wim hof breathing won't make you last longer

Wim Hof Breathing and Underwater Breath-Holding: Why It Doesn't Work

The Wim Hof Method (WHM) has gained significant popularity in recent years, with proponents claiming a wide range of benefits, from increased energy and reduced stress to improved immune function and cold tolerance. One of the more dramatic claims is the ability to hold one's breath for extended periods, even underwater. However, this claim is misleading and potentially dangerous. While WHM breathing exercises can indeed increase breath-holding time, it does not do so by increasing oxygen levels. Instead, it manipulates the body's natural signals for breathing, creating a dangerous illusion of safety while actually depriving the body of oxygen. This article will delve into the science behind WHM breathing, explain how it affects the brain's regulation of breathing, and discuss the potential dangers of using this technique for underwater breath-holding.

Here's how a typical WHM breathing session might look:

1. Controlled Hyperventilation: Take 30-40 rapid, deep breaths, inhaling through the nose or mouth and exhaling through the mouth. Each breath should fill the belly and chest.

2. Breath Hold: After the last exhalation, hold your breath until you feel the urge to breathe again.

3. Recovery Breath: Inhale deeply, hold for 15 seconds, and then exhale.

4. Repeat: Repeat the cycle 3-4 times.

Proponents of the WHM claim that this breathing technique increases oxygen levels in the blood, allowing for longer breath-holding times². However, this is not how the method works. To understand why the claims about WHM breathing and extended breath-holding are misleading, we need to first examine how the brain controls our breathing.

How the Brain Regulates Breathing

The brainstem, which connects the brain to the spinal cord, is responsible for generating the breathing rhythm and controlling its rate³. Within the brainstem, the pre-Bötzinger complex plays a crucial role in generating this rhythm⁴. This process is primarily driven by the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the blood⁵. CO2 is formed in the body as a byproduct of metabolism and is transported in the bloodstream to the lungs, where it is exhaled⁷. When CO2 levels rise, the brainstem sends signals to the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles, triggering inhalation⁸. As we exhale, CO2 levels decrease, and the urge to breathe subsides.

It's important to note that the brain has multiple mechanisms for sensing CO2 and regulating breathing⁹. WHM breathing primarily affects the mechanism related to CO2 levels in the blood, but other factors, such as oxygen levels and blood pH, also play a role⁷.

The Deceptive Effect of Wim Hof Breathing