Breath Science Podcast

Martin McPhilimey
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  • Health & Fitness
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Discover the science of breathing and what lies beyond it. The Breath Science Podcast explores breathing, breathwork, physiology, recovery, exercise, stress, sleep and human performance. Expect concise educational episodes for breath coaches, health professionals and curious minds, alongside expert interviews and broader conversations about psychology, behaviour, business, fatherhood and personal growth. Follow Martin on Instagram: http://instagram.com/martinmcphilimey Explore training and certification: https://www.schoolofbreathscience.com Breathe better. Understand more. Live fully.

  1. 2d ago

    Criticism, Identity & The Reality of This Work - Beyond Breath Episode 5

    Why does one negative comment sometimes carry more weight than a hundred positive ones? And how do we know when criticism is something we need to learn from, rather than something we should simply let go? In this episode of Beyond Breath, I reflect on a recent social media comment that challenged the way I communicate science, particularly when questioning misinformation and commercially driven claims within the breathwork industry. The comment affected me more than I expected. It made me question whether my approach was coming across as unnecessarily negative, despite my intention to be objective, challenge established beliefs and raise scientific standards. Rather than dismissing the criticism or becoming defensive, I wanted to explore what I could learn from it. I discuss the difference between constructive, subjective and destructive criticism, why our professional identity can become so closely tied to our beliefs, and the uncomfortable tension between remaining authentic and wanting to be accepted. I also explore the realities of working in an industry where scientific integrity and commercial interests don't always align. How do you communicate complex science in a world that rewards certainty, provocative headlines and simplified messages? And at what point does repeatedly challenging misinformation begin to shape how others perceive you? This episode is an honest reflection on communication, emotional reactions, self-awareness and the importance of staying open to being wrong. Some of the questions I explore include: Why does criticism sometimes affect us so deeply? How can we separate useful feedback from personal judgement? When does professional identity become a barrier to learning? Can you be scientifically correct but communicate ineffectively? How do you remain authentic without becoming unnecessarily confrontational? How do you balance scientific integrity with the commercial realities of building a business? Ultimately, I don't want to become someone who avoids difficult conversations to protect my reputation. Equally, I don't want to mistake confrontation for intellectual honesty. Criticism should inform our development, but it shouldn't dictate our identity. About Beyond Breath Beyond Breath is a personal podcast with Martin McPhilimey, exploring life beyond respiratory physiology and breathing techniques. Through honest reflections and conversations, I explore the experiences, challenges and lessons that shape how we think, work and live. Explore the School of Breath Science:https://schoolofbreathscience.com

  2. Oct 14

    Do Breath Holds Really Increase EPO, Growth Hormone and Stem Cells?

    Can holding your breath increase EPO, growth hormone and stem cells, and if it can, does that actually improve recovery, repair or performance? Claims around breath holding and intermittent hypoxia are spreading quickly through breathwork and biohacking circles. Research papers are often used to support them, but the protocols used in those studies can look very different from the practices being marketed. In this episode of Beyond Breath, Martin McPhilimey examines the evidence behind three major claims: stem-cell mobilisation, growth-hormone release and increased EPO. We look at the difference between an acute physiological response and a meaningful long-term adaptation, including why an increase in a hormone or circulating cell count does not automatically demonstrate improved recovery, muscle growth, haemoglobin mass or endurance. Martin also explores studies involving maximal breath holds, hyperventilation, controlled hypoxic gas exposure, freedivers, repeated breath-hold training and altitude exposure. The episode asks four questions that are useful whenever you encounter a physiological claim: What did the participants actually do? Who was studied? What was measured and when? And did the researchers actually measure the benefit being claimed? Breath-hold training can produce real physiological responses and can improve performance at breath-hold tasks. But that is not the same as demonstrating that short breath holds reliably increase stem-cell-mediated repair, muscle growth or endurance performance. This episode separates what the research demonstrates from what is currently being marketed. Martin McPhilimey is an exercise physiologist and clinical respiratory and sleep scientist and founder of the School of Breath Science.

  3. Oct 7

    The Provider Instinct: Fatherhood, Work, Fear and Identity - Beyond Breath Episode 4

    TITLE The Provider Instinct: Fatherhood, Work, Fear and Identity DESCRIPTION Does becoming a father activate an instinct to provide, or is something more complicated happening underneath? In this episode of Beyond Breath, I explore how becoming a father changed my relationship with work, money, ambition and responsibility. Using Jaak Panksepp’s work in affective neuroscience as a starting point, I consider how systems associated with CARE, SEEKING, FEAR and PLAY may combine to shape what we often describe as the “provider instinct”. I also share the less comfortable part of my own experience. As my business grew, financial provision gradually became evidence that I was fulfilling my role as a father. Work became tied to security, competence and identity. What initially looked like healthy ambition eventually contained something else: fear of losing momentum, revenue, control and my sense of myself as the provider. That raised a much bigger question. When does providing for your family stop being purely about them and start protecting something within you? We explore fatherhood, masculinity, stress, work identity, unequal caregiving roles, breathwork, interoception, meaning-making and the importance of bringing PLAY back into adult life. Ultimately, this episode is about broadening the definition of provision beyond money to include attention, presence, emotional availability, creativity, time and support. If you’re a parent, I’d love to know what changed for you when you had children. How did becoming a parent affect your relationship with work, money and ambition? Beyond Breath is a podcast exploring breathing, physiology, psychology, performance and the ideas that sit beyond the breath itself.

