Before I started Buteyko Breathing I was completely unaware of the gas nitric oxide, which is a bit strange because this is such a vital gas in our bodies which we all should know about, in fact Dr. Nathan Bryan maintains NO is more important than Carbon Dioxide. As a Buteyko instructor you lean heavily into the science of Carbon Dioxide levels. It is is CO2 which drives our impulse to breathe and according to the Bohr effect higher levels of CO2 in our blood facilitate better Oxygen diffusion into the tissues.
So if you know little about the amazing nitric oxide here is a rough guide.
- Officially it’s a gas which is made up of one part nitrogen and one part oxygen.
- It is produced in the epithelial cells of your body as well as found in the atmosphere.
- Up until 1988 it was thought that it is a toxic gas, but this was dispelled by the work of 3 scientists who won the Nobel prize for their work, showing the importance of nitric oxide’s role as a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system.
- One of the most important things it does is dilate the blood vessels enabling better blood flow and blood pressure regulation.
- Nitric oxide is very important in terms of bodily defence, it fights off foreign lurgies, like bacteria and viruses,
- Helps to protect the body from oxidative stress
- Dr Nathan Bryant refers to it as a hormone, in other words a messenger in your body. It communicated between cells, instructing blood vessels to dilate and constrict, helps immune cells fight infections and also assists in communication between brain cells.
As functional breathing instructors the role of nitric oxide in the lungs is what fascinates us. Some of the nitric oxide in the body is created in by enzymes in the sinuses. When we breathe nasally nitric oxide is inhaled into the lungs which helps fights infection as NO is antimicrobial and anti-viral.
It also enables better gas exchange by increasing the blood flow in our lungs. Due to gravity most of the alveoli lie in the bottom of our lungs (hence breathe deeply). There is a section at the top of our lungs, know as dead space, where no gas exchange happens. By increasing blood supply via the vasodilatory effect of NO we can increase perfusion in a greater area of the lungs which means better O2 delivery to the tissues, as well as an increase in pulmonary blood flow.
Mouth breathing by passes this inhalation of NO produced by the sinuses and therefore also its benefits. To make matters worse when you breath though you mouth you alter the oral microbiome which inadvertently affects NO production in the body.
How do we increase the nitric oxide production.?
Nose breathe all the time including:
- During exercise as much as possible. Start off slowly.
- During sleep – contact a Buteyko practitioner to guide you through this process. Nose breathing at night promotes better, sleep, oral health and lowers the incidence of snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Hum
Nitric oxide has been shown to increase 15 times whilst humming. (See study here)
- Hum in the car, hum in the shower, hum whilst cooking!
- Practice the humming bee breath – Bhramari breath. Tons of videos on YouTube. Or ask your yoga teacher!
“From improved circulation and lung function to stronger immunity and better sleep, nasal breathing supports nearly every system in your body.
By making a conscious effort to breathe through your nose, you’re not just taking in air—you’re fueling your body with nitric oxide, a molecule vital to life, health, and performance.” Dr Nathan Bryant
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12119224
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2967207