Doctors suggest a simple DIY test for ideal health (the Buteyko Control Pause)

Doctors suggest a simple DIY test
for ideal health (the Control Pause)

For the first time in the history of medicine, a group of doctors, after studying thousands of patients, suggested the standard for ideal health that provide guarantee from such chronic conditions as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, COPD, arthritis, and many others. Low body oxygen level is the normal feature for people with these and many other degenerative disorders. Dozens of Western studies that proved that patients with numerous, if not all, chronic conditions have impaired breath holding abilities.

These 2 tables summarize available western data regarding breath holding times (the standard test is described below) for sick and healthy people.

Condition	Number of subjects	Control Pause, s	Reference
Hypertension	95	12 s	Ayman et al, 1939
Neurocirculatory asthenia	54	16 s	Friedman, 1945
Anxiety states	62	20 s	Mirsky et al, 1946
Class 1 heart patients	16	16 s	Kohn & Cutcher, 1970
Class 2-3 heart patients	53	13 s	Kohn & Cutcher, 1970
Pulmonary emphysema	3	8 s	Kohn & Cutcher, 1970
Functional heart disease	13	5 s	Kohn & Cutcher, 1970
Asymptomatic asthmatics	7	20 s	Davidson et al, 1974
Asthmatics with symptoms	13	11 s	Perez-Padilla et al, 1989
Panic attack	14	11 s	Zandbergen et al, 1992
Anxiety disorders	14	16 s	Zandbergen et al, 1992
Outpatients	25	17 s	Gay et al, 1994
Inpatients	25	10 s	Gay et al, 1994
COPD and congenital heart failure	7	8 s	Gay et al, 1994
12 heavy smokers	12	8 s	Gay et al, 1994
Panic disorder	23	16 s	Asmudson & Stein, 1994
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome	30	20 s	Taskar et al, 1995
Successful lung transplantation	9	23 s	Flume et al, 1996
Successful heart transplantation	8	28 s	Flume et al, 1996
Outpatients with COPD	87	8 s	Marks et al, 1997
Asthma	55	14 s	Nannini et al, 2007

Breath holding, for these studies, was done in different conditions (e.g., after normal inhalation, or exhalation, or taking a very deep inhalation, or a complete exhalation, until first stress or as long as possible). These different conditions can produce large variations in results (by more than 200%). Moreover, sometimes patients are asked to take 2 or 3 deep breaths before the test. Since researchers use different methods for BHT measurements, the standardization of results is necessary in order for them to be compared. If you are interested in these details, visit The Complete CP Table for subjects with various health conditions and see how these different tests were standartised.

Table 1.1 Control Pause in normal and healthy people
according to various medical references

Types of people investigated	Number of subjects	Control Pause, s	Reference
US aviators	319	41 s	Schneider, 1919
Fit instructors	22	46 s	Flack, 1920
Home defence pilots	24	49 s	Flack, 1920
British candidates	23	47 s	Flack, 1920
US candidates	7	45 s	Flack, 1920
Delivery pilots	27	39 s	Flack, 1920
Pilots trained for scouts	15	42 s	Flack, 1920
Min requir. for flying		34 s	Flack, 1920
Normal subjects	20	39 s	Schneider, 1930
Normal subjects	30	23 s	Friedman, 1945
Normal subjects	7	44 s	Ferris et al, 1946
Normal subjects	22	33 s	Mirsky et al, 1946
Aviation students	48	36 s	Karpovich, 1947
Normal subjects	80	28 s	Rodbard, 1947
Normal subjects	3	41 s	Stroud, 1959
Normal subjects	16	16 s	Kohn & Cutcher, 1970
Normal subjects	6	28 s	Davidson et al, 1974
Normal subjects	16	22 s	Stanley et al, 1975
Normal subjects	7	29 s	Gross et al, 1976
Normal subjects	6	36 s	Bartlett, 1977
Normal subjects	9	33 s	Mukhtar et al, 1986
Normal subjects	20	36 s	Morrissey et al, 1987
Normal subjects	14	25 s	Zandbergen et al, 1992
Normal subjects	26	21 s	Asmudson & Stein, 1994
Normal subjects	30	36 s	Taskar et al, 1995
Normal subjects	76	25 s	McNally & Eke, 1996
Normal subjects	8	32 s	Sasse et al, 1996
Normal subjects	10	38 s	Flume et al, 1996
Normal subjects	31	29 s	Marks et al, 1997
Normal males	36	29 s	Joshi et al, 1998
Normal females	33	23 s	Joshi et al, 1998
Healthy subjects	20	38 s	Morooka et al, 2000
Normal subjects	6	30 s	Bosco et al, 2004
Normal subjects	19	30 s	Mitrouska et al, 2007
Healthy subjects	14	34 s	Andersson et al, 2009

There are many versions of breath holding time test used by medical doctors. For most accurate results, as Russian and Western researchers found, we should compare stress-free versions of the breath-holding time test. The most thorough analysis of breath holding abilities was done by Doctor Buteyko, who invented the Buteyko breathing method. For his system, the stress-free version of the breath holding time test is the main measuring tool that reflects personal health. He and his colleagues even suggested the special name “the CP” (Control Pause).

