Episode 12 Patrick McKeown

On This Episode of Mindhacker's Radio:

Patrick and Jay Discuss:
- The Oxygen Advantage
- Physiology of Nose-Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing
- Mental Health and Breathwork
- Breath Holding Advantages
- How to Simulate High Altitude Training
- How to Measure Body Oxygen Level (BOLT)
- and much more!

Patrick McKeown Biography:

Galway based international breathing expert and author Patrick McKeown was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and completed his clinical training in Russia in 2002. Patrick is breathing adviser to Laird Hamilton’s XPT, Fellow of The Royal Society of Biology and published by international medical journals and leading book publishers.

His latest book, The Oxygen Advantage (published in fourteen languages), combines specially formulated techniques to reduce breathlessness during physical exercise, increase oxygen delivery to the brain, improve sleep, concentration and to remain focused under stress.

With 125 trained instructors across 30 countries, Oxygen Advantage is recognised as a foremost authority in breathing for exercise performance and sleep. To date, Patrick has worked with elite military Special Forces, SWAT, as well as Olympic coaches and athletes.

Show Notes:

Introduction and how he became interested in breathwork.
Let’s talk about how you emphasize that, as a society we are chronically over breathing and especially over breathing through our mouths
1. Why the nose?
  1. What does an increase nitric oxide do for the body and mind?
2. Diaphragmatic breathing
  1. Different than traditional protocols that have you take deep breaths...much slower form of breathing
3. What are some of the qualities of the breath that you emphasize?
  1. Low and slow, quiet (don’t move nostril hairs)
4. For sleep
  1. Mouth tape; myotape
Why has hypercapnia or high CO2 gotten a bad reputation? Why do we want high C02?
1. CO2 works as a key or a delivery method of O2
  1. CO2 is the doorway that lets oxygen reach our muscles
Oxygen Advantage Protocol
1. BOLT score:
  1. What kind of changes and in what time?
  2. What is a good score?
    1. Goal is >30 seconds hold
2. Simulation of High Altitude Training
3. What is the purpose of breath holding? What does it help?
4. Where might someone start?
How does this differ from the Wim Hof Method?
1. Hypoxic vs Hyperpoxic
  1. Difference b/w philosophy and physiology
  2. Oxygen Advantage: High CO2, Low O2
  3. Wim Hof: Low O2, Low CO2
2. Do you believe Wim Hof is dangerous?
Mental health and well-being and the oxygen advantage
1. What might you do to reduce stress, in the moment?
  1. Listen to Patrick's breathhold technique! It is great!
What are some practical steps that we can take initially?