You mean, forcing your body into a situation where it needs more oxygen than is available is ... good for you? That sure sounds like cardio-aerobic exercise, doesn't it?
Yes!<p>Not to be confused with professional work where the only feasible way to complete the job is to spend hours wearing respirators clogged with particulate, having only one free hand to move heavy/bulky equipment through tight spaces, where getting a full breath of air is anatomically impossible. Extended periods of hypoxia are taxing on the body and require periods of recovery.
Generally, you don't get hypoxic while using a clogged respirator. The problem in such cases is mild hypercapnia and increased work of breathing (Respiratory loading). Hypercapnia in general can cause short term cognitive issues but not long lasting issues. Respiratory loading can cause temporary pulmonary edema.<p>However, the respiratory loading and hypercapnia are extremely mild in the case of clogged respirators. Especially when compared to divers and snorkelers. The usual problem is that the respirator stops preventing contaminated air from reaching your lungs. As the filters become clogged, the air bypasses the seal around your face.<p>This is why I prefer a powered respirator. Zero work of breathing and positive pressure at the seals.
But depending on how it's done, may possibly damage your vision: <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451993618302196" rel="nofollow">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245199361...</a>
Erotic asphyxiation is way different from intermittent hypoxia. Typically erotic asphyxiation is cutting off the flow of blood to the brain by constricting the veins and/or arteries in the neck. Intermittent hypoxia in the case of divers and Wim Hof enthusiasts is a breath hold. This doesn't cause a spike or decrease of blood pressure in the brain.<p>> Intermittent hypoxia (IH) entails alternating between intervals (typically 2–6 min in duration) of breathing normoxic (i.e., room air) and hypoxic (i.e., FiO2 of 10%–13%) gas mixtures and is a protocol that increases CBF and has been identified as a potential intervention to improve brain health (Panza et al. 2023). The onset of a hypoxia interval elicits an acute response wherein a rapid chemoreceptor-identified reduction in arterial (SaO2) and cerebral tissue (ScO2) O2 saturation stimulates increased ventilation and heart rate (HR) to maintain homeostatic O2 delivery
I am wondering if this related to hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) activation.<p>Seem to recall the nootropic Noopept allegedly acts as an activator for HIF-1. Maybe there are others. Could possibly be a therapeutic target, maybe not. This is not my area of study, I'm just reiterating some of what I've read in the past.
The main effect of a reaction time reduction looks incredibly small and is all the way in Fig 6. I would not over interpret this result without higher N and some discussion of effect size.
Finally, an upside to sleep apnea
There is overall no health benefit since the hypoxic phase is quite long and creates stress during a time when the body is supposed to rest and recover. And that compounds with the underlying issue, usually mouth breathing, bad pillow, bad sleeping position, or a combination of these.
Pretty sure that was meant as a joke.<p>Mouth breathing is not a cause of sleep apnea, but it can be a consequence. Bad pillows and bad sleeping positions aren't causes of sleep apnea either, but some people do have "positional sleep apnea" where the apnea is (usually) much worse on the back and much better on the side.<p>One can also have sleep apnea without ever experiencing hypoxia. Drops in oxygen saturation during hypopneas are very minimal, and pretty much nonexistent with respiratory effort related arousals (RERAs). Not breathing is bad, but for many people with sleep apnea, the problem is the constant arousals and the lack of decent sleep, not a lack of oxygen.
Came to say this. If one day I don't wake up, at least everyone will know my brain was lit beforehand!
Maybe this is the link between sleep apnea and hypertension.
> Healthy young adults (N = 24)
It intuitively makes sense that moderate exposure to a variety of stressors (resistance training, fasting, cold showers, sauna, sleep deprivation, etc.) forces your body to overcompensate, develop adaptations, and become more resilient.
Makes me wonder if professional divers are statistically more intelligent than average, as they will experience hypoxia as part of the job.<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_diving" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_diving</a>
They shouldn't experience hypoxia. That's what the air supply is for.
It probably wouldn't be significant as executive function and overall intelligence can change independently.
Professionals at anything, let alone an elite performance sport like this, are almost certainly statistically more intelligent than average.
s/professional divers/free-divers/
I know people that live at altitude control their weight better.<p>I also know top athletes train in hyperbaric chambers (extra oxygen).
I'm not remotely at that level but I can see the difference between my performance in local terrain vs Death Valley. There's a decent amount of stuff down there bumpy enough to be interesting but not so bumpy as to make it hard to get through. But, on the flip side, I have never been able to find a good, sustainable pace in the mountains.
Intermittent fasting, but for oxygen. Breatharians will be elated
I was given a tip to stay awake a while back: hold your breath for a little while. Apparently this well known for many years but I had never heard of it.<p>Seems to work, but this was in the context of driving which I <i>do not recommend</i>, having fallen asleep at the wheel once and woken up rally driving down some paddock.
I'm not knowledgeable enough to confidently verify this from the linked material, but aren't they keeping CO2 levels the same during the hypoxic periods? i.e. isn't this significantly different than just holding your breath/being choked/sleep apnea?
Seems like that was what they set out to prove.<p>Hopefully some of that can be reproduced in further studies.
Nisshesha Rechaka and Kapalvati prescribe very similar processes to create a similar (but different) state of hypoxia, i.e yoga
So those breath holding contests we had at school were making us smarter?
So my mild sleep apnea is a good thing, got it
... note that the article linked from this discussion <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46168057">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46168057</a> mentions intermittent hypoxia as a rapid acting treatment for depression right up there with Ketamine and ECT
I guess it worked for Deadpool.
A few days ago I linked some research to well known intervals running practice that include hypoxia: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46169398">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46169398</a>
Asthma counts?
Sounds not very believable and probably sampling bias and other hacked research parameters.
don't tell the microdosers
Is this the new Adderall?<p>...I'm not holding my breath.
I'd love to see them develop an at-home protocol for this, but I'm not holding my breath.
brb
Another confirmation for wim hof breathing
Rather of its opposite (but similar): Buteyko breathing, which puts emphasis on building up CO2 tolerance and adopting more gentle, relaxed breathing patterns by inducing carefully controlled hypoxia. But I have to admit, I know only very superficially what the Wim Hof method is.
according to wimhofmethod.com their breathing exercises are meant to increase oxygen levels, not decrease them
Autoerotic asphyxiation bros be like "hell yes, we ARE the master race"