Iif you are serious about improving your breathing efficiency and VO2 max using the breath hold exercises in this book I would urge you to follow the instructions above and measure your BOLT correctly – by holding your breath only until the first distinct urge to breathe is felt. The rule of thumb is: the lower the BOLT, the greater the breathing volume. And the greater your breathing volume, the more breathlessness you will experience during exercise.

The ideal BOLT score for a healthy individual is 40 seconds. In the book entitled Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance by William McArdle and colleagues, the authors make the following observation, “If a person breath holds after a normal exhalation, it takes approximately 40 seconds before the urge to breathe increases enough to initiate inspiration.”

Increase VO2 Max: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hug6RjhYQe4

Simulate High Altitude Training:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr28p5DXQpk

Mouth breathers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GHVqlMcCLk


Breathe Holding in Practice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9S4d6zS_jw

Visit Patrick McKeown at: OxygenAdvantage.com