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Humans take roughly 20,000-30,000 breaths per day, with healthy adults averaging between
12-20 breaths per minute. Each breath involves inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide.
There is no other daily activity humans do as frequently as breathing. Oxygen is the invisible
lifeline that sustains every moment of our existence. Every breath fuels the functioning of our
mind and body. This fact is quickly forgotten. We would die faster from a lack of oxygen than any other human necessity. These few facts alone highlight the importance of both our breath and oxygen.
Once inhaled, it enters the bloodstream via the lungs and
binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells, transporting it to tissues and organs throughout the
body. Oxygen is crucial for cellular respiration, which converts nutrients from food into
adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy source for our cells. This energy fuels vital
functions like muscle movement, brain activity, and maintaining body temperature. Oxygen also
plays a role in removing waste products by combining it with carbon dioxide—a byproduct of
metabolism—for exhalation.
Our breathing can determine how much or how little oxygen we have in our bodies, and our oxygen levels
impact how much we breathe. For instance, if you travel to higher elevations from sea level,
your heart rate and respiration naturally increase. With less oxygen available at higher altitudes,
the body detects the change and responds by speeding up your breathing and heart rate until
your physiology adjusts to these changes and acclimates.
Now, let’s pivot and take a brief look at stress. Many people view stress as harmful, and while
chronic stress is undoubtedly detrimental, acute stress can be beneficial. Acute stress helps
humans adapt and respond to threats, build resilience, and achieve goals. Resistance training
offers a perfect example of this. When you stress your muscular system, it adapts by increasing
muscle mass or strength. This response can be visible and is easy to track.
So, if acute stress can be good for us, what happens when we stress our bodies by depriving
ourselves of oxygen—something known as hypoxia? Chronic hypoxia is harmful,
leading to increased blood pressure, cognitive impairment, mood changes, and even muscle
weakness. But what about intermittent hypoxia? The controlled, brief oxygen reduction to the
system can affect our physiology positively. Yogis have appreciated this for
over 5,000 years, and the health and fitness space is beginning to catch on. Improved
cardiovascular health, enhanced athletic performance, neuro-protective effects, and potential
longevity and anti-aging benefits are some positive outcomes that can result from
short, intermittent hypoxia.
At Central Athlete, we use a unique tool called the Moxy Monitor. This device shows how much
oxygen is present in the capillaries of your tissues. When paired with a pulse oximeter—which
measures oxygen levels in the veins, arteries, and heart—you can visually track the changes in
your physiology during intermittent hypoxia. When someone practices hypoxic breathing,
peripheral oxygen decreases while oxygen in the capillaries and tissues increases. This is due
to the Bohr Effect. This intermittent oxygen limitation to peripheral blood causes a
surge of oxygen to the muscles and brain.
I recommend giving yourself 2-6 minutes per day of intermittent hypoxia. This is a practice, just
like going to the gym. The more you train, the more you learn and grow. Hypoxia training pulls
you into your body to experience the effects rather than simply looking for them visually. As you
become more seasoned, you’ll be able to feel these effects without needing a monitor.
To Start:
You can use a SpO2 monitor to track your blood oxygen levels. These devices range from $20 to $100 online, or you can check in with a Central Health practitioner to use one on-site. As you
practice, you’ll become increasingly attuned to your body’s responses, and eventually, you may not need a monitor.
So, how do you get yourself into a controlled hypoxic state? Your breath is one of the ways you
can take this practice anywhere. Below are a few recommended protocols that can be done at home or in the gym. With a pulse oximeter, aim for a SpO2 drop between 90-94% (normal range is 95-100%, depending on health and environment).
Protocol 1:
3-second inhale, 6-second exhale, 6-second hold.
Continue this sequence until your SpO2 drops to 90-94%. See how long you can
maintain the cadence.
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If you find yourself gasping for air, reduce the intervals. Key points: Exhale should
be longer than the inhale, and there should be a pause after the exhale before starting the next breath.
Protocol 2:
Assault or Echo Bike: 12 seconds as hard as possible. After getting off the bike, take three deep breaths (inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth).
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After the third exhale, hold the exhale and perform a farmer’s carry with a
moderate load until you need to inhale again.
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Rest for 90 seconds and repeat for 3-4 rounds.
Protocol 3:
This is a Yogic technique. The idea is to forcefully exhale through the nose while letting the inhale happen naturally.
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The goal is to increase your respiratory rate as fast as possible while forcing out exhales and allowing the inhales to happen naturally.
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Perform this for 3-6 minutes.
Now that you have the tools (and protocols), it’s time to practice. As with most things, success
comes with consistency. Do the workout once, and you probably won’t notice much. Do it 100
times, and you’ll likely see a difference. The same applies here. We challenge you to try one (or all) of these protocols for 30 days. You may not notice much after one session or even after five. But if you make this a consistent practice, you will begin to reap the benefits. It works if you work it.
Schedule a strategy session with Andy to evaluate whether hypoxic training suits your objectives and current fitness level.
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