Thomas wrote this comment in response to my post on reverse breathing. This kind of comment goes above and beyond the call of duty so I am making it a post of it’s own. I can’t thank him enough for his insights into this and, while it may not satisfy everyone, I think it adds a bit more info about the medical effects of reverse breathing.
BTW, comments like this from you guys keep me going sometimes. 
So there I was in the doctor’s office, waiting for the physician with a blood pressure cuff and a nurse handy. Why not check out whether forcible reverse breathing of the kind Dave describes can affect my blood pressure either way? Standing, resting: 110/74, pulse 66. 10 forcible reverse breaths over 90 seconds: 122/82, pulse 69. Rest, recover, 112/78, pulse 68. 20 forcible reverse breaths over 3 minutes: 130/88.
Some reading:
“While regular exercise is one of the best ways to lower blood pressure, it has to be the right kind. Isometric exercises in which you clench and hold, such as weight lifting, should be avoided, says David Spodick, M.D., director of clinical cardiology at St. Vincent Hospital at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. That’s because heavy weight lifting can cause blood pressure to temporarily skyrocket, especially if you hold your breath while lifting (as most people do).” http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/48/112.cfm
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http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v24/n7/full/0801234a.html
“CONCLUSION: Increased IAP from progressively inflating an intra-abdominal balloon in dogs was associated with significant increases in systolic and diastolic BP that resolved with balloon deflation. Increased IAP may be a cause for systemic hypertension in central obesity and pre-eclampsia.International Journal of Obesity (2000) 24, 819-824″
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http://faculty.css.edu/tboone2/asep/Gotshall.html“The blood pressure increase above resting values during weight lifting is variable and can be of considerable magnitude (1-4). Direct intra-arterial recordings of blood pressure (3-6) have shown that blood pressure changes variably during the concentric and eccentric phase of a weight lifting exercise, and that the magnitude of the blood pressure response increases with each successive repetition. Peak systolic pressures in excess of 300 mmHg have been recorded by this method during the double-leg press exercise (2,6), especially when a Valsalva maneuver is performed during the lift.”
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http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2004/explanatory-reporting/works/story2.html
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http://sfuk.tripod.com/articles/breath_strangle.html
***************************************Bob Loce is a common-sense teacher of Chen taijiquan, training under Ren Guangyi. I’d follow his observation about reverse breathing and Chen taiji:
“Hernia - The downward cycle of reverse breathing can stress the lower abdomen. Reverse breathing is best taught with many cautions concerning downward force that is excessive or sudden beyond the capability of your body. If you have a tendency toward herniation or feel any odd sensation or concern about your lower abdomen, back off and perform the downward cycle softly, focusing on sinking your “qi” rather than applying pressure. Or, simply don’t perform reverse breathing.
High Blood Pressure - The pressure created by the upward cycle of reverse breathing must be contained in the abdomen otherwise the pressure in your head can rise to a dangerous level. Be very careful if you have high blood pressure. Perform this part of the cycle softly, inhaling to the kidneys without forceful packing, or don’t perform reverse breathing.”
http://taichiworkout.net/class.html
5 responses so far ↓
1 baichi // Jan 27, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Excuse me if I got this all wrong, but it actually only explains that forced reverse breathing can (and probably will) have detrimental effects on your health. But so will other forms of forced breathing or extreme tensing of parts of the torso, neck, crotch etc.
2 Thomas // Jan 28, 2007 at 6:52 am
You’re correct, baichi. That is all the post and references are intended to address.
With respect to straining and Valsalva-type constriction when weightlifting, references show that there can be a spike in both intra-abdominal pressure (from use of musculature, including the diaphragm, to brace the spine when lifting) and blood pressure. The spike in blood pressure can be dangerous in those people pre-disposed to injurious effects, for example, dissecting aortic aneurysm in a person whose arterial walls may be especially thin at a certain point.
However, regular weightlifting, within sensible limits, can over the long term actually help reduce background blood pressure. So the references above are talking about specific, isolated effects of lifting too much, of holding extreme tension with the abdominal musculature, and of other forcible practices–including reverse breathing.
Reverse breathing can be done safely. It is not always taught safely, however, and I think that is part of what Dave was getting at with his earlier post.
3 Chad // Jan 28, 2007 at 8:20 am
Thomas,
I posted on the other thread before I saw this one. Ill recap quickly.
I was never arguing that strenous contraction of the abs temporaily raises blood pressure. All strenous activity does. As I said before in my posts, there are real risks to excercise. What I was arguing is that such things can cause chronic hypertension in a normal healthy adult. It can’t. If you have hypertension, or an old injury, or are just predisposed to injury, any strenous excercise is a risk.
The point that I was making was that there is nothing particular to reverse breathing that it is bad for your overall health. The method is safely used by thousands of sport and athetic trainers. The alarmist attitude that it can cause all manner of ailments in and of it’s self is just that, alarmist. If you are an otherwise healthy individual, you run a very low risk of stroke or aneurysm. Push hands and sparring are far more likely to be detrimental to your health through injury alone.
How about this: it is ill advised to let your head go below your heart level if you pulse is elevated. Like going on a mile run and doing standing toe touches. Your blood pressure and heart rate are up so you run the risk of stroke. This does not mean that headstands, standing toe touches, or anything else that puts you in that position are bad for your health and to just eliminate all movements like those for fear is not really needed.
Again good post. Kudos.
4 Michelle de Vries // Feb 21, 2007 at 4:10 am
Some very interesting and informative comments here. Thank you for putting these up as they give me something to think about for myself and another person important to me.
5 chessman71 // Feb 21, 2007 at 10:01 am
Michelle,
My pleasure. There ARE safer ways to do reverse breathing, if you’re willing to play with the definition of it. But I was taught to push down as hard as I can on the exhale and using that kind of force is just bad IMO. There’s no benefit and the potential for harm is great. If you’re not pushing down really forcefully, the method you’re using may not be that bad. Take care and welcome to the blog.
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