Is deep breathing good for you?

Simply increasing or decreasing the breathing rate and depth, the body manages to adjust its chemistry to any changes in environmental condition and swings in metabolic rate.

Read more about breathing:
To Breathe or not to Breathe?

It is well known that breathing is the most natural and potent regulator of pH in the blood and brain tissue. Simply increasing or decreasing the breathing rate and depth, the body manages to adjust it1s chemistry to any changes in environmental condition and swings in metabolic rate. The process does not require our attention and is fulfilled automatically.

However, unlike the automatism of the heart contraction, the breathing automatism is not absolute. We can voluntary change the way we breathe. Humans used this possibility since ancient times including breathing exercises in their spiritual and healing practices. Does it mean we can voluntary influence our pH? It does. But the question is: what for? What kind of our internal machinery would be affected?

Consider this. Deep intensive breathing (hyperventilation) leads to lack of carbon dioxide and thus to so called respiratory alkalosis (high pH), whereas moderate breathing suppression (hypo-ventilation) induces slightly excessive level of CO 2 (hyper-capnia) leading to respiratory acidosis (low pH).

Respiratory alkalosis eventually causes a number of problems, including elevation of pH inside the cells. The condition may be benign or potentially catastrophic. When pH reaches the value of 8 the metabolic disorders can produce a fatal result. Why? Below there are most known consequences of respiratory alkalosis, and each of them can be a reason for troubles (click here for footnoted list of symptoms).

1. First of all, fails the key for adequate oxygen delivery to tissues -- appropriate co-ordination of breathing and blood flow

2. It does so partly because haemoglobin, which carries oxygen from lungs to tissues, fails to yield the oxygen there

3. Now, in spite of deep breathing, there is too little oxygen in the arterial blood

4. The blood flow in the vessels slows down

5. The blood vessels width decreases

6. Metabolism in the blood vessel walls impairs

7. Metabolism in the brain tissue impairs

8. Metabolism in the kidneys impairs

9. Turnover of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium impairs

10. Brain and muscle tissues start producing excessive lactate

11. Removal of acid metabolites decreases to counteract the tissue alkalosis

12. Regulatory effects of some hormones fail

13. Breathing airways start resisting to the airflow

14. Bronchi1s width decreases dramatically

15. Asthma symptoms worsen

16. Breathing gets unstable

17. Ventilation is inhibited

18. Arterial hypertension develops

19. Increased heart rate occurs

20. Pathological hyperactivity of the brain neurons develops

21. Evoked electrical potentials of the brain cortex get inhibited

22. Evoked electrical potentials of the spinal cord and subcortical structures show abnormal patterns

23. There is a decrease in favorable alpha wave power in the electroencephalogram

24. There is a threefold excess in the release of adrenaline into the blood

25. Panic attack develops

26. The blood inclines towards clotting

27. Gastro-intestinal tract hyperactivity develops, leading to irritable bowel syndrome Are these pathologies reversible? Luckily yes. Abnormal breathing causes them, breathing normalization cures. But what does breathing normalization mean? Breath deeply -- isn't it the key in all kind of breathing techniques? Then how about hyperventilation?!

It depends. You could see what happens with hyperventilation. Are there cases when it can be helpful? Yes, but mostly in clinical situations, when medical professionals take care of you. For example, in the case of acute brain trauma, edema, stroke, high intracranial pressure, high intraocular pressure. Perfectly adequate is deep breathing during birth process, when it is beneficial for both mother and baby. It is OK to breath deeply while exercising or during the hot weather. It is OK in any case when your body needs to elevate the pH.