Oxygen advantage and how to improve breathing technique
a look into breathing and how improving it evokes positive changes in health.
Good breathing vs bad breathing
Good breathing is soft, small and slow. Soft breathing means that it should not be seen or heard. Small refers to the quantity of air inhaled relative to the total lung capacity. Inhales and exhales should be slow, around 5-6 seconds. Good breathing uses the nose. The foundation for good breathing is a strong diaphragm and the supporting intercostal muscles.
Bad breathing is sudden, erratic and shallow. Bad breathing uses the mouth and upper chest resulting in air not reaching the deeper parts of the lungs. This is where the majority of air is diffused into the bloodstream and picked up by haemoglobin. Repeated Sighing can also indicate bad breathing, occurring due to carbon dioxide hypersensitivity. Mouth breathing delivers unfiltered and unmoistened air to the lungs. The nasal cavity makes up 30% of the skull, that space is used to filter and moisten the air making it more palatable for the lungs.
BOLT score
Assessing breathing level through understanding the difference between good breathing and bad breathing is an excellent way to start improving. However, in order to quantify breathing level and be able to track its improvement, the BOLT score test is used. BOLT stands for body oxygen level test. The test is best performed just after waking up and should be avoided after exercise.
Inhale normally (or as you would if you were not focussing on breathing).
Exhale normally, making sure not to strain.
Once the exhale has finished, start the timer.
When the first involuntary contraction from the diaphragm is felt, stop the timer.
0-10 seconds - This is a sign of bad breathing.
10-20 seconds - Most people will start here initially, a sign of average breathing
20-30 seconds - A sign of good breathing.
30-40 seconds - A sign of very good breathing and a low chemosensitivity to carbon dioxide.
40+ seconds - A sign of excellent breathing.
The breath hold should be performed after an exhale to standardise the result. When the lungs are close to empty there is less variance in the air remaining in the lungs. The higher air hunger felt with less air in the lungs is an added benefit.
How to improve breathing
Improving breathing can be broken down into 3 main areas: CO₂ chemosensitivity, Breathing mechanics and cadence. Each can be improved individually or together with various exercises.
1) Mindful breathing - focus conscious attention on the physical sensations during breathing, use the nose and diaphragm and slowing down breathing are the essential parts to mindful breathing.
2) 'Perfect' breathing - Mindful breathing with a roughly 5 and a half second inhale and exhale with a 2 second pause after the exhale.
3) Develop a small air hunger over a sustained period - Perfect breathing plus a progressively increased pause over time.
4) Breath holds - Once resilience to building air hunger has been built. Maximum breath hold time can be measured and sets of 50-70% max performed.
5) Breath holds with movement - counting steps after an exhale. Holding breath (after an inhale) while running. Holding breath (after an exhale) while running.
Training based on BOLT score
0-10 seconds exercises 1-2 -
~20-30 minutes/week
Progression: ratio of exercise 1 to 2
(Perfect breathing increasing over time)
Be Mindful of how long it takes to slow the breath to 5.5 seconds or if there is resistance to during session.
10-20 seconds exercises 1-3
Exercise 1-2 ~10 minutes/week *it is a good idea to set a baseline for these and consistently hit it every week as opposed to continuing progression after the addition of exercise 3. Air hunger should be increased cautiously. It is better to have a small air hunger for a sustained period than one intense air hunger followed by a gasp. Aim to increase the pause after exhale in Perfect breathing a few seconds A week.
20-30 seconds exercises 1-4 - Maximal breath hold time is different to BOLT score as it is the maximum time possible. A true result is difficult to attain because of how state of mind can affect perceived intensity.
30-40 seconds exercises 1-5
40+ seconds exercises 1-5 + intense breath holds
Summary
Understanding the difference between good breathing and bad breathing is the first step to improving. Noticing the breath and changing it from a purely unconscious act starts the journey toward good breathing and away from bad breathing. The BOLT score gives a more precise quantitative figure that shows which breathing exercise is best suited for improvement. Depending on the BOLT score, less than an hour of breath work can see a sustained improvement in breathing leading to better sleep and more energy.
This essay was inspired by The Oxygen Advantage: The simple, scientifically proven breathing technique that will revolutionise your health and fitness by Patrick McKeown
Really liked this, Chris! Thanks!