  4. Sep 30

    What Does “CO2 Tolerance” Actually Measure?

    A short breath hold is often described as evidence of “low CO2 tolerance”. From there, the claim is that breathing less will retain CO2, improve oxygen delivery and boost performance. How much of that can we actually measure? In this episode, I look at the evidence behind breath-hold tests, the BOLT score, hyperventilation syndrome, nasal breathing and the Bohr effect. I explain why the time to your first urge to breathe is a useful observation, but cannot by itself reveal your resting CO2 level, chemoreceptor sensitivity or oxygen delivery to your muscles. We also examine exercise research in which nasal breathing changed end-tidal gases, while the implications for oxygen uptake and performance remained uncertain. If you teach breathing methods, use breath-hold tests or have been told you need to improve your CO2 tolerance, this episode will help you ask a more precise question: what changed, and how do we know? Hosted by Martin McPhilimey, exercise physiologist and founder of the School of Breath Science. 🫁 Get Certified (BRIT / BSC): https://www.schoolofbreathscience.com/courses/🤝 Join the Free Community: http://https://community.schoolofbreathscience.com/getting-started📸 Follow on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/martinmcphilimey💬 1:1 Coaching Enquiries: http://www.martinmcphilimey.com-------------------------------This content is for educational purposes and isn't a substitute forindividualised medical or clinical advice.

  5. Sep 23

    From Isolation to Connection: The Small Choices That Changed My Life - Beyond Breath Episode 3

    What happens when you achieve the life change you thought you wanted—and still feel lost? In this episode of Beyond Breath, Martin McPhilimey shares one of the most personal chapters of his life. Seven months after moving from the UK to Western Australia, he was living with chronic hip pain, severe psoriasis, insomnia, anxiety and depression. Isolated on the other side of the world and increasingly disconnected from himself, he reached a point where he began questioning whether his life was worth continuing. His way forward wasn’t a single breakthrough. It began with small decisions: improving his health, changing how he ate, practising yin yoga, slowing down, looking inward and becoming more deliberate about how he connected with other people. Martin also recounts a psychedelic experience at a rave that profoundly changed the way he thought about love, spirituality, compassion and contribution—and how he later began experimenting with those lessons in everyday interactions with patients, colleagues and strangers. This is a story about moving from performing and seeking towards presence and contribution. It’s also an invitation to consider two questions: What is one choice you already know would support your health? And what could change if you brought more genuine attention, warmth and care into the ordinary interactions you have every day? Get the free Breath Science checklist: https://masterclass.schoolofbreathscience.com/checklist Follow Martin: https://www.instagram.com/martinmcphilimey School of Breath Science: https://www.instagram.com/schoolofbreathscience Content note: This episode includes discussion of depression, suicidal thoughts, alcohol and psychedelic drug use. These experiences are shared as part of Martin’s personal story and are not recommendations for treatment or drug use.

  6. Sep 16

    Why Breathlessness Isn’t Just About CO₂: Interoception, Prediction & Air Hunger

    Breathing Anxiety, Air Hunger & CO₂ Tolerance: What Your Brain Is Predicting Why does air hunger feel manageable for one person and threatening for another — even when their underlying breathing physiology may be very similar? In this episode of The Breath Science Podcast, I explore the relationship between CO₂ tolerance, breathing anxiety, breathlessness and respiratory interoception — and why the way your brain interprets a respiratory sensation may matter just as much as the signal itself. In breathwork and functional breathing, we often focus on breathing rate, tidal volume, CO₂ sensitivity, nasal breathing, respiratory mechanics and chemosensitivity. These things matter. But they may not completely explain why someone feels distressed by their breathing. The brain does not simply receive information from the respiratory system. It also predicts what it expects those sensations to mean. That distinction becomes particularly interesting when we look at air hunger and breathlessness anxiety. Two people may experience a similar respiratory stimulus while having very different emotional responses to it. In this episode, I explore research from Olivia Harrison and colleagues examining respiratory interoception, anxiety and breathlessness — including findings in endurance athletes that raise some fascinating questions about how repeated experiences of intense breathing may shape our predictions about respiratory discomfort. We explore: • What respiratory interoception actually means• The difference between respiratory sensitivity and perception accuracy• Why breathing anxiety does not necessarily mean you detect respiratory changes more accurately• How predictive processing may influence the experience of breathlessness• CO₂ sensitivity and chemosensitivity• Why endurance athletes may experience greater anxiety around maximal breathlessness• The difference between breathlessness intensity and breathlessness unpleasantness• How anticipation can influence respiratory sensations• Why exposure to air hunger alone may not reduce respiratory anxiety• CO₂ tolerance versus air hunger tolerance• Why safety, control and context may matter when training respiratory discomfort One of the central questions I explore is: What if the problem isn’t always the respiratory signal, but what the brain has learnt that signal means? Rather than only asking, “How can we improve CO₂ tolerance?”, perhaps we also need to ask whether someone can experience air hunger while remaining regulated, safe and in control. Because breathing is not simply a mechanical event. It is also a sensation, a prediction, an interpretation — and it carries meaning. If you work in breathwork, breathing retraining, respiratory science, sports performance, anxiety, rehabilitation or human physiology, this is an area of breathing science that deserves far more attention. I'm Martin McPhilimey, a respiratory and sleep scientist and founder of the School of Breath Science. I help health-driven people — and the coaches, therapists and practitioners who guide them — separate real breath science from wellness hype, drawing on more than 15 years across clinical, academic and coaching settings. Free guide: How to Spot Manipulation in Breathwork Marketinghttps://masterclass.schoolofbreathscience.com/checklist Get certified with BRIT or the Breath Science Certification:https://www.schoolofbreathscience.com/courses/ Join the free School of Breath Science community:https://community.schoolofbreathscience.com/getting-started Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/martinmcphilimey 1:1 coaching enquiries:https://www.martinmcphilimey.com This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualised medical or clinical advice.

