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Dr. Jack Feldman: Breathing for Mental & Physical Health & Performance

Andrew Huberman・105 minutes read

Dr. Jack Feldman, a neurobiology professor, discusses the importance of breathing for overall health, focusing on oxygenation and brain control of respiration, offering practical techniques and highlighting the link between emotional states and breathing patterns. His work emphasizes the significance of breathing in daily life and health, showcasing its impact on cognitive function and the body's overall well-being.

Insights

  • Breathing is crucial for oxygenating cells in the brain and body, impacting focus, sleep, and overall health.
  • Dr. Feldman discovered brain centers controlling breathing patterns, influencing mental and physical well-being.
  • The body closely regulates the pH of blood and living cells due to their sensitivity to pH values.
  • The pre-Botzinger complex in the brainstem is crucial for generating the rhythm of breathing.

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Recent questions

  • Why is breathing important for overall health?

    Breathing is crucial for oxygenating cells in the brain and body, impacting focus, sleep, and overall health. It plays a vital role in oxygen transfer, metabolism, and maintaining proper pH levels in the blood and cells. Efficient breathing techniques can optimize brain states, aiding in focus, stress management, and relaxation.

  • How does breathing impact brain function?

    Breathing influences cognitive function and memory formation through oscillations coordinating signals across neurons. The reciprocal relationship between brain state and breathing emphasizes the influence of emotional states on breathing patterns and vice versa. Breathing practices can transiently change states, aiding in relaxation and potentially disrupting circuits involved in conditions like depression.

  • What are some practical breathing techniques for daily life?

    Dr. Feldman's protocols aim to optimize brain states through breathing, aiding focus, stress management, and relaxation. Box breathing, involving inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding for 5 seconds each, is personally beneficial. Apps like Calm and Tummo offer guided breathing practices, while exploring Wim Hof's techniques can provide health benefits.

  • How can breathing practices enhance cognitive function?

    Breathing practices can gradually wear down negative circuits in the brain, akin to filling in a rut to climb out of it. Disrupting brain circuits through breathing practices may weaken connections, offering relief from conditions like depression. Committing to breathwork practices, even for short durations, can significantly impact emotional and cognitive functions.

  • What are some recommended breathing exercises for beginners?

    Starting with short walks of 5-10 minutes and gradually progressing to running is advised for beginners. Box breathing for 5-20 minutes, using apps for timing, can optimize performance. Trying breathing exercises for 5-10 minutes daily, especially after lunch, can enhance cognitive function and overall well-being.

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Summary

00:00

Breathing for Brain Health and Wellness

  • The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses science and science-based tools for daily life, hosted by Andrew Huberman, a Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine.
  • Dr. Jack Feldman, a distinguished Professor of Neurobiology at UCLA, is the guest, known for his work on the neuroscience of breathing.
  • Breathing is crucial for oxygenating cells in the brain and body, impacting focus, sleep, and overall health.
  • Dr. Feldman discovered brain centers controlling breathing patterns, influencing mental and physical well-being.
  • His work highlights the significance of respiration in health, disease, and daily life, offering practical breathing techniques.
  • Dr. Feldman's protocols aim to optimize brain states through breathing, aiding focus, stress management, and relaxation.
  • The podcast sponsors Thesis, a nootropics company offering personalized formulas for specific cognitive goals.
  • Athletic Greens, an all-in-one vitamin, mineral, and probiotic drink, supports gut health and overall well-being.
  • Headspace, a meditation app, backed by studies, enhances focus, reduces stress, and improves cognitive abilities.
  • Our Breathwork Collective, endorsed by Dr. Feldman, provides breathwork resources for learning and teaching, enhancing breathwork practices.

11:50

Regulating pH, Oxygen, and Breathing Mechanics

  • The body closely regulates the pH of blood and living cells due to their sensitivity to pH values.
  • Oxygen is essential for normal metabolism, and CO2 must be eliminated.
  • Air flows into the lungs by expanding them, lowering pressure inside the lungs.
  • The diaphragm, a key muscle below the lungs, contracts during inhalation, expanding the lungs.
  • Respiratory muscles, like the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles, are activated by specialized neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem.
  • Nasal breathing is preferred at rest, while mouth breathing is used during increased ventilation, like during exercise.
  • Skeletal muscles involved in breathing require neural input, unlike smooth muscles in the heart and gut.
  • Smooth muscles in the airways can contract inappropriately, causing breathing issues like asthma.
  • The pre-Botzinger complex in the brainstem is crucial for generating the rhythm of breathing.
  • A second oscillator near the facial nucleus controls active expiration, crucial for expelling air during exertion.

