IH Increases Brain Blood Flow

Intermittent Hypoxia (IH) increases brain blood flow. IH increases the brains ability to extract oxygen from the blood.

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Breath holding increases blood flow to the brain

Reference: Liu X, Xu D, Hall JR, et al. Enhanced cerebral perfusion during brief exposures to cyclic intermittent hypoxemia. J Appl Physiol. 2017;123(6):1689-1897.

Key Points

  • Intermittent Hypoxia (IH) increases brain blood flow
  • IH increases the brains ability to extract oxygen from the blood
  • IH might be a useful before an athletic competition, a workout, or workplace presentation to increase performance and focus
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Summary

The brain is a costly organ in terms of energy, consuming almost 20% of the total oxygen usage at rest.

In this study subjects inhaled oxygen (O2) at 10% for 6 minutes to induce hypoxia (low blood oxygen) and then inhaled normal room air for 4 minutes. The cycle was repeated 5 times.

The results showed:

  • Brain blood flow increased by 20%
  • The increased blood flow to the brain was greater after the 5th repetition than the first, indicating the the effects of the repetitive bouts of hypoxia are cumulative
  • Fractional oxygen extraction in the brain increased after the 1st repetition and remained elevated, while fractional oxygen extraction in the muscle decreased, indicating that the body prioritizes the brain in supply of oxygen
  • The greatest increase in brain oxygenation occurred at 86% SpO2, which is easily achievable using breath hold techniques

Application

The use of Breathexchange breath holding techniques to create Intermittent Hypoxia can help you to focus and concentrate for enhanced performance at work or during any mental or physical endevour.

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