How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance

Name: How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance
Uploaded: 2023-02-20T13:00:46.000Z
Duration: 4 h 36 min 50 s

Introduction to Breathing

In this section, Andrew Huberman introduces the topic of breathing and its importance to our daily lives. He explains that breathing is essential to life and discusses how it affects our mental health, physical health, and performance.

Importance of Breathing

Breathing is essential to life and we do it during our waking states and while we are asleep.

We cannot survive without breathing for more than a few minutes.

How we breathe is important to our quality of life including mental health, physical health, and performance.

Conscious Control of Breathing

Breathing lies at the interface between conscious and subconscious behavior.

At any moment, we can consciously take control of how we breathe.

Controlling breathing allows us to control our own state of mind.

Behavioral Tools for Better Breathing

There are many behavioral tools that can be used to improve breathing.

These tools are zero cost and can help reduce stress levels, improve alertness, and even stop hiccups.

The Importance of Breathing

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of breathing and how it can affect our mental and physical health.

Changing Brain Capabilities through Breathing

By changing your pattern of breathing, you can quickly change what your brain is capable of doing.

While inhaling, you are far better at learning and remembering information than during an exhale.

Subtleties of Breathing

The duration and intensity of our inhales and exhales, how long we hold our breath between inhales and exhales very critically defines our state of mind and body.

We can control our breathing to control our mental health, physical health, and performance.

Introduction to Podcast & Sponsors

In this section, the speaker introduces the podcast topic on breathing. He also mentions the sponsors for today's episode - HVMN, Thesis, and WHOOP.

Introduction to Podcast

This podcast aims to bring zero cost-to-consumer information about science-related tools to the general public.

The speaker emphasizes that this podcast is separate from his teaching and research roles at Stanford.

Sponsor 1 - HVMN

HVMN is a supplement that increases ketones which can improve cognitive ability and physical output for mental work or exercise even when not on a ketogenic diet.

Consuming supplements that increase blood ketones can allow you to think more clearly for cognitive work or perform at greater output for resistance training or endurance exercise.

The speaker uses it largely for preparing for podcasts or other aspects of his scientific work.

Sponsor 2 - Thesis

Thesis makes custom nootropics tailored to your unique needs.

Their nootropic formulas have been a game-changer in particular in the realm of cognitive work.

The speaker's go-to formula for when he's doing any kind of cognitive work is their Clarity formula.

Sponsor 3 - WHOOP

WHOOP is a fitness wearable device that tracks your daily activity and sleep and provides real-time feedback on how to adjust your training and sleep schedule to perform better.

The speaker has been working with WHOOP on their scientific advisory council to improve the way people are sleeping and thereby improve their levels of focus, mood, alertness, and performance in all endeavors during the day.

Breathing Techniques for Learning and Memory

In this section, the speaker discusses how breathing techniques can improve learning and memory. He explains that inhaling is better for learning and remembering information than exhaling.

Importance of Breathing

The subtleties of how we breathe define our state of mind and body.

We can control our breathing to control our mental health, physical health, and performance.

Ketone-IQ by HVMN

HVMN's supplement Ketone-IQ increases ketones in the blood, which can improve cognitive ability and physical output.

Consuming supplements that increase blood ketones can allow you to think more clearly for cognitive work and perform at greater output for exercise.

Ketone-IQ also suppresses hunger.

Custom Nootropics by Thesis

Thesis makes custom nootropics tailored to your unique needs.

Their formulas have been a game changer for cognitive work.

TakeThesis.com/Huberman offers a brief quiz to receive four different formulas to try in your first month.

WHOOP Fitness Wearable Device

WHOOP tracks daily activity and sleep while providing real-time feedback on adjusting training and sleep schedules to perform better.

The speaker has worked with WHOOP on their scientific advisory council to help them improve people's levels of focus, mood, etc.

Introduction to Mechanical and Chemical Information

In this section, the speaker introduces the concept of mechanical and chemical information and how it is used in the body.