27:30

"Physiological Sighs: Vital for Lung Health"

  • The alveolar capillary membrane is crucial for oxygen transfer in the lungs, allowing oxygen to pass from the alveolus to the blood through capillaries.
  • The rate of oxygen transfer depends on membrane characteristics, distance between alveolus and capillary, and surface area, with a larger surface area facilitating more oxygen passage.
  • The trachea branches into multiple tubes, each ending in an alveolus, determining the lung's surface area for oxygen exchange.
  • Mammals have 400-500 million alveoli, providing a surface area of about 70 square meters, crucial for efficient oxygen intake.
  • The diaphragm, moving just two-thirds of an inch, expands the lungs, increasing oxygen levels in the bloodstream to sustain metabolism.
  • The brain's oxygen demand, about 20% of intake, necessitates efficient breathing, facilitated by the diaphragm.
  • Sighing, occurring every five minutes, helps maintain lung health by preventing alveolar collapse and ensuring oxygen intake.
  • Deep breaths, like sighs, pop open collapsed alveoli, crucial for maintaining lung surface area and health.
  • Mechanical ventilation history shows that occasional deep breaths, mimicking physiological sighs, are more effective than constant large breaths in preventing lung collapse.
  • Physiological sighs, occurring every few minutes, play a vital role in maintaining lung health, ensuring proper oxygen intake and preventing alveolar collapse.

42:28

Deep Breaths: The Science of Sighing

  • Breathing requires a big inhale, not just a normal breath.
  • Nature automatically prompts us to inhale deeply every five minutes.
  • The hypothalamus releases peptides during stress, aiding in stress management.
  • Bombesin related peptides are released during stress, leading to increased sighing.
  • Injecting Bombesin into the pre-Botzinger complex of rats significantly increased their sigh rate.
  • Saporin, a safe molecule, can be conjugated with peptides to target specific cells for ablation.
  • Ablating cells in the pre-Botzinger complex reduced sighing in rats.
  • The absence of sighing led to deteriorated lung function in rats, ultimately requiring their sacrifice.
  • Parkinson's disease and ALS patients may experience breathing disturbances during sleep due to issues in the pre-Botzinger complex.
  • Research on the impact of sigh suppression on drug overdoses and natural death processes is lacking.

58:04

"Breathing's Impact on Rodents' Fear Responses"

  • In academia, there is a distribution of faculty members, with some above and some below the mean level.
  • The speaker, impressed by Kevin's abilities, willingly collaborated with him, even if Kevin could potentially outshine them.
  • The speaker was invited to give a talk at Stanford by an undergraduate student who had worked with them.
  • During a meeting at Stanford, a discovery of a significant molecule related to breathing was hinted at but not disclosed due to scientific ethics.
  • The speaker, intrigued by mindfulness, enrolled in a course at UCLA to explore the effects of breathing in meditation.
  • To study the impact of breathing on rodents, the speaker secured a grant from the National Complementary Medicine Institute.
  • After several failed attempts, a breakthrough was made in getting awake mice to breathe slowly through a specific protocol.
  • Mice subjected to the breathing protocol showed reduced fear responses compared to control mice in a fear-inducing test.
  • Mechanistic studies on rodents can provide valuable insights into the effects of meditation and breathwork without the confounding placebo effect seen in human studies.
  • The speaker highlights the reciprocal relationship between brain state and breathing, emphasizing the influence of emotional states on breathing patterns and vice versa.

