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By Dr. Artour Rakhimov, Buteyko breathing teacher and educator

Breathing education
Part 4-C. Properties of CO2: Stabilization of the nervous system

CO2 is a central factor of stability of the nervous system. It is also called a tranquillizer (or sedative) of all the nerve cells. Normal CO2 concentrations create conditions for the normal work of the nervous system.

Physiological science accumulated evidence of the adverse effects of low CO2 levels on the nerve cells. Indeed, more than 50 years ago, one of the leading physiological magazines, Physiological Reviews, published an extensive research paper, "Physiological effects of hyperventilation". In this article Dr. Brown from the Department of Physiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center (USA) analyzed almost 300 professional studies. He stated, “Studies designed to determine the effects produced by hyperventilation on nerve and muscle have been consistent in their finding on increased irritability” (Brown, 1953). Muscles and nerve cells become irritated or abnormally sensitive.

In 1965 the Journal of Physiology published the article titled "Cortical CO2 tension and neuronal excitability". It was shown that CO₂ has a strong calming effect on excessive excitability of brain areas responsible for thinking (Krnjevic et al, 1965).

In 1988 physiologists from Duke University (Durham, the UK) suggested in their summary, “The brain, by regulating breathing, controls its own excitability” (Balestrino & Somjen, 1988).

Do modern physiologists have different conclusions?

According to a recent study of Finnish scientists from the Laboratory of Neurology of the University of Joensuu, hyperventilation "leads to spontaneous and asynchronous firing of cortical neurons" (Huttunen et. al, 1999). The study was published in the Experimental Brain Research.

Hence, instead of normal perception, which is characterized by objective reflection and analysis of reality, the brain starts to generate its own “spontaneous and asynchronous” ideas, projects, explanations, and interpretations of real events. Moreover, an excited brain can create problems that, in reality, do not exist.

What is the impact of breathing on the perception of the outer world?

Normal perception requires a calm brain so that our senses and nerve cells can freely transmit correct information for objective analysis. In other words, we need minimal abnormal interference from our nervous system (self-generated signals) during the process of communication and analysis.

Hyperventilation, on the other hand, plays a key role in our immediate reaction to stress or in an emergency situation when our well-being or life is in danger. At such moments we do not need the objective world. We need to save/fight for our lives. Hence our minds need threats, enemies, stress sources or outside problems to deal with.

Sometimes an obvious or visible threat is absent (no enemies or threats are seen). Then the excited brain can invent threats literally from nothing due to “spontaneous and asynchronous firing of cortical neurons” (see above). Hence, when we breathe more, we have a tendency to search for threats, enemies, problems, etc.

For the list of the quoted references click here

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