Mechanical and Chemical Information

The body uses mechanical and chemical information for various functions.

Examples of mechanical and chemical information include sensing pressure, temperature, chemicals, etc.

The brain receives parallel pathways of both mechanical and chemical information from the skin.

Understanding both mechanical and chemical aspects of breathing is important for optimal respiratory function.

The Physiology of Breathing

This section discusses the physiological aspects of breathing, including a specific pattern of breathing that can reduce stress quickly.

Optimal Breathing Pattern

A specific pattern of breathing called a "physiological sigh" can reduce stress quickly.

The physiological sigh involves two deep inhales through the nose followed by a quick sharp inhale to maximally inflate lungs, then a full exhale through mouth until lungs are empty.

This pattern optimally balances oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the body to reduce stress quickly.

Overbreathing (breathing too often or shallowly), removes too much carbon dioxide which is critical for delivering oxygen to tissues.

Effects of Overbreathing

This section explains why overbreathing can lead to hypoxia (not enough oxygen delivered to tissues).

Hypoxic State

Overbreathing leads to hypoxia because it removes too much carbon dioxide which is critical for delivering oxygen to tissues.

People who overbreathe don't experience the effects of elevated oxygen, but rather put their body into a hypoxic state.

Certain personality types may be more prone to overbreathing.

Anatomy of Breathing

In this section, the speaker discusses the anatomy of breathing and how it works.

The Mechanics of Breathing

The diaphragm is a muscle that controls the contraction of muscles and has sensory neurons.

Sensory neurons dive deep into the diaphragm and go back up to the brain, allowing you to sense where the diaphragm is in your body.

Diaphragmatic breathing is the most efficient way to breathe. If your belly moves outward on inhale, then that phrenic nerve is controlling your diaphragm properly.

You also have intercostal muscles between your ribs that allow those muscles to contract and for your rib cage to expand or contract a bit when those muscles relax in order to expel air.

Myths About Breathing

There is no rule that diaphragmatic breathing is better than breathing where your rib cage moves.

There's no real data showing that diaphragmatic breathing is somehow better or worse. However, being able to mechanically control those independently or combine them and use them together can regulate mental and physical states.

Components of Breathing

Nose, mouth, larynx, lungs, alveoli within the lungs, diaphragm, and intercostal muscles are all components of breathing.

Larynx needs to be rigid because unlike lungs which can change shape easily with pressure changes during inhalation/exhalation, the larynx needs to remain rigid to maintain its shape and function.

The Chemical Aspects of Breathing

This section discusses the chemical aspects of breathing, focusing on oxygen and carbon dioxide. It explains how these two gases are critical for delivering oxygen to cells and tissues in the body, but also highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between them.

Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

Oxygen is necessary for all cells and tissues in the body.

Carbon dioxide plays a critical role in delivering oxygen to cells.

High levels of carbon dioxide can induce panic attacks even in people who lack an amygdala.

The body needs enough carbon dioxide and enough oxygen, but not too much.

How Breathing Works

Breathing allows air to enter the lungs, where oxygen moves into little sacs called alveoli.

Oxygen binds with hemoglobin in the blood and is delivered to cells and tissues throughout the body.

Carbon dioxide is required to liberate oxygen from hemoglobin so it can be delivered to tissues that need it.

Other Aspects of Breathing

Carbon dioxide levels affect how acidic or basic your body is overall.

A pH level of about 7.4 is ideal for most regions of the body, but some areas along the gut require a different pH level for digestion.

Introduction to Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

In this section, the speaker introduces the importance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our body.

Importance of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

Oxygen is essential for energy production in our body.

Hypocapnia, or reduced levels of carbon dioxide, can cause anxiety and constriction of microvasculature in the brain and body.

Both oxygen and carbon dioxide are necessary for optimal bodily function.

The ratios of oxygen to carbon dioxide need to be adjusted depending on immediate needs such as sleep, exercise, or mental work.

Breathing at High Altitudes

In this section, the speaker explains why it's hard to breathe at high altitudes.

