The Oxygen Advantage: The Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques for a Healthier, Slimmer, Faster, and Fitter You

by Patrick McKeown

  Nick Marshall is an Australian cyclist who started racing in the Paris region. A father of two and a businessman, Nick had trouble juggling the demands of work and family with what he felt were “old-school training methods.” Seeking a better way to train, Nick started using advanced yoga breathing and then the Oxygen Advantage principles to develop more power while reducing his overall training load. Initially, Nick had a BOLT score of just 25 seconds (common even among elite athletes), but through the nasal breathing, Breathing Light to Breathe Right, and simulating high-altitude training, his BOLT score now regularly reaches 60 seconds.

  The primary Oxygen Advantage exercise Nick used was a daily 30-minute routine combining the following:

  1. Breathe Light to Breathe Right for 15 minutes.

  2. Simulate High-Altitude Training while walking with breath holds of 60 to 80 paces.

  3. Rest for 3 to 4 minutes.

  4. Do 1 set of Advanced Simulation of High-Altitude Training to reduce arterial blood oxygen saturation to around 81 to 84 percent.

  The application of Oxygen Advantage techniques has resulted in a drop in lap time along with a reduction in weight and the improvement of Nick’s overall health. On his bike, Nick has seen an improvement in VO2 max and lactate buffering during hard efforts, and a reduced heart rate at rest. (Lactate buffering refers to the body’s ability to offset or neutralize the effects of lactic acid during intense exercise.) A big benefit for Nick is the ability to reduce the training hours spent on his bike while still steadily improving his fitness—a clear sign that he has become more efficient as an athlete.

  Oxygen Advantage Training: Short- and Long-Term Benefits

  Oxygen Advantage training involves temporarily subjecting the body to reduced oxygen saturation. This is usually achieved by living or training at high altitudes, but breath-hold exercises can easily bring about the same result. Performing just 5 maximum breath holds can significantly increase the concentration of oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the blood, but often levels will return to normal within 10 minutes following the final breath hold. Does this mean that breath-hold training is only beneficial directly before a competition? The answer is no. Several research studies have shown that permanent improvements to oxygen-carrying capacity can be achieved by regularly exposing the body to reduced concentrations of oxygen. If you incorporate the Oxygen Advantage program into your normal training and practice nasal breathing during rest and day-to-day activity, you will begin to see real physiological changes that will enable you to raise your game and increase your endurance over both the short and long term.

  The benefits of genuine and simulated high-altitude training have been studied in many different ways, and the results repeatedly show that long-term exposure to reduced oxygen concentration brings about advantageous changes for individuals looking to improve their physical performance.

  Breath-hold divers have been found to show a 5 percent higher resting hemoglobin mass than untrained divers, suggesting that long-term breath holding has a tangible effect on performance. In addition, experienced breath-hold divers demonstrate a stronger spleen contraction in response to breath-hold exercises, leading to a greater release of red blood cells into the blood supply, improving their oxygen delivery.

  In chapter 1, I mentioned Don Gordon, who has reached new heights in his cycling performance by applying the Oxygen Advantage program. In a recent e-mail, he informed me that his hematocrit was 52 percent (up from 47 percent)—high enough to provide increased aerobic performance while still remaining within the upper normal range.

  As I have noted before, it is not possible or practical for everyone wishing to benefit from the effects of hypoxic training to live at high altitude, but fortunately beneficial results can be obtained with less drastic alterations to your lifestyle and training routine.

  The adage “use it or lose it” can be applied to all forms of training; form, fitness, and endurance can only be maintained through constant repetition and practice. The same is true for your breathing. First you must learn how to breathe efficiently and correctly day and night, during rest and activity. Only then should you apply Oxygen Advantage techniques to your training routine and sporting competition. By practicing these exercises regularly, you will benefit from all the advantages of high-altitude training, increase your VO2 max, and move beyond your previous limits.

  To fully utilize the power of Oxygen Advantage reduced breathing exercises, it is important to bring a feeling of relaxation to your body as you exercise, and encourage your breathing volume to reduce. Exercise at a pace in which your breathing is regular and controlled, and you experience a feeling of air shortage. To generate greater intensity and bring about positive physiological changes from hypoxic training, incorporate breath holds into your physical training. Your BOLT score will provide continuous feedback on your breathing volume during rest and physical exercise. If your BOLT score decreases, it means your breathing is heavier than your metabolic requirements. This will have negative implications for both performance and health. Return to the earlier exercises and concentrate on retraining your breathing habits until you are able to improve your BOLT score to more than 30 seconds.

  When you first begin these exercises, your breath-hold time and BOLT score may be short, but with regular training and a commitment to the program, both these measurements can be increased over a short period of time.

