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Respiratory Rate: Normal vs. Ideal (for Top Body O2)

Also known as the respiration rate, ventilation rate, breathing rate, respiratory frequency and breathing frequency, the respiratory rate is basically the number of breaths that are taken by an individual in one minute. This is typically measured while sitting or when the individual is at rest.

normal respiration rate

According to medical textbooks, the normal respiratory rate for an adult is just about 12 breaths per minute at rest. However, if you get your hands on older textbooks, they determine a smaller value for it (in between 8-10 breaths a minute).

Numbers during and after exercise are higher, up to 30-40 breaths/min or more.

For some reasons, a majority of modern adults these days tend to breathe a whole lot faster and take nearly 15-20 breaths on a per minute basis as compared to their normal respiratory rate. Modern people also have increased tidal volume.

The ventilation rate is also rather high in individuals who are sick, and typically tends to stay somewhere around 20 breaths a minute or even more. Terminally sick individuals who suffer from conditions like HIV-AIDS, cancer, cystic fibrosis etc., are known to take more than 30 breaths a minute!

Watch this YouTube video, in which Dr. Artour Rakhimov provides numerous examples and cases related to respiratory rates.

Is it possible for me to define my own breathing rate by just counting it?

No at all. This is simply not possible, for the simple reason that as soon as you sit down and try it, you are going to start breathing much more deep and slow. The best thing for you to do in this regard is to ask someone else to count it for you, but make sure that this is done only when you are not aware of your breathing. If you are bent upon doing so yourself, then the best thing for you to do is record your breathing using an extremely sensitive microphone. Just fix it near your nose when you sleep at night. You may even do so when you are busy with something. In order to best work out your breathing rate, you could ask someone else to count the number of your breathing cycles on a minute basis while you sleep.

Are there any causes and effects of increased respiratory rates?

Yes. Each time that you breathe more than the medical norm at rest or during exercise, you are going to lose CO2 and cut down on your body oxygenation because of vasoconstriction and the suppressed Bohr effect that is triggered by CO2 deficiency or hypocapnia. For this reason, it is safe to deduce that overbreathing tends to trigger reduced cell oxygenation. On the other hand, easier and slower breathing that is enforced by lower respiratory rates is going to help you enhance your cell-oxygen content.

Causes are numerous. They include a lack of exercise, exercise with mouth breathing, stress, overeating, overheating, poor posture, infections, and much more.

Is there an ideal respiratory rate?

In order to acquire the maximum amounts of brain and body oxygen levels, the ideal respiratory rate at rest basically corresponds to the unconscious breathing or automatic breathing with just about 3 to 4 breaths on a per minute basis. An individual that has ideal breathing has nearly 3 minutes for the body-oxygen test right after exhalation and without placing any exertion over one’s self.

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