Mechanism of Breathing

At high altitudes, air pressure is lower outside the body than inside the lungs.

It requires more effort to breathe air into your lungs when air pressure outside your body is lower than inside your lungs.

Humans inhale actively using muscles like intercostals and diaphragm while exhaling is passive.

Effects of High Altitude on Breathing

As you ascend in altitude, you get out of optimal balance with oxygen in the air you breathe.

People climbing mountains like Denali or Mount Everest may need an oxygen mask due to low air pressure at high altitudes.

You have to generate a lot of force to get enough air and oxygen into your lungs when breathing at high altitudes.

The Pre-Botzinger Complex and Parafacial Nucleus

In this section, the speaker discusses the two brain centers that control breathing: the pre-Botzinger complex and the parafacial nucleus.

The Pre-Botzinger Complex

The pre-Botzinger complex is a region of neurons in the brainstem area around the neck that controls rhythmic breathing patterns of inhale followed by exhale.

Exogenous opioids like fentanyl can shut down this structure by binding to opioid receptors on it, causing death from opioid overdoses.

Conscious control of breathing can be achieved by taking control of the pre-Botzinger complex.

The Parafacial Nucleus

The parafacial nucleus is another brain center controlling breathing through the phrenic nerve.

It is involved in patterns of breathing where there is not an inhale followed by exhale but rather a doubling up of inhales or exhales or a deliberate pause in breathing.

Box breathing involves relying on parafacial nucleus neurons instead of pre-Botzinger complex neurons.

Importance and Applications of Jack's Discovery

In this section, the speaker talks about how Jack's discovery related to the pre-Botzinger complex will lead to important things as it relates to addiction and ways to prevent death in people using opioids or other types of drugs.

Jack's discovery will lead to important things as it relates to addiction and hopefully eventually lead to ways to prevent death in people using opioids or other types of drugs.

Blocking opioid receptors in pre-Botzinger complex using things like naltrexone may be one way to prevent deaths related to opioid overdoses.

Importance of Normal Breathing

In this section, the speaker discusses the effects of hyperventilation on the brain and how it can lead to hyperexcitability. The speaker also talks about how normal healthy breathing should be done.

Hyperventilation and Brain Hyperexcitability

Hyperventilation leads to a 30% to 40% reduction in oxygen delivery to the brain.

Low levels of carbon dioxide due to hyperventilation cause hyperexcitability in the brain, leading to an increase in anxiety and decreased efficiency in processing information.

Low levels of carbon dioxide are one of the major triggers for seizures, which is why hyperventilation is used in neurosurgery units to evoke seizures.

Normal Healthy Breathing

Normal healthy breathing involves breathing about six liters of air per minute or taking about 12 shallow breaths per minute.

Most people breathe far too much per minute, engaging in anywhere from 15 to 20 or even 30 shallow breaths per minute.

The correct pattern of breathing involves nasal breathing and generating more air pressure through resistance, resulting in longer exhales and increased time for each breath.

The Effects of Overbreathing on the Brain and Body

In this section, Huberman discusses how overbreathing can negatively impact the brain and body. He explains that overbreathing causes hyperexcitability in the brain, which makes it less efficient at detecting and learning information. Additionally, he notes that a lack of carbon dioxide in the tissues of our body can be problematic for all tissues.

Negative Effects of Overbreathing

Overbreathing causes hyperexcitability in the brain.

Hyperexcitability makes the brain less efficient at detecting and learning information.

Lack of carbon dioxide in the tissues of our body is problematic for all tissues.

Carbon dioxide strongly regulates the acidity/alkalinity of blood and tissues.

Importance of Healthy Breathing

It's important to breathe healthily at rest.

Spend time paying attention to your breathing when you're at rest.

People are often under-breathing during nighttime and over-breathing during daytime.

InsideTracker Sponsorship

Huberman thanks InsideTracker for sponsoring his podcast.

Blood work is important for monitoring markers that impact immediate and long-term health.

