Hyperventilation

Dr. Andrew Huberman discusses a technique known as cyclic hyperventilation, which involves a series of intentional, rapid breaths followed by a period of breath-holding. This process is used to actively stimulate adrenaline release in the body, increasing one’s threshold to stress and helping to control reactions to stressful situations. The technique involves taking a large, active inhale through the nose and then a passive exhale through the mouth, repeating this cycle 25 to 30 times. This leads to a transient increase in agitated feelings, which is due to the buildup of adrenaline. Following the breaths, holding your breath for a period of time helps in managing this induced stress state and adaptively raising stress threshold 1.