It was a revelation to discover that carbon dioxide, not oxygen, is the primary regulator of our breathing. For years, I had been advocating deep breathing as the key to better health, under the belief that more oxygen was always beneficial. However, the understanding that it's the fluctuations in CO2 that signal the brain to breathe, a process controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), was a paradigm shift that left me questioning everything I’d been taught about breath work.
I recalled encouraging students to "take the deepest breath" or expand their capacity, believing bigger breaths were healthier. It turns out that overbreathing—taking in more air than the body needs—can reduce CO2 tolerance and lower oxygenation. This is known as chronic hyperventilation, where we breathe out too much CO2, making it harder for oxygen to be effectively utilized by the body.
Understanding the role of CO2 led me to explore the three critical components of breathing:
Ventilation – the act of breathing in and out.
Perfusion – the exchange of gases in the lungs (oxygen and CO2).
Cellular Respiration – the release of oxygen to the tissues and removal of CO2.
These processes are not isolated but deeply interconnected. Surprisingly, deep breathing can actually disrupt the body’s natural balance. Overbreathing depletes CO2, making it harder for hemoglobin to release oxygen to the cells—a process known as the Bohr Effect. This interconnectedness of the breathing components was a revelation that enlightened me and deepened my understanding of the body's intricate systems.
CO2 plays a crucial role in oxygen delivery. Hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood, binds to oxygen molecules. The more CO2 in the blood, the weaker this bond becomes, allowing oxygen to be released more easily to the cells. Overbreathing disrupts this process by reducing CO2 levels, leading to less oxygen reaching the cells despite the intake of larger breaths.
In essence, CO2 and oxygen are team players, working together to optimize breathing efficiency. The Bohr Effect explains how increased CO2 levels can improve oxygen delivery to tissues, contributing to better health and fitness.
During my Buteyko Breathing course, I learned about the importance of nose breathing. It helps regulate the breath, releases nitric oxide (a vasodilator), and boosts immune function as the first line of defense against the outside world entering our inside world. Interestingly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a mask made me more aware of my tendency to mouth breathe, which increased my respiratory rate and decreased my fitness. I became more intentional about breathing through my nose, even during physical activity, and noticed significant improvements in endurance and breath control.
Take a moment to reflect on your own breathing habits:
Do you often breathe deeply or find yourself yawning and sighing frequently?
Do you believe that bigger breaths will make you feel better?
Could breathing less but more efficiently improve your health?
Stay tuned for Part 3, where I’ll explore the consequences of over-breathing and how we can shift our approach to breath work for better health.
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