InsideTracker provides personalized nutrition plans based on blood work data.

[#](1:09:40 t:4180s) Adjusting Your Breathing Patterns

In this section, Huberman explains how to determine whether you're breathing healthily or not. He then introduces a simple test called "the carbon dioxide tolerance test" to measure how well you're managing carbon dioxide. Finally, he discusses how to adjust your breathing patterns from unhealthy to healthy.

Determining Healthy Breathing

Determine whether you're overbreathing or underbreathing.

Use the carbon dioxide tolerance test to measure how well you're managing carbon dioxide.

Carbon Dioxide Tolerance Test

The carbon dioxide tolerance test measures how well you can control your breathing at both the mechanical and chemical level.

Sit down and do the test while not driving or operating heavy machinery or near water of any kind.

Adjusting Breathing Patterns

Adjust your breathing patterns from unhealthy to healthy.

Ensure that you are delivering appropriate ratios of oxygen and carbon dioxide to the tissues of your brain and body.

Breathing Techniques for Improved Health

In this section, the speaker discusses how to adjust your normal pattern of breathing at rest using box breathing exercise. He explains the benefits of doing so and recommends taking the carbon dioxide tolerance test to get the duration of the size of the box right.

Box Breathing Exercise

The box breathing exercise involves inhaling for a count of four, holding your breath for a count of four, exhaling for a count of four, and holding your breath again for a count of four.

Adjusting your normal pattern of breathing at rest has many positive outcomes in terms of reducing bouts of stress and improving nighttime sleep.

Doing this box breathing exercise can greatly improve levels of calm and reduce bouts of stress.

After two or three weeks, the box breathing itself becomes very easy. At that point, it is recommended to take the carbon dioxide tolerance test over again.

Carbon Dioxide Tolerance Test

The carbon dioxide tolerance test helps you get the duration and size of the box right.

By extending your carbon dioxide discard rate through practicing this technique, you can fall into a different category with longer durations during inhale, hold, exhale holds during box breathing.

Practicing these techniques translates to deeper yet less frequent breathing when at rest and not consciously paying attention to how you're breathing during daytime.

Nose Breathing vs Mouth Breathing

It is recommended to breathe through your nose as much as possible. However, if you have an occluded nasal pathway that makes it uncomfortable to breathe through your nose then mouth-breathing can suffice.

Practicing these techniques and monitoring your progress over time can lead to positive shifts in normal unconscious daytime breathing.

Study on Breathing Techniques

A study was conducted to explore the most effective ways to chronically reduce stress around the clock and improve mood and sleep. The study explored box breathing, other forms of breathing, and meditation as a means to explore what are going to be the minimal effective doses.

The study focused on exploring how breathwork or meditation practices influenced body-brain states around the clock when people were not performing the particular meditation or breathwork practice.

WHOOP straps were used in this study to measure heart rate variability and other physiological parameters.

Timestamps may vary slightly depending on the version of the transcript used.

Virtual Reality and Physiological Sighs

In this section, the speaker discusses virtual reality and physiological sighs.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is a technology that can be used to create immersive experiences.

It has been used in various fields such as gaming, education, and therapy.

Physiological Sighs

Physiological sighs are an effective way to adjust the ratio of sympathetic to parasympathetic activation and bring about calm.

They were discovered by physiologists in the 1930s who found that when people underbreathe, they have a buildup of carbon dioxide in their system.

People engage a physiological sigh spontaneously, subconsciously when they hold their breath for a period of time.

During the daytime, people often hold their breath while texting or emailing which can lead to excessive carbon dioxide buildup.

The Benefits of Physiological Sighs

In this section, the speaker discusses the benefits of physiological sighs.

Real-time Control of Stress

A physiological sigh is an efficient way to reduce stress in real-time by adjusting the ratio of sympathetic to parasympathetic activation.

Rebalancing Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Ratio

A double inhale through the nose and extended exhale through the mouth helps eliminate excessive carbon dioxide from the system and rebalance oxygen-carbon dioxide ratio.