  A number of research papers have come to conclusions that support my findings, studying athletes and nonathletes alike to see the effects of breath-hold exercises on an individual’s tolerance of carbon dioxide. These studies have found that breath-hold time can be increased as a result of short-term and long-term practice. For example, a study measuring the breath-hold time of volunteers practicing breath-hold exercises with their faces immersed in water found that the length of breath holds increased by up to an impressive 43 percent over a series of exercises. Another study found that breath-hold divers with 7 to 10 years of experience were able to hold their breath for up to 440 seconds, compared to up to 145 seconds achieved by inexperienced individuals. Similarly, the duration of breath-hold time for triathletes was found to be significantly lengthened following a three-month breath-hold program.

  Earlier on, we investigated the effects of a reduced sensitivity (ventilatory response) to carbon dioxide, finding that it resulted in better sports performance, reduced breathlessness, and improved VO2 max. Your BOLT score allows you to measure this sensitivity and provides a useful method for tracking your progress, providing you with both a goal to strive for (attaining a BOLT score of 40 seconds) and positive reinforcement that you are making real changes to your body’s capabilities as you watch your score increase. All the exercises in this book aim to increase your BOLT score and improve your body’s tolerance for CO2, and you will be able to notice improvements to your well-being and performance right from the very first time you practice.

  CHAPTER 8

  Finding the Zone

  Considered the greatest moment in twentieth-century boxing, the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” pitted undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman against former champion Muhammad Ali. The event was organized by boxing promoter Don King and sponsored by the King of Zaire with the promise of a major purse to the winner.

  No one thought Ali had much of a chance of beating Foreman. After all, Foreman was both younger and larger than Ali and was considered the strongest fighter of his generation—no previous opponent had lasted more than three rounds with him. But Ali had more than just speed and strength—he used psychology and tactics to his advantage. During the early rounds of the fight Ali toyed with Foreman by frequently leaning on the ropes and covering himself up, leading Foreman to throw ineffective body punches and tire himself out. By the seventh round, Ali turned to taunting, goading the weary Foreman with jibes like “They told me you could punch!” and “That all you got, George?”

  In the eighth round Ali saw his moment and took it, landing a strong le
ft hook and hard right. Foreman, weakened by fatigue and distraction, stumbled to the canvas, and though he managed to get up at the count of nine, the referee called the bout to an end. Muhammad Ali, a master in psychology, won the title by a knockout.

  Very few people could have expected this outcome. Both fighters were equally motivated to win, but while Foreman was at that time the stronger combatant, Ali’s constant barrage of taunts played a significant role in undermining Foreman’s mental strength, causing his concentration to lapse and allowing him to lose his temper—the opportunity Ali needed to strike. By pulling his opponent out of the zone, Ali created an opening for himself, overcoming all odds. And that’s all it takes—just one distraction can dramatically alter the outcome of any event. Often athletes are deprived of success not because of lack of skill, fitness, or stamina, but by their own thoughts.

  When looking back on a disappointing performance, most athletes will comment that their head “just wasn’t in it.” Training the mind to be in the flow is just as vital as training the body. As any athlete knows, one thought is all it takes to divert attention from the task at hand, ruining the shot, penalty, race, or putt. But while in the flow, distracting thoughts do not enter. The shouts of opposing spectators are not heard, a mistake made during the game is not ruminated on, and thoughts of past mistakes or of future goals do not arise. There is no fear of losing. There is no expectation of winning. You are not anxious about actions or reactions from opponents but effortlessly perform to the best of your ability. Nothing else matters. You are present, using the full concentration of your mind in a state of undivided attention.

  “Going with the flow” is a concept popularized by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago. Csikszentmihalyi described “flow” as the experience of “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. Self-consciousness falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.” This mental state is also sometimes described as being in the zone or the present moment.

  Flow is a state of concentration that allows for complete immersion in the situation at hand. Being in the flow means that no boundaries exist between you and the activity in which you are involved. The player and the game become one. The ego—which is the fictitious story that we create about ourselves—is left behind. Conscious thinking ceases, and the athlete acts spontaneously. Any sense of self-consciousness is set aside, allowing full concentration and focus to be obtained. While in the flow, instinct and intuition take over and the right action happens automatically, without the need for conscious thought.

  When in the flow you do not think about how good you are, or how useless you are, or what the spectators think of you, or what you are going to do tomorrow, or what your hair looks like. The usual repetitive nonsense generated by the active Western mind ceases. Concentration—the ability to focus unhindered by distracting thoughts—is at its highest. In such a state of intense concentration, your complete attention can be devoted to the game.

  Being in the flow allows for a still, quiet mind, undistracted by conscious thoughts. It is a state that involves the use of the entire brain rather than just the logical processes of the left brain. Being in the flow is the very antithesis of Western education, whose sole purpose is to develop and nurture the analytical, reasoning, and logical brain.

  You will no doubt have experienced the feeling of an activity taking up all your attention and focus to the point where you forget everything else around you. When you are truly engaged in creative endeavors like sports, writing, painting, music, and drama, many hours can pass by unnoticed. The dancer and the dance become one. The painter and the painting become one. The runner and the race become one.