  7. Sep 9

    Failure, Prediction Error and Learning to Update Your Model - Beyond Breath Episode 2

    I walked out of my final clinical assessment convinced I had passed. Months later, the result arrived: fail. In Episode 2 of Beyond Breath, I share the mistake that caused that result — incorrectly dating a clinical report — and why the experience changed the way I think about competence, resilience and failure. The deeper lesson wasn’t simply that failure makes us stronger. Failure does not automatically teach us anything. What matters is whether we are willing to examine the gap between what we expected to happen and what actually happened — and update our approach accordingly. I explore this through three very different environments: clinical training, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and entrepreneurship. Jiu-Jitsu gives immediate feedback when something in your technique fails. Business is harder: the feedback can be delayed, ambiguous and noisy. Both raise the same question: Are you using an unsuccessful result to update your approach, or using it to confirm a story about yourself? In this episode, we explore: • The clinical assessment I was convinced I had passed• The documentation error that exposed a blind spot in my competence• Failure versus learning from failure• Prediction error and unexpected outcomes• Resilience, adaptability and recovery• Why deliberately exposing weaknesses can accelerate learning• Lessons from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu• The uncertainty of entrepreneurship• Productive and unproductive responses to failure• Why being willing to look inexperienced is part of developing mastery Want to compare breathwork training programmes more critically? Get the free Breathwork Training Standards Checklist:https://masterclass.schoolofbreathscience.com/checklist Martin McPhilimey:https://www.instagram.com/martinmcphilimey School of Breath Science:https://www.instagram.com/schoolofbreathscience

  8. Sep 2

    Breathwork Facilitator vs Breath Science Practitioner: What’s the Difference?

    A powerful breathwork session can create insight, emotional release and a meaningful shift in state. But what happens when Monday morning arrives? In this episode of The Breath Science Podcast, I explore the difference between facilitating a breathwork experience and working with someone longitudinally as a practitioner. Through the story of Julian, a high-performing professional struggling with anxiety, poor sleep and mounting pressure, I show why insight alone does not always create behavioural change. Sometimes a breakthrough opens the door, but the person still needs the skills, capacity and structure to know where to go next. We explore: • The difference between a breathwork facilitator and a practitioner• Why a powerful experience does not automatically create lasting change• How insight can sometimes increase distress when there is no clear path forward• Why assessment should come before intervention• How to separate physiological, cognitive and behavioural components of anxiety• Why poor sleep, recovery and low capacity may need addressing before deeper psychological work• The role of breathing as an assessment tool, regulation skill and resilience practice• Why the breath can remain central without becoming the only intervention• How restoration, regulation, resilience and reappraisal can provide structure for longer-term work• Why the intervention should follow the person rather than forcing the person into a technique This is not an argument that facilitators are bad and practitioners are good. A skilled breathwork facilitator can create a safe and genuinely meaningful experience. But practitioner work asks a different set of questions: Who is this person?What is actually happening?What do they need?Where should we begin?How will we know whether it is working?And how does today's intervention connect to where they need to go next? Because the goal is not simply to create a powerful experience. It is to create meaningful change that still holds when Monday morning arrives.

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About

Discover the science of breathing and what lies beyond it. The Breath Science Podcast explores breathing, breathwork, physiology, recovery, exercise, stress, sleep and human performance. Expect concise educational episodes for breath coaches, health professionals and curious minds, alongside expert interviews and broader conversations about psychology, behaviour, business, fatherhood and personal growth. Follow Martin on Instagram: http://instagram.com/martinmcphilimey Explore training and certification: https://www.schoolofbreathscience.com Breathe better. Understand more. Live fully.

Information

  • Creator
    Martin McPhilimey
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Martin McPhilimey
  • Show Website
    Breath Science Podcast