The science behind breathwork

Any science geeks out there who want proof around breathing?

Alright, so I’ve been diving into all of the research or the science behind the Wim Hof Method. I started on Wim Hof’s science page and expanded my research from there.

Let me organize the research for you here:

2007 - Blood tests during meditation and breathing exercises

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2009 - Blood tests during meditation and breathing exercises

Result: Wim Hof’s body temperature during cold exposure dropped to 88 degrees and then came back up to 94 WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL HEAT SOURCE. He has dramatically shown us that there is incredible power within the human body that modern medicine does not clearly understand.

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2012 - The Influence of Concentration/Meditation on Autonomic Nervous System Activity and the Innate Immune Response: A Case Study

Result: The ex vivo proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine response was greatly attenuated by concentration/meditation during ice immersion, accompanied by high levels of cortisol. In the endotoxemia experiment, concentration/meditation resulted in increased circulating concentrations of catecholamines, and plasma cortisol concentrations were higher than in any of the previously studied participants. The individual’s in vivo cytokine response and clinical symptoms after LPS administration was remarkably low compared with previously studied participants.

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2014 - Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans - LANDMARK STUDY

Result: The conclusion was demonstrated that voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system results in epinephrine release and subsequent suppression of the innate immune response in humans in vivo. These results could have important implications for the treatment of conditions associated with excessive or persistent inflammation, such as autoimmune diseases.

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2015 - The role of outcome expectancies for a training program consisting of meditation, breathing exercises, and cold exposure on the response to endotoxin administration: a proof-of-principle study

Result: This proof-of-principle study provides the first indications for potential innovative treatments to change immune-modulating responses by means of psychological mechanisms. If replicated, these findings may be used for predicting training responses and potentiate their effects by means of optimism-inducing interventions in patients with immune-mediated rheumatic conditions.