Can you imagine increasing your car's gas mileage by 20%?
You’d like that, wouldn't you?
Now imagine increasing your breathing efficiency by 20%. That's easier than getting better gas mileage out of your car.
Improving your breathing efficiency is one of the simplest ways to support better energy, calmer nerves, and healthier oxygen use. Let’s look at why.
What Is Breathing Efficiency?
Breathing efficiency refers to how effectively your lungs exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with minimal effort and minimal wasted air.
The more efficient your breathing, the more oxygen your body can use — without breathing harder or faster.
How Much Air Do We Breathe?
The lung capacity of a healthy adult is about 4-6 liters. That means, at rest, a healthy adult typically moves about 4–6 liters of air per minute through the lungs.
When you inhale through your nose (no mouth breathing), the air travels down the airways to reach the tiny air sacs in the lungs called alveoli. This is where the gas exchange takes place.
But here’s the catch: not all of that air makes it to the alveoli.
What is Dead Space in the Lungs?
About 150ml of each breath stays in the airways and doesn’t participate in the gas exchange. This portion is called dead space.
I want to emphasize that dead space is a portion of each breath. This means that smaller, faster breaths waste a higher percentage of air compared to slower, deeper breaths.
Let’s look at the numbers:
Example A: 12 Breaths Per Minute
Volume of air inhaled through the nose per minute = 6 liters
️Breaths per minute = 12
Volume per breath = 500 ml
Dead space per breath = 150 ml
For each breath, 500 ml of air enters the nose, but only 350 ml reaches the alveoli.
Volume of air reaching the alveoli per minute = 12 x 350 = 4200 = 4.2 liters
Example B: 6 Breaths Per Minute
Volume of air inhaled through the nose per minute = 6 liters
Breaths per minute = 6
Volume per breath = 1 liter
Dead space per breath = 150 ml
For each breath, 1000 ml of air enters the nose, and 850ml of air reaches the alveoli.
Volume of air reaching the alveoli per minute = 6 x 850 = 5100 = 5.1 liters
Why Slower Breathing Improves Breathing Efficiency
By simply slowing down to 6 breaths per minute, you increase the amount of usable air reaching your lungs by roughly 20%.Slower breathing is efficient because... (and it brings additional benefits beyond efficiency):
→ Air lost to dead space is reduced
→ There’s more time for oxygen to diffuse from the lungs into the blood
Slow breathing also harnesses the benefits of carbon dioxide:
→ Better oxygen release from the blood into the tissues
→ Dilation of airways and blood vessels
→ Stimulation of a calm, 'rest and digest' state of your nervous system
In other words, you’re getting more benefit from the same amount of air.
Try This Simple Breathing Check
Take a minute now:
1️⃣ Sit comfortably
2️⃣ Set a timer, and
3️⃣ Count how many breaths you take
If you’re closer to 12–16 breaths, imagine the benefits of slowing down and training your body to breathe more efficiently.
With a few simple adjustments, you can optimize your breathing for better energy, health, and calm.
I’m here to help you unlock these benefits:
Join my 4-week breath training program to get personalized guidance
Stay healthy, stay happy.