[@hubermanlab] Essentials: Breathing for Mental & Physical Health & Performance | Dr. Jack Feldman

Link: https://youtu.be/Y3NUEPNZDMA

Short Summary

This Huberman Lab Essentials episode features Dr. Jack Feldman discussing the intricate mechanisms of breathing, from the brainstem's control of rhythmic respiration to the diaphragm's crucial role and the function of sighs in lung health. They also explore the relationship between breathing, emotional states, and the potential cognitive benefits of magnesium supplementation, specifically magnesium L-threonate, for enhancing neuroplasticity and slowing cognitive decline.

Key Quotes

Okay, here are five quotes extracted from the transcript that I found particularly insightful:

1. "The body is very interested in regulating that pH [of the blood]...all living cells are very sensitive to what the pH value is." This highlights the fundamental importance of carbon dioxide regulation and its impact on cellular function, not just breathing.

2. "If you look at amphibians and reptiles, they don't have a diaphragm. And the way they breathe is not by actively inspiring and passively expiring. They breathe by actively expiring and passively inspiring because they don't have a powerful inspiratory muscle." This provides a fascinating evolutionary perspective on the diaphragm's role and its connection to the breathing mechanics of different vertebrate classes.

3. "You know we used to laugh at neuromimmunology. There are all these things that we're learning that we used to dismiss. And I think there's there's real nuggets to be learned here." This quote illustrates the importance of keeping an open mind and acknowledging the potential validity of approaches that were previously disregarded.

4. "I tell people it's like walking around on a dirt path. You build a rot gets so deep you can't get out of it. And what breathing is doing is sort of filling in the rot bit by bit to the point that you can climb out of that rot. And that is because breathing the breathing signal is playing some role in the way the circuit works." This provides an analogy for the effects of breathing on depression.

5. "The people who got the compound [Magnesium 3-Threonate] improved eight years on average and some improved more than eight years." This references a study on the effects of Magnesium 3-Threonate and its effects on mild cognitive decline.

Detailed Summary

Here's a detailed summary of the YouTube video transcript, presented in bullet points:

Key Topics:

• The mechanics of breathing (inhalation and exhalation)
• The brain centers that control breathing (pre-Bötzinger complex, retrotrapezoid nucleus)
• The importance of the diaphragm in mammalian respiration
• Physiological sighs and their function in lung health
• The interaction between breathing, brain state, and emotional state
• Breathing practices and their potential benefits (e.g., meditation, breathwork)
• The impact of magnesium, specifically Magnesium L-Threonate, on cognitive function and sleep

Arguments & Information Discussed:

• The Importance of Breathing: Breathing is essential for supplying oxygen to the body and removing carbon dioxide, which affects blood pH balance, critical for all living cells.
• Mechanical Aspects of Breathing:
  • Inhalation involves contracting the diaphragm, which pulls it down, and the rib cage rotates up and out, expanding the thoracic cavity and creating negative pressure in the lungs.
  • Exhalation is typically a passive process at rest, relying on the elastic recoil of the lungs and rib cage.
• Brain Centers Controlling Breathing:
  • Pre-Bötzinger Complex: Located in the brainstem, this region is crucial for generating the rhythm of breathing. Neurons in this area initiate each breath and connect to motor neurons controlling the diaphragm and intercostal muscles.
  • Retrotrapezoid Nucleus: Involved in generating active expiration (e.g., during exercise), an independent oscillator near the facial nucleus. Also thought to be related to sensing carbon dioxide levels.
• Nose vs. Mouth Breathing: At rest, nasal breathing is preferred due to the easy management of airflows in the nasal cavities. During exercise, mouth breathing is used to move more air due to larger airways.
• The Diaphragm and Evolution: Mammals uniquely possess a diaphragm, a mechanically efficient muscle that allows for significant expansion of the lungs. This innovation enables a larger lung surface area (millions of alveoli) for efficient oxygen exchange.
• Diaphragmatic vs. Non-Diaphragmatic Breathing: Dr. Feldman is agnostic as to whether diaphragmatic vs. chest breathing is better. More study is needed.
• Physiological Sighs: Sighs occur approximately every five minutes to re-inflate collapsed alveoli, maintaining lung health. This mechanism is crucial and often mimicked in mechanical ventilation.
• Breathing and Drug Overdose: The suppression of sighing or gasping reflexes due to drug overdose can contribute to asphyxiation and death.
• Breathing and Brain State:
  • Breathing patterns are linked to emotional and cognitive states.
  • Altering breathing can influence internal states.
• Study on Mice and Slow Breathing:
  • Rodents were trained to breathe slowly for 30 minutes a day for four weeks
  • They were then subjected to standard fear conditioning and were found to freeze much less.
  • Findings suggest the effects of breath practice on the amygdala.
• Breathing and Brain Circuits: Deliberate control of breathing might disrupt these circuits and can allow the individual to "climb out of the rut".
• Mechanisms Linking Breathing to Brain State:
  • Olfaction: Rhythmic airflow through the nasal passages during breathing modulates activity in the olfactory bulb, influencing brain function.
  • Vagus Nerve: Signals from the lungs, specifically the expansion and relaxation of the lungs, travel to the brainstem via the vagus nerve. Vagus nerve stimulation is used to treat refractory depression.
  • Carbon Dioxide Levels: Changes in CO2 levels, even subtle ones, significantly affect ventilation and can alter brain state. Hyperventilation can lead to low CO2 levels and anxiety.
  • Volitional Control: Breathing practice involves consciously controlling breathing, sending signals from the motor cortex to the pre-Bötzinger complex and other brain regions, potentially impacting emotional state.
• Coordination of Breathing with Other Bodily Functions: Respiration is coordinated with numerous autonomic functions, including heart rate (respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and pupil oscillation.
• Practical Breathing Practices:
  • Box breathing (equal time for inhale, hold, exhale, hold)
  • Tumo breathing
• Magnesium and Cognitive Function:
  • Graduate student found that increasing magnesium levels in cells increased LTP (long-term potentiation - which is neuroplasticity, or rewiring of connections)
  • Magnesium L-Threonate is able to cross the blood brain barrier and is linked to improved cognitive function and sleep.
  • Spearman's G factor is a generalized measure of intelligence that declines 1% per year after age 20
  • In human placebo study, people who got the magnesium improved eight years on average whereas people in the placebo group improved two years