  During training practice, an athlete will perform the same action over and over again, making precise adjustments to create the perfect sequence, whether it is marking an opponent during a game, taking a golf swing, knowing when to overtake during a race, or taking a penalty kick. In the same way, a martial arts expert develops controlled and flawless movements through years of constant repetition and refining. Each time a movement is replicated, the brain stores information and develops muscle memory, eventually allowing the task to be performed without conscious effort. In essence, the body knows what to do—the mind simply needs to get out of the way. There is no room for thought in fast-paced activities; thoughts serve only as distractions. An athlete at peak performance does not think. Instead, instinct kicks in, muscle memory ensures spontaneous movement, and 100 percent of energy is directed toward the task at hand. In the zone, the athlete finds that his or her reactions and movements flow without conscious thought. Intuition takes over and the right action occurs naturally.

  During the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna managed to stay ahead of his competitors with ease, including a teammate driving a similar car. Recounting the race, Senna explained how he achieved this without conscious effort: Letting his instincts guide him, he felt as if the circuit had become a tunnel, and no matter how fast he drove, there was always room for more.

  Enter the Zone at Will

  The zone is nothing more than performing in the absence of thought. When the mind is still and thoughts are no longer a distraction, you are able to give an activity your complete and undivided attention. Being able to focus without distracting thoughts defines concentration, a vital attribute for the proper execution of any action and the achievement of any goal. An active mind results in diminished concentration as every little thought interferes with the task at hand. For example, an individual who is reading this book with an active mind is merely looking at the page. His attention is elsewhere on a never-ending train of repetitive and useless thinking. Although his eyes might be following the sentences, his mind is not. When he reaches the bottom of the page, it is unlikely that he will remember much of the content.

  Nowadays, as we spend more time communicating via social media, playing computer games, and surfing the Internet, our powers of concentration are diminishing. According to international motivational guru Kevin Kelly, we are now living in an attention-deficit society. The dial has moved from conversation to presentation and from dialogue to monologue. We no longer give each other our undivided attention, and neither do we take the time to observe our own breathing or allow our minds to still.

  Ted Selker of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology supports this view, claiming that because the Internet offers so much choice we end up spending our time flitting from one thing to another, shortening our attention spans and forming a habit of poor concentration. Selker suggests that the nature of web browsing can leave us with an attention span of just 9 seconds—the same as that of a goldfish.

  Reading a piece in the New York Times, I was surprised to learn that the children of the late Apple founder Steve Jobs hadn’t been introduced to the iPad. When journalist Nick Bilton asked Jobs if his children loved the gadget, he replied, “They haven’t used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home.” This stance has been echoed by a number of technology chief executives, who set very strict criteria on the amount of screen time their children experience—all too aware of the implications of extended periods spent looking at a screen. As the modern world becomes increasingly dependent on screens and devices, gadget addiction has the potential to isolate people from the world around them, subduing social interaction and increasing mind activity.

  Not only is an overactive mind less conducive to focus and productivity, it also leads to increased stress, anxiety, and depression—all of which contribute to mental health problems and a reduced quality of life.

  The importance of being able to control and still the mind cannot be overestimated. An athlete with a quiet mind will enjoy good powers of concentration and be able to enter the zone at will, but an athlete with an active mind will have a head full of unnecessary thought
s and will find it difficult to enter the zone. If the mind is overactive during daily life, it follows that the mind will be overactive during sports. Only when the mind is relatively still during normal daily life can the athlete enter the zone during competition. A still mind can be attained through having a high BOLT score, using meditation, and developing awareness of the mind—nothing else.

  You could, of course, go down to your local bar and drink six or seven large beers. No doubt this approach will quiet the mind. As appealing as it sounds, achieving a state of mind where thoughts are drowned out with alcohol is not conducive to alertness and increased performance. Instead, for thousands of years, human beings have practiced different forms of meditation to quiet and tame the mind. Meditation allows you to pay attention to your thoughts, emotions, and feelings, while reducing repetitive and useless thinking.

  Ryan Giggs made his first appearance for the Premiership football club Manchester United during the 1990–91 season. As the most decorated player in English football history, Giggs has won thirteen Premier League medals, four FA cup winner’s medals, three League cup winner’s medals, and two Champions League winner’s medals. At the age of forty, when most of his peers had long since retired, Giggs continued to play professional Premier League football. So what is his secret? According to Giggs, self-awareness has been a major factor in his extended career: “The focus on oneself is hugely important, even if it is only for a daily hour of stretches and meditation,” he says.

  The renowned golfer Tiger Woods is also well known for using meditation to improve his game. Tiger’s father, Earl Woods, was instrumental in developing his son’s concentration. Earl Woods explained he would repeatedly attempt to distract his son as he practiced his swing by dropping a golf bag or shouting obscenities. Earl Woods believed that Tiger could be the “first black intuitive golfer ever raised in the United States” and tested his meditative concentration from a very young age. And his prediction came true: Tiger Woods has been the world number one golfer for more consecutive weeks than any other player in history. The ability to play sports intuitively relies on complete immersion in the zone, where the right action occurs effortlessly and the golfer and the game become one. In the film The Legend of Bagger Vance, the celebrated coach describes the perfect swing as being in harmony with “all that is, all that was, and all that will be.”