Intermittent hypoxia increases blood flow and benefits executive function

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/psyp.70161

19•PaulHoule•2h ago

Comments

ThrowawayTestr•1h ago

So those breath holding contests we had at school were making us smarter?

eastbound•44m ago

In aggregate yes. When the most stupid die, the average IQ increases.

I’m joking, by the way. The more risk-taking people might be the ones who push civilization forward. Starting with Churchill…

tapoxi•1h ago

Finally, an upside to sleep apnea

evanjrowley•1h ago

Maybe this is the link between sleep apnea and hypertension.

samus•25m ago

There is overall no health benefit since the hypoxic phase is quite long and creates stress during a time when the body is supposed to rest and recover. And that compounds with the underlying issue, usually mouth breathing, bad pillow, bad sleeping position, or a combination of these.

ang_cire•2m ago

Came to say this. If one day I don't wake up, at least everyone will know my brain was lit beforehand!

joecool1029•1h ago

I am wondering if this related to hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) activation.

Seem to recall the nootropic Noopept allegedly acts as an activator for HIF-1. Maybe there are others. Could possibly be a therapeutic target, maybe not. This is not my area of study, I'm just reiterating some of what I've read in the past.

deadfece•56m ago

Seems like that was what they set out to prove.

Hopefully some of that can be reproduced in further studies.

PaulHoule•51m ago

... note that the article linked from this discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46168057 mentions intermittent hypoxia as a rapid acting treatment for depression right up there with Ketamine and ECT

ajuc•51m ago

Asthma counts?

evanjrowley•46m ago

But depending on how it's done, may possibly damage your vision: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245199361...

1970-01-01•41m ago

Makes me wonder if professional divers are statistically more intelligent than average, as they will experience hypoxia as part of the job.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_diving

ceejayoz•32m ago

They shouldn't experience hypoxia. That's what the air supply is for.

1970-01-01•23m ago

It's not so simple. Check this out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freediving_blackout#Ascent_bla...

ceejayoz•14m ago

Barring really traditional (and now very rare) pearl/scallop divers, professional divers aren't doing it by holding their breath.

PaulHoule•13m ago

I never got "deep" into it but everybody told me that breath holding diving can be really dangerous.

I know part of the SCUBA story is that phenomena like nitrogen narcosis are particularly dangerous because you need your cognitive capacity to survive in the underwater environment.

In the surface world I can go to a party and drink eight beers and maybe throw up and act like a dumbass and embarrass myself and then wake up with a headache the next morning. That level of incapacitation under water would likely be fatal.

ceejayoz•11m ago

Yeah, when I learned scuba, I was told the rule with freediving is your buddy stays on the surface while you dive; that way they can rescue you if you can pass out.

ed•15m ago

s/professional divers/free-divers/

elif•26m ago

Another confirmation for wim hof breathing

samus•8m ago

[delayed]

jrootabega•22m ago

I'm not knowledgeable enough to confidently verify this from the linked material, but aren't they keeping CO2 levels the same during the hypoxic periods? i.e. isn't this significantly different than just holding your breath/being choked/sleep apnea?