Compatibility with Neural Circuits Controlling Breathing

Physiological sighing is highly compatible with neural circuits controlling breathing.

It's not just effective but also natural since it follows our body's natural pattern.

Usefulness for Exercise

The use of physiological sighing can help remove side stitches during exercise.

Side stitches are caused by sensory innervation carried up to your brain detecting some local or referenced pain in the liver and diaphragm.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker concludes by summarizing the benefits of physiological sighs.

Physiological sighing is an effective way to reduce stress in real-time and rebalance oxygen-carbon dioxide ratio.

It's a natural process that follows our body's pattern and is highly compatible with neural circuits controlling breathing.

It can also be useful for exercise by removing side stitches caused by sensory innervation carried up to your brain detecting some local or referenced pain in the liver and diaphragm.

Breathing and Heart Rate Relationship

In this section, the speaker discusses the relationship between breathing and heart rate. The process of respiratory sinus arrhythmia is explained, which involves the vagus nerve, a parasympathetic nerve that slows down heart rate by extending exhales. Different breathing practices are discussed in terms of their effect on heart rate.

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is the basis of what we call heart rate variability.

The vagus nerve is associated with a calming aspect of the autonomic nervous system, slowing your heart rate down by extending your exhales.

Your inhales increase your heart rate, while your exhales decrease it.

Breathing Practices and Heart Rate

Each breathing practice creates a net increase or decrease in heart rate that can be accurately predicted based on whether it emphasizes inhales or exhales.

Extended exhale of any kind or any breathing practice that emphasizes exhales brings your heart rate down.

Physiological sighing involves two big inhales followed by an extended exhale, leading to a net decrease in heart rate.

Applications

Marksmen will exhale just prior to taking a shot to bring their heart rates down for better accuracy.

Learning to extend your exhale is an easy skill to master and can be used as a tool to prevent panic attacks and anxiety attacks.

Eliminating Hiccups

In this section, the speaker discusses breathing techniques that can help eliminate hiccups.

Breathing Techniques to Eliminate Hiccups

The speaker recommends inhaling three times followed by a long exhale to eliminate hiccups.

It is important to return to normal cadence of breathing after doing this technique.

Cyclic hyperventilation, which involves inhaling deeply through the nose and then passively or actively exhaling through the mouth, can also be used to eliminate hiccups.

However, cyclic hyperventilation should be done with caution as it greatly increases the risk of shallow water blackout if done in or near water.

Hyperexcites Phrenic Nerve

In this section, the speaker explains how hyperexciting the phrenic nerve can lead to an unnatural pattern for the phrenic nerve to fire.

Hyperexciting Phrenic Nerve

Hyperexciting the phrenic nerve three times in a row leads to an unnatural pattern for the phrenic nerve to fire.

After hyperexcitation, there is a hyperpolarization period where there is a lower probability of activating the phrenic nerve again for some time.

Cyclic Hyperventilation

In this section, the speaker discusses cyclic hyperventilation and its effects on autonomic arousal.

Effects of Cyclic Hyperventilation

Cyclic hyperventilation involves inhaling deeply through the nose and then passively or actively exhaling through the mouth for 10 to 25 breaths.

Cyclic hyperventilation greatly increases levels of autonomic arousal and deploys adrenaline from the adrenals.

The Wim Hof method, which combines breathing techniques, cyclic hyperventilation, and deliberate cold exposure, has become popular in part because of its ability to extend breath holds. However, it should be done with caution as it greatly increases the risk of shallow water blackout if done in or near water.

Trigger to Breathe

In this section, the speaker explains how carbon dioxide levels trigger the motor reflex to breathe.

Trigger to Breathe

Carbon dioxide levels trigger the gasp reflex and/or hunger for breathing by detecting when carbon dioxide levels in your bloodstream reach a certain level.

When doing cyclic hyperventilation, you are expelling more carbon dioxide than usual which can lead to shallow water blackout if done in or near water.

