This week we return to focus on three strategic aspects of training and their application in real-world scenarios.Today we start with a tool as invisible as it is decisive, an element that works in silence but, if managed correctly, can have a massive impact on technical performance: THE BREATHING.
We are not talking about an instinctive gesture or a mere physiological automatism, but about a true neuro-biomechanical modulator, capable of influencing precision, stability, and decision-making clarity, especially under high stress loads.
APNEA, HYPERVENTILATION AND COGNITIVE COLLAPSE
The truth about breathing in high-stress performance
Breathing is not merely a physiological reflex. It is an operational pillar that, in high-pressure scenarios, can mean the difference between flawless performance and irreversible technical collapse.
The key lies not only in oxygen (O₂), which fuels muscles and the brain, but also in carbon dioxide (CO₂), often misunderstood as a simple metabolic waste. In reality, the balance between O₂ and CO₂ is the critical mechanism that keeps the neuromotor and neurocognitive systems efficient.
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1. Hyperventilation and unconscious apnea: silent enemies
Under acute stress or during high-intensity cognitive training, breathing can turn into an internal saboteur.
Two opposite yet equally critical conditions occur frequently: hyperventilation and unconscious apnea.
Hyperventilation is characterised by rapid, shallow exhalations that drastically reduce CO₂ levels in the blood (hypocapnia). This drop alters blood pH and triggers cerebral vasoconstriction. Blood vessels narrow, reducing the supply of oxygenated blood to the brain.
The result is slower cognitive processing, lengthened decision-making times, impaired stimulus management and an increase in operational anxiety. Fine motor skills degrade, trigger control becomes rigid, and every movement loses fluidity and precision.
Unconscious apnea, on the other hand, occurs when a person, fully focused or under pressure, involuntarily holds their breath. This leads to an excessive accumulation of CO₂ (hypercapnia), which the brain interprets as a danger signal.
The physiological response is a sympathetic spike with a massive adrenaline release. Fine motor control saturates, timing falls apart, and stimulus discrimination worsens. The entire system enters a heightened alert state, consuming valuable cognitive and motor resources.
In both cases, the breakdown of optimal breathing results in a lethal reduction of operational efficiency.
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2. Nasal breathing: the privileged pathway
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth is not a formality, but a refined physiological strategy.
Nasal breathing filters, warms and humidifies the air, protects the airways, and regulates the partial pressure of CO₂. It also stimulates the production of nitric oxide, a powerful vasodilator that enhances tissue and cerebral oxygenation.
This method keeps neurophysiology stable, reduces excessive sympathetic activation and sustains clarity and precision even during peak operational load.
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3. Direct impact on technical performance
Dysfunctional breathing is never neutral.
It distorts motor coordination, slows the decision-making chain, increases the risk of errors and makes training data unrepresentative of real-world performance.
If training does not replicate real physiological stress, results obtained on the range or during drills risk being statistically correct but tactically useless.
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4. Strategies for breathing control
To make breathing an ally under stress, it must be trained like any other technical skill.
Box Breathing: inhale, hold, exhale, and pause, each for 4 seconds, to centre and control rhythm. Progressive nasal breathing: increases CO₂ tolerance and reduces vulnerability to hyperventilation and apnea. Active monitoring: develop self-awareness of breathing during training to correct dysfunction in real time. Three-Phase Tactical Breathing: deep nasal inhalation, active hold (centering phase), and slow controlled exhalation.Stabilises the autonomic nervous system and maintains operational clarity.
70–100 Two-Phase Breathing: controlled inhalation to 70% of lung capacity followed by complete exhalation to 100%, ideal for managing the adrenergic peak immediately before a reactive action.⸻
Conclusion
In scenarios where every millisecond and every micro-movement counts, breathing is not an accessory but a weapon.
Those who master their breathing do not endure the reaction — they direct it. And those who direct the reaction maintain control of the entire engagement.
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Scientific sources
Ito, H. et al. (2003). Cerebral vascular response to changes in PaCO₂ measured by positron emission tomography. Journal of Applied Physiology, 95(2), 842–849.
Johnson, B. et al. (2014). Effects of mild hypocapnia on reaction time and cognitive performance. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 85(5), 491–497.
Rafferty, G. F. et al. (2012). Breath-hold physiology and pathophysiology. Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology, 181(3), 221–230.
Eccles, R. (2000). Role of the nose in human respiration. American Journal of Rhinology, 14(5), 343–349.
Lundberg, J. O. et al. (1995). Nitric oxide production in the upper airways is enhanced during nasal breathing. European Respiratory Journal, 9(9), 1909–1913.
Lehrer, P. M. et al. (2000). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia biofeedback therapy for asthma: A report of 20 unmedicated pediatric cases using the Smetankin method. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 25(3), 193–200.
Van der Sterre, M. et al. (2019). The impact of stress exposure on military performance. Military Medicine, 184(5–6), e300–e309.
