Breathing

Sponsors: HVMN, Thesis, WHOOP

Respiration, Oxygen & Carbon Dioxide

Breathing Mechanics

AG1 (Athletic Greens)

Chemistry of Breathing, Hyperventilation

High Altitudes, Oxygen & Breathing

Tool: Sleep Apnea, Nasal Breathing

Brain Centers & Breathing Rhythm

Brain, Hyperventilation & “Over-breathing”

What is Healthy Breathing?

InsideTracker

Tool: Train Healthy Breathing, Carbon Dioxide Tolerance Test & Box Breathing

Tool: Breathwork & Stress Reduction; Cyclic Sighing

Tool: Physiological Sighing & Exercise Side Cramp

Breathing & Heart Rate Variability

Tool: How to Stop Hiccups

Tool: Stress Management & Cyclic Hyperventilation, “Wim Hof Method”

Deliberate Cold Exposure & Breathing

Tool: Inhales & Learning; Exhales & Movement

Mouth vs. Nasal Breathing, Aesthetics

Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Sponsors, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

This podcast episode discussed the importance of breathing and how it can be used to improve physical and cognitive performance, reduce stress, and improve mental and physical health. It discussed the mechanical and chemical components of the breathing system, the physiological sigh, and the dangers of over-breathing. It also discussed the brain areas involved in controlling breathing, the importance of carbon dioxide, and the effects of hyperventilation. The episode also discussed the benefits of nasal breathing, the box breathing exercise, and the cyclic hyperventilation technique. Finally, it discussed the effects of breathing on heart rate, hiccups, and learning and memory.

- Breathing is essential to life and is unique in that it lies at the interface between conscious and subconscious behavior.
- We can consciously take control of how we breathe at any moment.
- By changing our pattern of breathing, we can quickly change what our brain is capable of doing.
- Breathing can be used to reduce stress, become more alert, and improve physical and cognitive performance.
- We can control our mental health, physical health, and performance by controlling our breathing.

- Podcast is separate from teaching and research roles at Stanford, but part of desire to bring zero cost information to public
- Sponsored by HVMN and Thesis, both of which provide supplements and nootropics to improve cognitive ability and physical output
- Woop is a fitness wearable device that tracks daily activity and sleep, providing real-time feedback and personalized data
- Breathing is important to bring oxygen into the body and remove carbon dioxide

- Most people breathe too much per minute, usually 15-30 shallow breaths
- Healthy breathing involves nasal breathing and pauses between breaths
- Chronically holding breath or over-breathing is not good
- Over-breathing leads to hyper excitability and less efficient learning
- Carbon dioxide is important for regulating acidity/alkalinity of blood and tissues

- Blood work is the only way to monitor markers that impact health
- InsideTracker provides personalized dashboard to address nutrition, behavior, and supplement-based approaches to move values into optimal ranges
- InsideTracker now includes ApoB measurement in their ultimate plan
- ApoB is a key marker of cardiovascular health
- InsideTracker.com/Huberman offers 20% off any of InsideTracker's plans

- Carbon dioxide tolerance test is a measure of how well you can control your breathing at both the mechanical and chemical level
- Low carbon dioxide tolerance = 3 second inhale, 3 second hold, 3 second exhale, 3 second hold
- Moderate carbon dioxide tolerance = 5-6 second inhale, 5-6 second hold, 5-6 second exhale, 5-6 second hold
- High carbon dioxide tolerance = 8-10 second inhale, 8-10 second hold, 8-10 second exhale, 8-10 second hold
- Box breathing exercise should be done for 2-3 minutes, once or twice a week
- Exercise encourages phrenic control over the diaphragm and helps to translate to deeper and less frequent breathing when at rest
- Nasal breathing is recommended, but mouth breathing can suffice for those with severely occluded noses

- A study was conducted to explore the minimal effective doses and most effective ways to reduce stress and improve mood and sleep.
- The study found that breath work practices done for 5 minutes a day outperformed meditation in terms of reducing stress around the clock.
- The most effective practice was cyclic sighing, which involves two inhales through the nose followed by a long exhale.
- One physiological sigh (inhale deeply through the nose, second inhale to maximally inflate the lungs, long exhale until lungs are empty) is the fastest way to reduce stress and introduce calm.
- Physiological sighs were discovered by physiologists in the 1930s.

- Carbon dioxide is essential for life, but too much of it in the system can be harmful
- Physiological sighs (double inhale through the nose and extended exhale through the mouth) can help rebalance the oxygen carbon dioxide ratio
- People often hold their breath when texting or on social media, leading to an increase in carbon dioxide
- Physiological sighs can be used to reduce stress in real time or as a daily practice
- Physiological sighs can also be used to reduce side stitches while exercising
- The phrenic nerve is connected to the diaphragm, liver, and other organs, and can affect heart rate

- Inhaling causes the diaphragm to move down, creating more space in the thoracic cavity and temporarily enlarging the heart, which slows the heart rate.
- Exhaling causes the diaphragm to move up, compressing the heart and accelerating the heart rate.
- Inhales and exhales can be used to control heart rate, with longer and more vigorous inhales increasing the heart rate and longer and more vigorous exhales decreasing it.
- This relationship between breathing and heart rate is known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia or heart rate variability.
- It is used in sports, military, and clinical contexts to control heart rate.
- Hiccups can also be controlled by taking a big, long exhale.

