Breath

A journalistic investigation into breathing practices, history, and the relationship between breath and performance.

Evidence for specific breathing interventions is mixed. A small randomized controlled study found that Buteyko breathing was associated with improved asthma questionnaire scores and reduced medication use, but it did not significantly improve FEV1 or exhaled nitric oxide. In a larger placebo-controlled trial, coherent breathing produced no measurable mental-health or wellbeing benefit beyond the matched placebo intervention.