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

In this episode, I explain the biology of breathing (respiration),
how it delivers oxygen and carbon dioxide to the cells and tissues
of the body and how is best to breathe—nose versus mouth, fast
versus slow, deliberately versus reflexively, etc., depending on
your health and performance needs. I discuss the positive benefits
of breathing properly for mood, to reduce psychological and
physiological stress, to halt sleep apnea, and improve facial
aesthetics and immune system function. I also compare what is known
about the effects and effectiveness of different breathing
techniques, including physiological sighs, box breathing and cyclic
hyperventilation, “Wim Hof Method,” Prānāyāma yogic breathing and
more. I also describe how to breath to optimize learning, memory
and reaction time and I explain breathing at high altitudes, why
“overbreathing” is bad, and how to breathe specifically to relieve
cramps and hiccups. Breathwork practices are zero-cost and require
minimal time yet provide a unique and powerful avenue to improve
overall quality of life that is grounded in clear physiology.
Anyone interesting in improving their mental and physical health or
performance in any endeavor ought to benefit from the information
and tools in this episode. For the full show notes, visit
hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1:
https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT:
https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up:
https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous:
https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Breathing
(00:05:57) Sponsor: LMNT (00:09:36) Respiration, Oxygen &
Carbon Dioxide (00:18:18) Breathing Mechanics (00:26:30) Sponsor:
AG1 (00:31:23) Chemistry of Breathing, Hyperventilation (00:40:35)
High Altitudes, Oxygen & Breathing (00:47:16) Tool: Sleep
Apnea, Nasal Breathing (00:51:50) Brain Centers & Breathing
Rhythm (00:57:23) Brain, Hyperventilation & “Over-breathing”
(01:03:53) What is Healthy Breathing? (01:09:44) Tool: Train
Healthy Breathing, Carbon Dioxide Tolerance Test & Box
Breathing (01:22:39) Tool: Breathwork & Stress Reduction;
Cyclic Sighing (01:33:56) Tool: Physiological Sighing &
Exercise Side Cramp (01:39:16) Breathing & Heart Rate
Variability (01:46:21) Tool: How to Stop Hiccups (01:51:17) Tool:
Stress Management & Cyclic Hyperventilation, “Wim Hof Method”
(01:57:11) Deliberate Cold Exposure & Breathing (01:59:54)
Tool: Inhales & Learning; Exhales & Movement (02:09:15)
Mouth vs. Nasal Breathing, Aesthetics (02:16:19) Zero-Cost Support,
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