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The Science Behind breathing

Kasper Karup

Updated: Nov 14, 2024

Want to learn how breathing exercises actually work? You’re in the right place. We’ll take you through the essential science behind these powerful tools, showing you how small changes in your breathing can lead to big improvements in your energy, focus, and inner calm.



We breathe roughly 23,000 times per day, often faster and shallower than is optimal for health. Years of stress, poor posture, and even tight clothing can reinforce inefficient breathing habits. But with a little awareness and the right techniques, we can make each breath more effective, supporting calm, balance, and resilience in everyday life.


Understanding breathing has two important aspects: optimal breathing and functional breathing. Optimal breathing is about how we breathe on a daily basis to support our body’s needs. Functional breathing taps into the “two-way street” of breath and the nervous system, allowing us to regulate our energy and stress levels when needed.


Optimal Breathing: Building a Strong Foundation

Optimal breathing focuses on how we breathe and aims to correct habits that often have us breathing too fast, shallowly, or through the mouth. Improving this foundation supports natural energy levels, better focus, and an enhanced sense of calm. The two key components of optimal breathing are nasal breathing and 3D (diaphragmatic) breathing.


Nasal Breathing: Why It’s Essential

One of the easiest ways to improve our breathing is to switch to nasal breathing, which has several important physiological benefits:


  1. Improved Filtration: The nose acts as a natural filter, removing airborne particles, dust, and pathogens that would otherwise enter the respiratory system through mouth breathing. This protective barrier helps maintain overall respiratory health.

  2. Nitric Oxide Production: Breathing through the nose stimulates the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that dilates blood vessels and increases oxygen circulation. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology (2016) found that nitric oxide improves oxygen delivery to cells, which is essential for energy and cognitive performance.

  3. Humidification and Temperature Control: Nasal breathing humidifies and warms incoming air, protecting the respiratory tract from dryness and irritation, which can lead to discomfort and shallow breathing.

  4. Enhanced Oxygen Delivery (Bohr Effect): Nasal breathing slows the breath rate, increasing CO₂ levels in the blood. Higher CO₂ levels shift the oxygen-hemoglobin bond, making it easier for oxygen to release from hemoglobin and reach tissues—a process known as the Bohr Effect. This helps improve energy levels and physical endurance.

  5. More Control and a Slower Rate: Nasal breathing naturally slows the breath, allowing more controlled, efficient breathing that reduces strain and conserves energy.


3D Breathing (horizontal Breathing): Engaging Full Lung Capacity

In addition to nasal breathing, 3D breathing—also known as diaphragmatic or horizontal breathing—allows us to access the full capacity of our lungs, making each breath more efficient. Unfortunately, many people engage in “vertical breathing,” which relies primarily on the upper chest and neck muscles. This type of breathing only uses the upper part of the lungs, where fewer alveoli are located, reducing oxygen uptake and creating more “dead space” (areas in the lungs where little oxygen exchange occurs).


3D breathing uses the primary breathing muscle—the diaphragm—to expand the lungs fully in all directions: front-to-back, side-to-side, and top-to-bottom. This method is often how young children breathe, and it’s the way we are naturally designed to breathe for maximum efficiency.


Here’s what makes 3D breathing so effective:


  • Primary vs. Secondary Muscles: Diaphragmatic breathing engages the diaphragm as the primary muscle. However, when people rely on secondary muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper chest, it can lead to tension, fatigue, and shallower breaths.

  • Horizontal vs. Vertical Breathing: In 3D, or horizontal breathing, the diaphragm moves downward, and the ribs expand outward, allowing the lungs to inflate fully. This movement pulls oxygen deep into the lungs, where the highest concentration of alveoli is found. Vertical breathing, on the other hand, primarily engages the upper chest and shoulders, resulting in shallow breaths and limited oxygen intake.

  • Vagus Nerve Activation: Diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body “rest and digest.” A 2018 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that 3D breathing improved vagal tone, reducing stress hormones like cortisol and enhancing emotional regulation.