01:13:02

"Brainstem Signals Control Breathing and Emotions"

  • Signals controlling muscles transmitted in brainstem, specifically ventral pons.
  • Stroke in ventral pons can damage pathways, leading to locked-in syndrome.
  • Individuals with locked-in syndrome lose volitional movement except for eye and blink control.
  • Breathing continues in locked-in syndrome due to unaffected breathing centers.
  • Patient with locked-in syndrome showed robotic breathing, unaffected by commands.
  • Patient's breathing changed when told a joke, indicating emotive control over breathing.
  • Motor control of face includes volitional and emotional control, influencing communication.
  • Yackle paper discusses neurons in pre-Botzinger complex affecting emotion and mood.
  • Olfaction and vagus nerve play roles in breathing's influence on emotional states.
  • CO2 levels, influenced by breathing, can impact anxiety and panic attacks.

01:28:17

Impact of CO2 on brain and breathing.

  • Changes in CO2 levels significantly impact ventilation and brain state.
  • Breathing practices involving volitional control can influence emotional state through signals originating in the motor cortex.
  • Nasal breathing blockage does not show breathing-related brain oscillations.
  • Hyperventilation followed by breath holds, whether with full or empty lungs, can impact brain state.
  • Episodic hypoxia, involving alternating low oxygen and normal air, can lead to prolonged benefits in motor and cognitive function.
  • Episodic hypoxia may have positive effects on neuromuscular performance, potentially beneficial for spinal cord rehab and athletic performance.
  • Cyclic hyperventilation followed by breath holds can mimic some effects of episodic hypoxia, enhancing alertness and cognitive focus.
  • Nasal breathing has been linked to improved memory and hippocampal activity compared to mouth breathing.
  • Hyperbaric chambers may increase oxygen levels but are outside the speaker's expertise.
  • Deliberate nasal breathing may enhance memory and brain function due to the olfactory pathway's direct connection to the brain.

01:42:40

Breathwork's Impact on Behavior and Brain Connections

  • Olfactory component plays a strong role in behavior, with a central component being of particular interest.
  • Respiratory input into the olfactory bulb occurs regardless of airflow in the nose, combining with sensory receptor signals.
  • Breathing through one nostril versus the other may activate different brain centers, potentially affecting alertness or calmness levels.
  • Fear response and reaction times change with the respiratory cycle, impacting blinking and motor functions.
  • Breathing modulates various bodily functions, including heart rate, pupil size, and fearfulness.
  • Breathing influences cognitive function and memory formation through oscillations coordinating signals across neurons.
  • Breathing practices can transiently change states, aiding in relaxation and potentially disrupting circuits involved in depression.
  • Disrupting brain circuits through breathing practices may weaken connections, offering relief from conditions like depression.
  • Breathing practices can gradually wear down negative circuits, akin to filling in a rut to climb out of it.
  • Exploring and committing to breathwork practices, even for short durations, can significantly impact emotional and cognitive functions.

01:58:39

Optimizing Performance Through Breathing and Exercise

  • Starting exercise gradually is advised, beginning with short walks of 5-10 minutes.
  • Progressing from walking to running is a natural transition in physical activity.
  • Specific practices can optimize performance in various sports.
  • Box breathing for 5-20 minutes is personally beneficial, aided by a simple app for timing.
  • Calm and Tummo are apps used for breathing practices, with varying effects.
  • Encouragement for beginners to explore breathing practices like Wim Hof's techniques for health benefits.
  • Suggests trying breathing exercises for 5-10 minutes daily to gauge personal benefits.
  • Taking short breaks for breathing practices, especially after lunch, can enhance performance.
  • Box breathing involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding for 5 seconds each, with optional variations.
  • Magnesium threonate is highlighted for cognitive function enhancement, crossing the gut-blood barrier effectively.

02:14:31

Cognitive Age Study: Magnesium Threonate Benefits

  • Spearman's G's test indicated a cognitive age of 61 for individuals aged 51.
  • The Spearman G factor declines by 1% annually from age 20 in the population.
  • In a placebo-controlled double-blind study, individuals in the placebo group improved by two years, while those receiving the compound improved by eight years on average.
  • The compound's dosage, magnesium threonate, is commercially available and may cause stomach issues in about 5% of users.
  • Magnesium threonate may improve sleep quality and accelerate the transition into sleep.
  • Threonate's cognitive-enhancing effects were not widely known until recently, with anecdotal evidence suggesting improved alertness and physical movements in some users.
  • Dr. Jack Feldman, a pioneer in respiratory studies, has contributed significantly to the field, which has gained increased interest due to events like COVID, leading to a surge in breathwork and brain state research.
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