Hypoventilation is a breath-holding technique performed during exercise to increase Co2 tolerance and enhance athletic performance.
Altitude training optimizes lung capacity and improves endurance during sports performance by encouraging the body to build resilience in conditions where there is less oxygen.
For this exercise it is important that you inhale through your nose as much as possible as it provides more adequate levels of oxygen to the cells than mouth breathing.
This technique is performed during exercise, so the rate of breath should be as natural as one would breathe during exercise.
Why it’s important to increase Co2 tolerance…
The longer we hold our breath, the more Co2 tolerance we build up. Breathing during exercise causes us to use up more oxygen and as a result, more carbon dioxide.
Having a low Co2 tolerance will cause us to hyperventilate, as the urge to breathe is actually controlled by the body’s tolerance and response to Co2 levels.
What is happening in our bodies when we hyperventilate?
We are taking in more oxygen than we need. This creates an imbalance in the body’s normal levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
This is why re-breathing into a paper bag during a panic attack can be helpful. It restores this balance by introducing more carbon dioxide back into the body in order to restore that balance.
It can be an uncomfortable practice at first, but developing tolerance to uncomfortable things can help us build resilience. Think of this like going to the gym for your lungs. With time and practice, your tolerance will build up, and your capacity for physical endurance will level up with it.
The Hypoventilation technique:
The inhalation: Should be performed through the nose and as natural as one would breathe during exercise.
The exhalation: an initial exhale performed immediately after inhalation. Do not exhale completely, leave a small amount of air in the lungs.
The hold: Following exhale, hold breath for several seconds. The hold should be 3-5 seconds long. This length will vary depending on level of intensity of exercise. This is NOT a max breath hold.
The second exhalation: Once you need to breathe, perform a sharp exhalation. This should be done in a quick burst, effectively evacuating the remaining co2 from the lungs.
If you’re an athlete looking to enhance your sports performance, give this technique a try and let me know how it goes!