The Daily Brain Freeze: How Breathing Changes the Brain
Breathing is cool. It’s how we shape our skeleton, remove waste from the body (70% of waste is removed through respiration), exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, and fuel cells through the generation of ATP. It’s also a messenger to the brain.
Dr. Andrew Huberman of Stanford University shares how the physiological sigh-inhaling twice through your nose and then exhaling through your mouth can send signals to your sighing neurons to help to calm you instantly.
“It immediately balances the ratio of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the lungs and bloodstream properly, and it triggers activation of the sighing neurons, which have a direct and fast route to what we’re calling the calming circuit (the parasympathetic arm of the autonomic nervous system).” -Dr. Andrew Huberman
The paper below by our friend and partner Dr. Jose Herrero shines a deeper light on the relationship between breathing and neuroplasticity.
This article provides a broad overview of the relationship between breathing and the brain.
Here’s the study from Dr. Herrero (the link in the Inc article takes you to a Quartz article with the link hidden behind a paywall.)
Dr. Herrero will be visiting us at Physiology First University at the start of the year to begin a study on breathing and brain change with our students! This work is made possible by you and your support so thank you so much for being part of Physiology First University!
(This latest paper from Dr. Herrero explores neuroplasticity as well.
From Dr. Herrero-
As youngsters, we learn things very fast thanks to our fearlessness and extremely plastic brains! Enhancing neuroplasticity in the adult brain is not a trivial endeavor. Our new article shows a way in which this can be achieved at least in specific patient populations. We hope that our findings inspire future scientists and clinicians to help other patients suffering from motor impairments due to stroke as well as people with high anxiety.
This study was possible thanks to the patients @ Northwell Health # that participated in the study and my colleagues @ The Feinstein Institutes #
Check it below!
Dr. Jose Herrero visiting PF University this past summer. Excited to kick off a new wave of breath research together!
David
