The Physiology
of Winning
Breathing is not passive. Every breath shapes oxygen delivery, cognitive function, and recovery speed. Here's the evidence behind every claim we make.
after 7-week protocol
sprint recovery rate
breathing rate
physiological change
It's Not About
More Oxygen.
Most athletes believe breathlessness signals low oxygen. It doesn't. It signals high CO₂ — and the body's tolerance to that build-up determines when you slow down, when cognition degrades, and when you're forced to open your mouth.
The Bohr Effect tells us that CO₂ is the primary trigger for oxygen release from haemoglobin into working muscles. Low CO₂ tolerance = less oxygen delivery, faster acidification, earlier fatigue.
AirFlow Performance systematically raises CO₂ tolerance — giving athletes a longer runway before fatigue sets in.
The Most Important
Muscle You Never Train.
The diaphragm is a postural muscle as much as a respiratory one. When it functions correctly, it stabilises the spine, reduces injury risk, and enables full 360° lung expansion — delivering significantly more oxygen per breath.
When it's inhibited — as it is in most athletes who chronically breathe through the upper chest — compensatory patterns develop, creating inefficiency and long-term load issues.
How Breathing Training
Creates Physical Gains
Raise CO₂ Tolerance
Progressive breathwork protocols desensitise the chemoreceptors that trigger the urge to breathe — extending the athlete's functional range before fatigue onset.
Strengthen Respiratory Muscles
The AirFlow Classic trainer creates calibrated resistance. Inspiratory and expiratory muscles become stronger — reducing the percentage of cardiac output stolen by breathing at high intensity.
Rebuild Breathing Patterns
Nasal breathing + diaphragmatic activation is practised until it becomes automatic. The nervous system default shifts — athletes recover faster, sleep better, and perform more consistently.
The BOLT Score:
Our Primary Metric
The Body Oxygen Level Test is a validated measure of CO₂ tolerance. Athletes hold their breath after a normal exhale — the time until the first urge to breathe is the BOLT score.
Elite endurance athletes typically score 40+ seconds. Most football players begin between 12–18 seconds. Our program targets a minimum of 25 seconds within the first 12 weeks.
on entry (14–18s)
target (25s+)
Grounded in Research
Our protocols draw from peer-reviewed sports science, respiratory physiology, and applied performance research.
Bohr Effect & O₂ Release
CO₂ is the primary allosteric effector of haemoglobin oxygen affinity. Higher CO₂ tolerance → more efficient O₂ delivery to working muscles at identical intensities.
Inspiratory Muscle Training
Meta-analyses confirm IMT reduces cardiovascular demand during exercise and improves time to exhaustion in high-intensity intermittent sports — including football.
Breathing & Decision Quality
Research confirms that controlled nasal breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, maintaining cognitive function during physical stress — critical in the final 20 minutes.
HRV, Sleep & Autonomic Balance
Nasal breathing during sleep and recovery sessions measurably improves HRV markers. Athletes in our pilot showed consistent night-time respiratory rate reduction and improved recovery scores.