Tim Altman - Primal HealthNewsBreathing Dynamics for Optimal Health and Performance
By Tim Altman 18/07/2018 Breathing Dynamics, Chronic Illness, Evolutionary Medicine, Naturopathy, Sleep Enhancement , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Video: We Breathe Twice As Often As We Should and It Affects Our Health in Many Ways

We breath twice as often as we should (according to medical diagnostic norms).
If our blood pressure were twice as high as it should be, or we ate twice as much as we should, we all know that would lead to health and well-being problems.
Yet we take our breathing for granted, not realising that over-breathing upsets the delicate biochemical balance in our respiratory system that dictates how we get oxygen from the air we inhale in our lungs into the cells of our body for energy production (all known as, and explained in detail by ‘The Bohr Effect’).
he implications of this are:
1. We produce less energy – contributing to fatigue related illnesses, and poor mental functioning.
2. We are more predisposed to apnoea episodes – resulting in poor sleep, low energy, poor cognitive function, fatigue, and a potential flow on to increased likelihood of suffering inflammatory conditions.
3. Smooth muscle constriction around our breathing tubes predisposing to asthma and breathing difficulties, and also conditions relating to constriction or reduced function of all of the other tubes servicing our body (circulation, digestion, lymphatic, urinary etc) – these include IBS, reflux & other digestive complaints; high blood pressure & hypertension: sinusitis, hay fever & respiratory system illnesses; headaches and migraines; anxiety & depression.
The good news is that learning how to breath functionally again is not that hard, and does not take that long. And you will feel better for it…
Email Tim at tim@timaltman.com.au or call 0425 739 918. Tim is available in clinic at: Barwon Heads – 13th Beach Health Services Torquay/Jan Juc Melbourne – Sth Melbourne or Ivanhoe Or via Online Consultation
By Tim Altman 08/04/2018 Breathing Dynamics , , , , ,

Breathing Dynamics For Optimal Health and Performance

BREATHING DYNAMICS FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE

 Do you want to know how you can influence your quality of life by understanding the role of breathing in rest, activity, attention and composure?

Breathing is central to all life.

It is the one thing that we have conscious control of that we do more than anything else – up to 30,000 times per day on average.

BUT, did you know that:

The quality of your breathing affects the quality of your life?

And that most of us OVER BREATHE – both in rate and depth.

Normal breathing is 4-5 litres of air per minute at 8-10 breaths per minute (as opposed to 14-20 breaths that most of us take!!).

And breathing should always happen through the nose driven by the diaphragm. Most of us alternate between mouth and nose breathing using predominantly the chest and shoulders, causing us to breathe too much volume of air, with poor postural strategy using far too much effort in breathing.

This over breathing, or dysfunctional breathing, when repeated up to 30,000 times per day can result in significant compromises in optimal functioning.

Do you know what it means to breathe optimally?

The limiting factor in OPTIMAL RESPIRATION, and therefore OPTIMAL ENERGY FOR OUR CELLS, is not a lack of oxygen that we inhale? We breathe in 21% oxygen and exhale 16%, so we only use less than one quarter of the oxygen that we breathe.

It is a lack of oxygen released into cells due to low levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) caused by OVER BREATHING OR DYSFUNCTIONAL BREATHING!!!!

Yet most of us OVER BREATHE or MOUTH BREATHE.

In 1903 Danish physiologist Christian Bohr won a Nobel Prize for his discovery that the lower the partial pressure (and therefore concentration) of CO2 in the arterial blood, the tighter the bond between circulating haemoglobin (Hb) and it’s bound oxygen (O2). The tighter the bond between Hb and O2, the less the amounts of oxygen released into tissues for energy production.

What causes low arterial concentration of CO2? 

OVER BREATHING!!!!

OVERBREATHING/DYSFUNCTIONAL BREATHING CAN RESULT IN:                                      

  1. Snoring, sleep apnoea, waking un-refreshed         

  2. Asthma, breathing difficulties  

  3. Anxiety, panic attacks

  4. Hypertension, high blood pressure

  5. Eczema, dry skin, skin irritations

  6. Fatigue/lack of endurance or stamina

  7. Allergies, sinusitis, excessive mucous production

  8. Teeth deformities

When you reduce oxygen release to cells, those cells lose functionality or under perform.

 

OPTIMAL BREATHING CAN RESULT IN:

  1. A full night of quiet sleep. Waking refreshed. 
  1. Controlled, easy breathing (even when exercising). 
  1. Greater energy levels and vitality. 
  1. Greater mental concentration and clarity. 
  1. Significantly improved work, sporting and/or artistic performance. 
  1. Clear skin. 
  1. A well formed set of teeth.                                                                               

 

When you optimize oxygen release, you optimize cellular performance. Cells flourish!!

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF MEASURING AND MAINTAINING OPTIMAL CO2 LEVELS.

Over breathing causes hypocapnia (low partial pressure of CO2 in arterial blood) which results in both vaso- and broncho- constriction. And if the required ‘reservoir level’ of CO2in the lungs after expiration (namely ETCO2) is too low there will be constant interference in smooth muscle tube function and fluctuations in oxygen concentration at cellular level – causing sub-optimal cell regeneration with the accompanying chronic tiredness, sleep disordered breathing, poor concentration and lack of energy and stamina.

THE CapnoTrainer™

This is a sophisticated bio-feedback monitoring instrument that optically analyses the exhaled breath, establishes the ETCO2 and displays it in various graphic formats along with measurements of breathing rate and heart rate variability. It connects via USB and works on most PCs and laptops.

 

 

 

ETCO2 consistently below the horizontal line which represents 35mm Hg pressure – minimum level for functional breathing.

 

 

 

 ETCO2 above the horizontal line showing 40 – 45mm Hg pressure which is the correct level for optimal functioning.

 We are the only clinic in Victoria to use this new CapnoTrainerTMbioefeedbacktechnology to assess your breathing levels and retrain you to breathe optimally.

For athletes and business people, the benefits of breathing retraining can be both surprising and life changing. Both performance and efficiency of movement will improve dramatically.

We focus on training you to:

  • Nose breathe at all levels of exertion.
  • Use your diaphragm (rather than the chest and clavicles) as the main driver of breathing.
  • Reduce the rate and volume of your breath at all levels of exertion.
  • Manage stress levels by regulating your autonomic nervous system – specifically by reducing sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) dominance and increasing parasympathetic (relaxation) function.

 

This will result in the following benefits:

  1. Use of a greater surface area of your lungs for gas exchange.
  2. Increase oxygen release to tissue and cells of your body.
  3. For athletes – delay onset of lactic acid.
  4. Reduced heart rates even under pressure or at higher levels of exertion.
  5. Greater relaxation at all levels of stress or exertion via increased parasympathetic nervous system activation.
  6. Greater access to ‘Zone’ or ‘alpha’ states during performance, exercise or racing.
  7. Increased deep system stabilization (postural) via diaphragmatic control.
  8. Relaxation of nerves prior to stressful events or races.

We teach Breathing Dynamics to the public both one on one in clinic or in courses for groups.

 

Tim Altman B.Sc.; B.H.Sc (Naturopathy) www.timaltman.com.au

Ph: 0425 739 918