Are you breathing all wrong? Believe it or not, Patrick McKeown’s book, The Oxygen Advantage, says most of us are! But don’t worry—he’s here to help us breathe our way to better health, more energy, and even faster fitness results.
In this summary, I’ll walk you through the highlights of The Oxygen Advantage in a way that’s easy to digest and apply to your life. Let’s break it down!
The book on amazon 👉 The Oxygen Advantage 📚
Why Read The Oxygen Advantage?
So many of us are interested in ways to improve our health, stamina, and stress levels. But here’s something most of us overlook—our breathing. We think it’s as simple as “inhale, exhale,” but McKeown reveals that how we breathe affects nearly every part of our lives. By making some simple tweaks, you could notice big changes in your energy levels, sleep quality, athletic performance, and even weight.
McKeown’s approach is science-backed, yet incredibly accessible, making this book perfect for anyone who wants to feel healthier and more energized without overhauling their entire lifestyle.
The Big Idea: Functional Breathing for Health and Performance
The central idea of The Oxygen Advantage is that we can unlock a healthier, fitter version of ourselves just by breathing better. McKeown focuses on a concept called “functional breathing,” which is all about breathing in a way that maximizes oxygen efficiency in your body. He explains that common habits—like mouth breathing, over-breathing, and shallow breathing—are actually sabotaging our potential and well-being.
Here’s how this works: when we breathe lightly through our nose (instead of our mouth), our body’s ability to process and use oxygen actually improves. Better oxygen efficiency leads to improved energy, focus, athletic performance, and more.
Breathing Techniques That Make a Difference
McKeown’s The Oxygen Advantage dives deep into the mechanics of breathing, breaking down how simple shifts in our habits can lead to life-changing results. Here are some of the key techniques he explains in greater detail—and how you can use them to see real benefits in your daily life.
Nose Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing
Most of us don’t think twice about breathing through our mouths, especially when we’re exercising or stressed. But McKeown stresses that nose breathing is essential for health and optimal performance. Here’s why:
- Better Oxygen Absorption: Our noses are designed to filter, humidify, and warm the air before it enters the lungs, which allows for better oxygen absorption and reduces stress on the lungs.
- Nitric Oxide Production: Nose breathing stimulates nitric oxide, a compound that plays a vital role in the cardiovascular and immune systems. Nitric oxide improves blood flow and can even help kill harmful bacteria and viruses.
- Improved Focus and Relaxation: When we breathe through the nose, we naturally slow down our breathing rate, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming us down. Nose breathing can be especially helpful for managing stress and maintaining focus.
McKeown recommends becoming more conscious of nose breathing during exercise, which can be tough at first if you’re used to gasping for air through your mouth. But with practice, it can improve your endurance, lower your heart rate, and help you recover faster.
The BOLT Score (Body Oxygen Level Test)
The BOLT score is McKeown’s simple test to measure how well your body uses oxygen. It reflects your body’s tolerance to CO2 and helps you gauge if you’re breathing efficiently.
Here’s how to test it:
- Sit in a comfortable position and breathe normally for a few minutes.
- Take a gentle breath in, then a normal breath out, and pinch your nose to hold your breath.
- Count the seconds until you feel the first urge to breathe again (this could be a feeling of tightness in your chest or throat).
- The length of time you held your breath is your BOLT score.
A score below 20 seconds suggests you may be over-breathing or experiencing poor oxygen efficiency. Improving your BOLT score can be a powerful indicator of better breathing habits. Regular practice of light breathing exercises (see below) and nose breathing can help increase your BOLT score over time, leading to improved energy, focus, and athletic ability.
Light Breathing Exercises
One of McKeown’s core techniques involves lightening the breath. He explains that breathing too deeply or too frequently actually disrupts the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood, leading to reduced oxygen delivery to our tissues.
- The Concept of “Air Hunger”: The goal of light breathing exercises is to feel a slight “air hunger.” This sensation occurs when you’re breathing just lightly enough to feel the need to breathe a bit deeper but not so much that you’re gasping. According to McKeown, this feeling can help your body adapt to using oxygen more efficiently.
- How to Practice: Sit comfortably and breathe slowly through your nose. Try to minimize the movement in your chest and instead focus on gentle, subtle breaths. Continue until you feel a mild need for more air. Practicing this for 10 minutes a day can lead to impressive improvements in your energy and endurance, as well as reduce anxiety.
Breath Holds for Athletic Performance
McKeown teaches a technique called “controlled breath holds,” which can improve your CO2 tolerance and oxygen efficiency—especially beneficial for athletes.
- The Breath Hold Technique: Exhale fully, pinch your nose, and hold your breath for a set time (starting with 10 seconds and gradually working up). When you can no longer hold your breath, release your nose and inhale gently through your nose.
- Improving Endurance: This technique trains your body to tolerate higher levels of CO2, which helps you perform better under pressure and sustain intense exercise for longer. Athletes like runners and cyclists have used this method to increase their speed and stamina, especially in high-intensity training or competitive environments.
Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing
Shallow chest breathing is common, especially in high-stress situations, but it reduces oxygen intake and keeps us in a “fight-or-flight” mode. Diaphragmatic breathing, on the other hand, is a powerful tool for calming the body and increasing oxygen intake.
- How It Works: Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. As you breathe in through your nose, try to make the hand on your belly rise, while the hand on your chest stays still. This way, you’re engaging your diaphragm rather than your chest.
- Why It Matters: Diaphragmatic breathing lowers your heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and helps deliver more oxygen to your organs. It’s a simple and effective technique for calming anxiety and improving focus in the moment.
“How you breathe at rest sets the foundation for how you breathe during physical exercise, sleep, and moments of stress. Master your breath, and you master your body.”
Real-Life Examples: Breathing Transformations in Action
The techniques McKeown teaches aren’t just theory—they’ve been life-changing for real people, including high-performance athletes, busy parents, and those struggling with health conditions. Here are a few examples that illustrate the book’s impact:
Sarah’s Journey: From Stressed to Centered
Sarah, a full-time professional and mother, constantly felt tired and on edge. She experienced anxiety and often found herself short of breath, especially during stressful situations. After reading The Oxygen Advantage, she started practicing nose breathing and light breathing exercises. Within a few weeks, Sarah noticed a significant drop in her anxiety levels. She reported feeling calmer in high-stress moments and no longer experienced breathlessness after walking up a flight of stairs. Sarah’s story highlights how functional breathing can help us manage everyday stress, keeping us calm and centered.
Ben’s Athletic Breakthrough
Ben, a competitive swimmer, had reached a plateau in his performance despite rigorous training. He began incorporating McKeown’s breath-hold exercises into his workouts, holding his breath for short bursts and increasing his BOLT score. Within a month, Ben found that he could swim longer distances without gasping for air, which ultimately led him to beat his personal best in a local competition. Ben’s experience underscores how these techniques can help athletes break through performance barriers and achieve new levels of endurance.
The book on amazon 👉 The Oxygen Advantage 📚
Join the Conversation!
The Oxygen Advantage offers a surprisingly powerful way to improve nearly every area of life without any fancy equipment or complex training. All it takes is a little commitment to adjusting the way you breathe—and a willingness to stick with it.
So, are you ready to breathe your way to better health, fitness, and focus? Have you tried any of McKeown’s techniques, or are you curious about giving them a go? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and experiences with functional breathing.
Let’s start a conversation on how something as simple as breathing could unlock a healthier, more vibrant version of you.