- Hiccups can be painful and intrusive
- Hiccups are caused by a spasm of the phrenic nerve
- Drinking from a glass of water or breathing into a bag rarely works to get rid of hiccups
- A reliable technique to eliminate hiccups is to inhale three times in a row, hold your breath for 15-20 seconds, and then slowly exhale
- This technique works by hyper-contracting the phrenic nerve over a short period of time

- Cyclic hyperventilation is a pattern of breathing involving 25 breaths of deep inhales through the nose and exhales through the mouth.
- It increases levels of autonomic arousal and deploys adrenaline from the adrenals.
- It is used to extend breath holds and is part of the Wim Hof Method.
- It can be used to learn to manage the mind and body under conditions of stress.
- Caution should be taken when doing cyclic hyperventilation near water.

- There is no best way to breathe, but actively slowing your breathing and engaging in rhythmic breathing is recommended
- In certain conditions of heightened emotional arousal, people may spontaneously do multiple inhales or all inhales
- When exposed to cold water, the prefrontal cortex is inhibited and rhythmic breathing may stop; controlling the breath and making it rhythmic can help navigate the stressful circumstance
- Controlling the breath and returning to rhythmic breathing can help quickly calm down
- Specific patterns of breathing can relate to one's ability to learn and remember information

- Inhaling through the nose activates certain regions of the brain and increases activity in areas such as the hippocampus, which is involved in learning and memory.
- Inhaling increases the brain's ability to detect novel stimuli and reduces reaction time to fear-inducing stimuli.
- Exhaling increases the efficiency of generating voluntary movements.
- Nasal breathing is preferred over mouth breathing as it improves oxygen intake and the aesthetic of the face.

- Oxygen is necessary for the cells in our body, particularly the brain cells, and it cannot diffuse through our skin. 
- The breathing system has two components: mechanical and chemical. 
- Mechanical components include the nose, mouth, and lungs. 
- Chemical components include the lungs, bloodstream, and cells. 
- The physiological sigh (two deep inhales through the nose, followed by a long exhale through the mouth) is the most efficient way to reduce stress quickly. 
- Over-breathing (breathing too often, even if shallow) can lead to a hypoxic state, where not enough oxygen is getting to the tissues and brain. 
- Breathing can alter personality in positive ways.

- Nasal breathing is the best pattern of breathing to follow as a default state
- Nasal breathing increases resistance to breathing, allowing you to inflate your lungs more
- Nasal breathing warms and moisturizes the air that you bring into your lungs
- Nasal passages create nitric oxide, which can cause relaxation of the smooth muscles of the vasculature
- Mouth breathing can be damaging to respiratory functions and can cause aesthetic changes
- Breath work is effective at creating change quickly and can be deployed at any moment

- Huberman Lab Podcast encourages viewers to leave a five-star review and comment section on YouTube
- Momentus Supplements are of the highest quality and use single ingredient formulations
- Momentus Supplements ship internationally
- Follow Huberman Lab on social media platforms
- Sign up for the Neural Network newsletter at HubermanLab.com

- Air enters the body through the nose and mouth and travels down the larynx to the lungs
- The lungs contain hundreds of millions of alveoli, which increase the surface area and allow oxygen to pass into the bloodstream
- Muscles control the lungs and include the diaphragm and intercostal muscles
- The phrenic nerve controls the diaphragm and has both motor and sensory neurons
- Diaphragmatic breathing is not necessarily better than rib cage breathing
- The larynx is rigid to prevent it from collapsing while breathing
- Breathing through the nose has more resistance and can draw more air into the system

- Taking Athletic Greens since 2012
- Contains probiotics for gut health
- Contains adaptogens, vitamins, and minerals
- Tastes great
- Get five free travel packs and a year's supply of vitamin D3K2 at athleticgreens.com/Huberman
- Oxygen and carbon dioxide are two major players in the chemical aspects of breathing

- Carbon dioxide plays a critical role in delivering oxygen to cells and tissues
- Too much carbon dioxide can induce panic
- Oxygen is taken from the air into the alveoli and then into the bloodstream
- Carbon dioxide is needed to liberate oxygen from hemoglobin
- Blood pH should be around 7.4
- Hyperventilation removes more carbon dioxide than normal, leading to a state of hypocapnia
- Both oxygen and carbon dioxide are needed for optimal functioning

- At high altitudes, air pressure is lower, making it harder to breathe.
- Inhaling is an active process, while exhaling is passive.
- At high altitudes, the pressure gradient from outside the body to inside the body is not as steep, making it harder to fill the lungs with air.
- Athletes can train at high altitudes and become more efficient at breathing.
- When returning to sea level, oxygen delivery to the muscles is increased.
- Healthy breathing is different from unhealthy breathing.

- Sleep apnea is a serious health concern that can lead to cardiovascular events, sexual dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction, and exacerbate dementia.
- People who are overweight or snore are more prone to sleep apnea.
- Symptoms of sleep apnea include excessive daytime sleepiness and anxiety.
- CPAP devices are a common treatment, but nasal breathing can also be effective.
- Nasal breathing can be trained through deliberate actions such as taping the mouth shut or being conscious of keeping the mouth shut.

- Pre-Buttsinger complex is a brain area that controls all aspects of rhythmic breathing
- Parafacial nucleus is involved in patterns of breathing with deliberate pauses
- Pre-Buttsinger complex and parafacial nucleus work together to control breathing
- Exogenous opioids can bind to opioid receptors in pre-Buttsinger complex and shut it down
- Understanding these two brain areas is important for understanding respiration and general health

- Breathing is the interface between conscious and subconscious control over the body and the brain
- Balistrino and Somjian's paper showed that the brain can control its own excitability by regulating breathing
- Hyperventilation leads to a reduction in oxygen delivery to the brain and an increase in excitability
- Hyperventilation can lead to anxiety and a decrease in the ability to process information
- Normal healthy breathing is 6 liters of air per minute

How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance | Huberman Lab Podcast