas exchange to occur in the lungs.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is about 0.25 seconds?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Didn’t see that coming.