How the CP test is done

Sit down and rest for 5-7 minutes. Completely relax all your muscles, including the breathing muscles. This relaxation produces natural spontaneous exhalation (breathing out). Pinch your nose closed at the end of this exhalation and count your BHT (breath holding time) in seconds. Keep nose pinched until you experience the first desire to breathe. Practice shows that this first desire appears together with an involuntary push of the diaphragm or swallowing movement in the throat. (Your body warns you, “Enough!”) If you release the nose and start breathing at this time, you can resume your usual breathing pattern (in the same way as you were breathing prior to the test).
Do not extend breath holding too long. You should not gasp for air or open your mouth when you release your nose. The test should be easy and not cause you any stress. The BHT test does not interfere with your breathing.

[Warning. Some, not all, people with heart disease, migraine headaches, and panic attacks may experience negative symptoms minutes later after this light version of the test. If this happens, they should avoid this test.]

Some western doctors call such a BHT test “a period of no respiratory sensations” because when the time is voluntarily extended there is a stress that increases with each further second of breath holding.

Look at the diagram above: after the test you can comfortably breathe as before the test. If you stop the test and resume breathing at your first desire to breathe, you will be able to breathe as before: no stress, an easy comfortable procedure.

If you hold the breath for too long, the first inhalations will be deeper, as shown here:

What about usual CP numbers, CP norms and CP of sick and healthy people?

“If a person breath-holds after a normal exhalation,
it takes about 40 seconds before breathing commences”
From the textbook “Essentials of exercise physiology”
McArdle W.D., Katch F.I., Katch V.L. (2nd edition);
Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, London 2000, p.252.

Doctor Buteyko and his medical colleagues tested hundred thousands patients and found that the following relationships generally hold true:
1-10 s - severely sick, critically and terminally ill patients, usually hospitalized.
10-20 s - sick patients with numerous complaints and, often, on daily medication.
20-40 s - people with poor health, but often without serious organic problems.
40-60 s - good health.
Over 60 s - ideal health, when many modern diseases are virtually impossible.

For the first time in the history of medicine, a group of doctors, after studying and curing thousands of patients, suggested the standard for ideal health that provide guarantee from such chronic conditions as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, COPD, arthritis, and many others.

This YouTube video clip explains in detail how to do the BHT test: Buteyko CP test.

References: CO2 Effects Web Pages
Vasodilation: CO2 expands arteries and arterioles facilitating perfusion (or blood supply) to all vital organs
The Bohr effect How and why oxygen is released by red blood cells in tissues
Cell Oxygen Levels and oxygen transport are controlled by alveolar CO2 and breathing
Oxygen Transport depends on breathing and these two effects (Vasoconstriction-Vasodilation and the Bohr effect) are parts of two diagrams that summarize influences of hypocapnia (low CO2 content in the blood and cells) on circulation and O2 delivery
Free Radical Generation takes place due to anaerobic cell respiration caused by cell hypoxia. Hence, antioxidant defenses of the human body are also regulated by CO2 and breathing
Inflammatory Response is controlled by breathing since hypoxia leads to or intensifies chronic inflammation through over-expression of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1, while normal breathing reduces these processes
Nerve stabilization takes place due to calmative or sedative effects of carbon dioxide in neurons or nerve cells
Muscle relaxation or relaxation of muscle cells is normal at high CO2, while hypocapnia causes muscular tension, poor posture and, sometimes, aggression and violence
Brochodilation - dilation of airways (bronchi and bronchioles) by carbon dioxide, and their constriction due to hypocapnia
CO2: Best Natural Cough Suppressant and "home remedy" since it calms urge-to-cough nerve receptors located in the tracheobronchial tree and larynx
Blood pH regulation and regulation of other bodily fluids
CO2: Lung Damage Healer: Elevated carbon dioxide prevents injury and promotes healing of lung tissues
CO2: Skin and Tissue Healer
Synthesis of Glutamine in the Brain, CO2 fixation, and other chemical reactions
CO2 myth "CO2 is a toxic waste gas" myth
Breathing control How is our breathing regulated? Why hypocapnia makes breathing uneven and erratic?

Reference Web Pages: Breathing norms, Medical Graphs and Tables about Breathing Rates (Minute Ventilation) and Body Oxygen in Healthy, Normal and Sick People
Breathing norms Parameters, graph, and description of the normal breathing pattern
6 breathing myths 6 myths about breathing and body oxygenation (prevalence: over 90%)
Hyperventilation Definitions of hyperventilation: their advantages and weak points
Hyperventilation Syndrome in the Sick. Table 1. Western scientific evidence about prevalence of CHV (chronic hyperventilation) in patients with various chronic conditions (34 medical studies)
Normal Minute Ventilation in Healthy Subjects: Easy and Light Breathing (14 Studies)
Hyperventilation Prevalence Present in Over 90% of Normal People (24 medical publications)
HV and hypoxia How and why deep breathing reduces oxygenation of cells and tissues of all vital organs
Body oxygen test How to measure your own breathing and body oxygenation (a simple DIY test)
Body oxygen in healthy Table 4. CP (body oxygen level) in healthy people (27 medical studies)
Body oxygen in sick Table 5. CP (body oxygen level) in sick people (14 medical studies)
Buteyko Table of Health Zones with clinical description of most common zones
Morning HV Morning hyperventilation effect or how and why critically ill people are most likely to die during early morning hours

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Doctors suggest a simple DIY test for ideal health (the Control Pause)

Table 1.1 Control Pause in normal and healthy people according to various medical references

Doctors suggest a simple DIY test
for ideal health (the Control Pause)

Table 1.1 Control Pause in normal and healthy people
according to various medical references