Normal Respiratory Rate and Ideal Breathing

Definition. Respiratory rate (also known as ventilation rate, respiration rate, breathing rate, pulmonary ventilation rate, breathing frequency, and respiratory frequency or Rf) = the number of breaths a person takes during one minute. It is usually measured at rest, while sitting.

Medical research suggests that respiratory rate is the marker of pulmonary dysfunction that gets progressively worse with advance of a large number of chronic health conditions. This website has scientific references related to increased respiratory rates for adults with cancer patients, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, COPD and many other conditions.

What is the normal respiratory rate?

Normal respiratory rate graph Medical textbooks suggest that normal respiratory rate for adults is only 12 breaths per minute at rest. Older textbooks often provide even smaller values (e.g., 8-10 breaths per minute). Most modern adults breathe much faster (about 15-20 breaths per minute) than their normal respiratory rate. Respiratory rates in the sick are usually higher, generally about 20 breaths/min or more. This site has numerous studies that testify that respiratory rates in terminally sick people with cancer, HIV-AIDS, cystic fibrosis and other conditions is usually over 30 breaths/min.

Important note. You cannot define your own breathing rate by simply counting it. As soon as you try it, your breathing will be more deep and slow. You can ask other people to count it, when you are unaware about your breathing, or you can record your breathing using sensitive microphones fixed near your nose at night or when you sit quietly and busy with some other activities. It is also possible to define own breathing frequency by asking other people to count the number of your breathing cycles during one minute when you are sleeping. (During sleep the respiratory frequency remains about the same as during wakeful states at rest, but the tidal volume or amplitude of breathing is reduced.)

What are the effects of increased respiratory rates?

When we breathe more than the medical norm, we lose CO2 and reduce body oxygenation due to vasoconstriction and the suppressed Bohr effect caused by hypocapnia (CO2 deficiency). Hence, overbreathing leads to reduced cell oxygenation, while slower and easier breathing (with lower respiratory rates) improves cell oxygen content.

Normal pediatric respiratory rate for infants, newborn, toddlers, and children

(the source for this pediatric table is provided in references)

Groups of children	Their ages	Normal respiratory rates
Newborns and infants	Up to 6 months old	30-60 breaths/min
Infants	6 to 12 months old	24-30 breaths/min
Toddlers and children	1 to 5 years old	20-30 breaths/min
Children	6 to 12 years	12-20 breaths/min

More about respiratory rate and body oxygenation

From physiological viewpoint, the body oxygen test or stress-free breath holding time after your usual exhalation is the more meaningful and important DIY test, than one's breathing frequency. If you have less than 20 s of oxygen in the morning (when you wake up), you are likely to have health problems.

Ideal Respiratory Rate

Ideal breathing pattern with the respiratory rate of 3/min Ideal respiratory rate at rest for maximum possible brain and body oxygen levels corresponds to the automatic or unconscious breathing with only about 3-4 breaths per minute (see Buteyko Table of Health Zones for details). Bear in mind that this relates to one's basal breathing or unconscious breathing pattern at rest (e.g., during sleep, when reading, writing, etc.) The practical test for the ideal breathing pattern is to measure one's body oxygen level (see the link in the left menu). The person with ideal breathing has about 3 min for the body oxygen test (after exhalation and without any forcing oneself). This Island in ocean, Croatia corresponds to the maximum breath holding time of about 8 or more minutes (if breath holding is done after maximum inhalation and for as long as possible).

Resources and further info:
- Mouth Breathing in Children, Babies, Toddlers, and Infants: Their causes, effects, treatment, and prevention: This web page will help you to slow down breathing in your children naturally
- Ideal breathing pattern
- Normal respiratory rates for children (from Healthwise - health.msn.com) http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100061122

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

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?

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