BOLT - Body Oxygen Level Test
BOLT - body oxygen level test (also known as the control pause test) - This test measures your physiological and psychological tolerance to a build up of C02 (carbon dioxide) in your blood. When you hold your breath it's the build up of C02 in your blood that alerts you to breathe. A low tolerance to C02 is a great indicator of the possible presence of breathing patterns disorders. Often when there is some breath dysfunction or stress/anxiety is present, it is very likely that there would be a low tolerance to C02, as low C02 tolerance is also an indicator of your emotional reactivity or your ability to deal with day to day stress.
How to take the test
Take a normal, silent breath in through your nose
Allow a normal, silent breath out through your nose
Hold your nose with your fingers to prevent air from entering your lungs
Count the number of seconds until you feel the first distinct desire to breathe in
What your score means. 10-20 seconds shows lower 02 efficiency, so you are more likely to be overbreathing (quantity/volume of breath). 20-40s is average - average 02 efficiency and in good health, 40-60s optimum, 60 plus you are a yogi! .
Why is CO2 good for you?
Carbon dioxide is not all harmful; the amount of it is. Very much like lactate acid, which was seen as a negative but turned out to be positive. The way that the body detects the amount of CO2 is vital for the respiratory system to work. Levels of CO2 inform the brain that there is a need to breathe in more air. Therefore, by using different breathing techniques during training and breath-hold techniques, we can increase tolerance to CO2.
Why Improving CO2 Tolerance Is Important?
There are not only physical benefits to increasing CO2 tolerance; there is also a close correlation to anxiety and our ability to manage stress. In addition, increased tolerance allows us to have better control over the rate and depth of breathing.
Managing our state and nervous system is vital for health, well-being, and performance.