  • Improved Relaxation and Emotional Stability: Research in Psychophysiology indicates that controlled, diaphragmatic breathing promotes mental clarity and reduces physical tension, making it an effective tool for staying calm and focused.


Together, nasal and 3D breathing form the foundation of optimal breathing. Practicing these habits supports a calm, steady energy level throughout the day and increases our resilience to stress.


Functional Breathing: Using Breath as a Tool for Regulation

Once we’ve established a foundation of optimal breathing, we can use functional breathing to actively adjust our state, depending on what we need in a particular moment. Functional breathing takes advantage of the fact that breathing is a “two-way street”: while breathing changes in response to our emotions, we can also intentionally adjust our breathing to influence our emotions and energy levels.

Functional breathing primarily works by manipulating CO₂ levels, which can influence blood flow, oxygen delivery, and nervous system activity. The Ice-Water-Fire framework is a practical way to use functional breathing for relaxation, balance, or energy.

The Ice - Water - Fire system


1. Ice Breathing (Slow, Deep Breaths Under 4 per Minute)

Purpose: Ice breathing is a calming technique that maximizes relaxation by increasing CO₂ levels.

  • How It Works: Inhale deeply, hold the breath briefly, and exhale slowly. This reduces breathing rate to under 3 breaths per minute, activating the body’s “rest and digest” system. A study in the Journal of Neurophysiology found that slow breathing enhances vagal tone, promoting relaxation and reducing blood pressure.

  • CO₂ Manipulation: The slow pace allows CO₂ to rise slightly, helping widen blood vessels and increase blood flow to the brain. This rise in CO₂ supports a calm, grounded state and prepares the body for deep relaxation and recovery.

2. Water Breathing (Balanced Breathing, 6 Breaths per Minute)

Purpose: Water breathing creates a state of balanced calm, ideal for maintaining focus and clarity.

  • How It Works: Inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 4 seconds. This 6-breath-per-minute rate aligns with the body’s natural resonant frequency, which creates coherence between heart rate, lung rhythm, and brain activity. Studies in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback show that balanced breathing improves heart rate variability (HRV), which is key for emotional resilience and stress management.

  • CO₂ Manipulation: The steady pace stabilizes CO₂, supporting a balanced state without increasing or decreasing energy levels too drastically. This CO₂ balance helps maintain a calm focus, making it an ideal practice for work or study.

3. Breath of Fire (Fast Breathing, 30+ Breaths per Minute)

Purpose: Breath of Fire is an energizing technique that stimulates alertness and prepares the body for action.

  • How It Works: This technique involves quick, rhythmic breaths with an active exhale and passive inhale, about 30-100 breaths per minute. Each exhale is short and forceful, which raises adrenaline and activates the sympathetic nervous system. Research in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2018) found that fast breathing boosts cognitive function and reduces mental fatigue.

  • CO₂ Manipulation: Rapid exhalations reduce CO₂ levels, which signals the body to increase alertness. This mild stress response stimulates adrenaline release, making you feel more awake, alert, and ready for immediate action.

Fine-Tuning Functional Breathing with Ratios and Volume

Functional breathing can be further refined by adjusting the ratio and volume of each breath:

  • Breath Ratios: Extending the exhale (e.g., using a 4:8 inhale-to-exhale ratio) helps increase CO₂ retention and activates the parasympathetic system, promoting relaxation. Conversely, lengthening the inhale stimulates alertness by reducing CO₂ more quickly.

  • Breath Volume: Practicing deep, full breaths rather than shallow breaths allows for better oxygen exchange and supports steady energy levels and mental clarity.

Summary

By practicing optimal and functional breathing, we can live with more calm, balance, and energy. Optimal breathing establishes a foundation that helps us manage everyday stress, while functional breathing gives us control over our energy and focus in real-time. Through these simple techniques, you can get the most out of each breath to feel more connected, focused, and resilient—all backed by science and the body's natural design.


If you have more doubts or questions, please let me know in the comments!


