How breathing changes blood chemistry and boosts the immune system

By Devendra Narayan, PhD.

The blog post is part of the Better Breathing through Science series. 

Photo by Kirill Lazarev: Pexels 

In my last blog post, I discussed how CO2 levels in our blood fluctuate based on how we breathe, and how fast vs slow breathing affects blood pH levels.

In this article, I examine how breathing changes body chemistry and immunological response. 

How breathing changes blood pH?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a waste product of cellular respiration, a biochemical process that uses oxygen to convert glucose into energy. This process produces energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. 

In our bodies, ATP is the energy that is used for various functions, including muscle contraction, nerve impulses and chemical synthesis.

In total, 38 ATP molecules are produced from cellular respiration along with water (6 molecules) and CO2 (also 6 molecules).  

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy (38 ATP Molecules)

By exhaling, these CO2 molecules are eliminated from the body. For that to happen, the molecules of CO2 must first reach the lungs. Here's how our blood transports CO2 from our cells to our lungs.  

CO2 molecules diffuse through the walls of capillaries (tiny blood vessels) where they combine with water in our blood to produce Carbonic acid (H2CO3). It is important to remember that carbonic acid is unstable and dissociates into bicarbonate (HCO3-) and a proton (H+). This reaction is reversible, meaning that bicarbonate and a proton can combine to form carbonic acid, which can dissociate back to water and carbon dioxide. 

CO2 + H2O ←→ H2CO3 ←→ HCO3- + H+

When we measure pH of the blood, we are measuring the concentration of H+ ions. 

The higher the H+ ions, the lower the blood pH. 

Normal blood pH is between 7.35 and 7.45. If the pH climbs slightly above 7.45, the blood becomes alkaline and if the pH descends slightly below 7.35, the blood becomes acidic.

The pH level in our body is directly affected by the CO2 levels in the blood, which are determined by how we breathe.

Hyperventilation, which is faster than normal breathing, blows off CO2 from the blood. To recover to normal blood CO2 levels, carbonic acid (H2CO3) dissociates into CO2 and water (left pathway in the equation above).

The resultant drop in carbonic acid promotes the association of bicarbonate and H+ ions, a reaction that removes free H+ ions. 

As CO2 drops, the H+ ions in the blood also drop, causing the blood to become more alkaline. This process, during which rapid breathing alkalizes the blood, is called respiratory alkalosis.

Breathing ↑ → CO2 ↓ → [H+] ↓ → pH ↑ 

During periods of low breathing or breath holding, CO2 is built up in the bloodstream. To maintain the pH balance in the bloodstream, CO2 associates with water to form carbonic acid (right pathway in the equation above) that then dissociates into bicarbonate ions and H+ ions that make blood more acidic. This process is called respiratory acidosis.

Breathing ↓ → CO2 ↑ → [H+] ↑ → pH ↓ 

This highlights how the way we breathe affects the chemistry of our body.

Photo by Savanna Goldring: Pexels

A 2014 study measured the change in blood pH and other markers in practitioners of the Wim Hof breathing technique. This Tumo-inspired breathing technique involves 30 deep, rapid breaths followed by breath retention after exhalation.

A marked change in pH was measured, which increased up to 7.75 at the end of rapid breathing and returned to normal levels at the end of breath retention (roughly 100 seconds). A nice demonstration of what I explained above.

How breathing boosts our immune system?

A long-standing belief in the Yoga community is that yogic practices of breathing and breath retention can hack the autonomic nervous system, including the immune response.

Interestingly, the same 2014 research study demonstrated that the sympathetic nervous system and immune system can indeed be voluntarily influenced by breath modulation. 

The data presented in this study showed that participants who practiced Wim Hof breathing exhibited profound increases in the release of epinephrine, boosting the production of anti-inflammatory mediators that control the immune response to pathogens.  

In order to prove that breath modulation can indeed help boost the immune response, study participants were administered a bacterial endotoxin (under the supervision of doctors) and their blood markers, vitals, and symptoms associated with exposure to endotoxin were closely monitored.

The group that practiced Wim Hof breathing demonstrated significantly lower proinflammatory markers, ones that create inflammation in the body vs the group that did not practice the Wim Hof breathing technique. Furthermore, those who practiced Wim Hof breathing were found to have fewer flu-like symptoms and reported significantly less fatigue.

The study also looked at the benefits of ice baths, but we'll save that for another article. 

To recap, we learned: 

1. How breathing can temporarily change the blood pH.  
2. The pathway that controls the pH regulation and the mechanisms that causes respiratory alkalosis and respiratory acidosis.
3. How breathing techniques, such as Wim Hof breathing can hack the autonomic nervous system, including the immune system.

About the Author

Devendra Narayan is a scientist, yoga teacher, breathworker, scholar and founder of Cultivate Prana Academy. Cultivate Prana's mission is to empower modern day healers through education that integrates ancient wisdom and modern science. 

References

1. Kox et al., Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2014; 111(20): 7379-84.

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