Our brain is wired such that it has a threat sensor which is triggered when carbon dioxide levels are getting too high leading to an increase in motor reflexes for breathing and sometimes gasping for air depending on how starved we are for air.

English Reducing Stress Through Breathing

In this section, Dr. Peter Attia discusses how controlling our breath can help reduce stress levels in real-time. He explains that rhythmic breathing stops when we get into a stressful circumstance and that by simply controlling our breath, even if it's fast from inhale to exhale, we can navigate what would otherwise be a very stressful circumstance and make it less stressful or maybe even pleasant.

Controlling Breath to Reduce Stress

When we get into a stressful circumstance, emotionally or physically stressful circumstance, rhythmic breathing stops.

By controlling our breath, even if it's fast from inhale to exhale and making sure that we're alternating inhales and exhales rhythmically, we can navigate what would otherwise be a very stressful circumstance and make it less stressful or maybe even pleasant.

This skill definitely translates to other aspects of life in which you're hit square in the face with something stressful.

By quickly returning to rhythmic breathing and maybe even trying to slow the breathing and extend those exhales, you'll find that you can very quickly calm down.

English The Influence of Breathing on Learning and Memory

In this section, Dr. Peter Attia discusses how specific patterns of breathing relate to our ability to learn and remember information. He cites studies showing that nasal breathing improves the amount of oxygen brought into our system while also improving the aesthetic of our face.

Nasal Breathing for Better Oxygen Intake

Inhaling through your nose improves the amount of oxygen you can bring into your system.

Nasal breathing improves the aesthetic of your face.

During exhales, your pupil gets bigger and as you inhale, it's getting smaller.

When you inhale, your reaction time to anything that happens around you increases significantly compared to when you're exhaling.

Breathing and Memory Formation

When we inhale through our nose, our brain functions better in terms of memory retrieval, memory formation, and some other aspects of cognition.

Our brain is not functioning in the same way as when we exhale. It just doesn't function as well as it relates to memory retrieval, memory formation, and some other aspects of cognition.

The Aesthetic Changes of Nasal Breathing

In this section, the speaker discusses the aesthetic changes that occur when people switch from mouth breathing to nasal breathing.

Nasal Breathing vs Mouth Breathing

Mouth breathing causes elongation of the jaw and drooping of the eyelids, which are not aesthetically favorable.

Switching to nasal breathing results in dramatic and favorable aesthetic changes, including elevation of the eyebrows, cheekbones, sharpening of the jaw, and improvements in teeth and jaw structure.

One simple test to determine if you can be an efficient nasal breather is to close your mouth and breathe only through your nose. If you can do this at rest with your tongue on the roof of your mouth behind your teeth, then you are a good nasal breather.

Improving Nasal Breathing

Encouragement is needed for people to switch from mouth breathing to nasal breathing. This can be done by doing cardiovascular exercise with a closed mouth or performing exercises that help improve nasal breathing efficiency.

Deliberately practicing nasal breathing when at rest for some period of time will increase one's ability to nasal breathe efficiently.

The Importance of Carbon Dioxide Tolerance

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining correct levels of carbon dioxide in our system and provides tools and exercises to measure and manage carbon dioxide tolerance.

Managing Carbon Dioxide Tolerance

Overbreathing should be avoided as it decreases carbon dioxide levels below optimal levels.

The carbon dioxide tolerance test is a tool used to measure how well one manages carbon dioxide.

Breathing exercises can be used to decrease stress in real-time and chronically, improve sleep, and mood.

Increasing breath hold times can help improve carbon dioxide tolerance.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker summarizes the main points covered in the episode.

Main Points

The mechanical and chemical aspects of breathing were discussed.

Carbon dioxide is not just a waste byproduct but has critical physiological functions.

The importance of measuring and managing carbon dioxide tolerance was emphasized.

Breathing exercises can help decrease stress, improve sleep and mood.

Improving nasal breathing efficiency can result in favorable aesthetic changes.

Great News

In this section, the speaker shares some great news.

The speaker announces that there is great news.