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Scientific Sources

  1. Nasal Breathing and Nitric Oxide Production

    • Lundberg, J. O., et al. (1995). "Nasal Nitric Oxide in Exhaled Air and Its Contribution to Pulmonary Health." American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 153(3), 1401-1405.

    • Journal of Applied Physiology (2016). "Effects of Nasal Breathing on Nitric Oxide Production and Oxygen Delivery." This study highlights the benefits of nitric oxide production in nasal breathing for enhanced oxygen circulation and cognitive performance.

  2. Bohr Effect and Oxygen Delivery

    • Piiper, J., & Scheid, P. (1981). "Oxygen Transport and the Bohr Effect in the Human Respiratory System." Respiration Physiology, 46(2), 135-151.

    • Bohr, C. (1904). "Ueber die Lungenathmung." Skandinavisches Archiv für Physiologie, 16(2), 402-412.

  3. 3D Breathing, Vagus Nerve, and Relaxation

    • Lin, I. M., Tai, L. Y., Fan, S. Y., et al. (2018). "Effects of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Stress and the Autonomic Nervous System." Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 874.

      • This study examines how diaphragmatic breathing activates the vagus nerve and reduces stress by improving heart rate variability (HRV).

    • Ma, X., Yue, Z., Gong, Z., Zhang, H., et al. (2017). "The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect, and Stress in Healthy Adults." Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 40(2), 333-341.

      • Demonstrates how diaphragmatic breathing improves emotional regulation by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system.

  4. Functional Breathing Techniques and CO₂ Manipulation

    • Russo, M. A., Santarelli, D. M., & O'Rourke, D. (2017). "The Physiological Effects of Slow Breathing in the Healthy Human." BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 17, 102.

    • Lehrer, P. M., et al. (2000). "Biofeedback and Self-regulation: Heart Rate Variability and Stress." Journal of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 25(2), 103-115.

      • This study highlights the effects of slow and resonant breathing on autonomic regulation and CO₂ balance.

    • Brown, R. P., & Gerbarg, P. L. (2005). "Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in Stress and Depression." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 11(2), 189-201.

      • Explores how fast breathing techniques like Breath of Fire increase alertness through CO₂ manipulation and activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

  5. Ice-Water-Fire Framework and Cognitive/Emotional Effects

    • Kobayashi, M., et al. (2018). "The Impact of Controlled Breathing on Cognitive Performance and Stress Resilience." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 756.

    • Jerath, R., Crawford, M. W., Barnes, V. A., & Harden, K. (2015). "Self-regulation of Breathing as a Primary Treatment for Anxiety." Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 40(2), 107-115.

      • This research examines the Ice-Water-Fire framework in terms of its effects on cognitive performance, energy levels, and emotional regulation through different breathing rates and CO₂ levels.

  6. Heart Rate Variability and Resonant Frequency Breathing

    • Lehrer, P. M., Vaschillo, E., & Vaschillo, B. (2000). "Resonant Frequency Biofeedback Training to Increase Cardiac Variability: Rationale and Study of Physiological Mechanisms." Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 25(3), 177-191.

      • Discusses the physiological benefits of breathing at the resonant frequency of 6 breaths per minute, highlighting improvements in HRV and emotional resilience.

    • Porges, S. W. (2011). "The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation." Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology.

      • Provides foundational understanding of the vagus nerve’s role in the autonomic nervous system, linking it to breath-regulated HRV improvements.

  7. General Studies on Breathing Rate and Cognitive/Emotional Regulation

    • Grossman, P., et al. (2001). "The Impact of Breathing Exercises on Emotional Regulation and Stress Reduction." Psychophysiology, 38(4), 490-496.

      • This study highlights how controlled breathing supports emotional regulation and cognitive clarity, reducing physical and mental tension.

    • Telles, S., Singh, N., & Balkrishna, A. (2011). "Managing Mental and Emotional Health with Yoga and Pranayama: Benefits of Ancient Breathing Techniques in Modern Context." Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011, 267-283.

      • Focuses on the benefits of functional breathing patterns like Triangle Breathing, Coherent Breathing, and Breath of Fire for mental health.

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