Ernesto Rodriguez ([email protected])
We live in a world in a time with many stress-producing and depress-producing stimuli, and so one of the most important issues is to neutralize or at least reduce stress.
In this regard, an extraordinarily important work is ‘Why Don’t Zebras Get Ulcers?’ (2004) (1) by the American neurologist Robert M. Sapolsky (born 1957), who has been Professor of Biology and Neurology at Stanford University, and has generally been highly praised and recognized throughout the world as a popularizer of scientific topics. This work is already considered something of a must-read, a classic on stress.
The explanation for the title of the work is that zebras do not suffer from stress because they do not have distressing thoughts.
Indeed, Sapolsky in his work emphasizes that animals become stressed when they detect a real threat in their lives, but humans can become stressed simply by having distressing thoughts (pp. 6-11).
It is now well known that stress can affect the functioning of many different organs in many ways, especially the immune system. But to understand how stress affects the immune system, it is necessary to have a little knowledge, even if only superficially, of the nervous system.
The ‘Central Nervous System’ encompasses the brain and spinal cord that runs within the vertebrae throughout the spine.
The ‘Peripheral Nervous System’ includes the afferent sensory neurons (which send stimuli to the central nervous system) and the efferent neurons that receive stimuli from the central nervous system and include the ‘Somatic Nervous System’, which is ‘voluntary’, that is, we can exercise it voluntarily, and the ‘Autonomic Nervous System’, which is ‘involuntary’, that is, it does not directly depend on our will.
In turn, the autonomic nervous system includes the ‘Sympathetic Nervous System’ (so called because it was said to “sympathize with the viscera”) and the ‘Parasympathetic Nervous System’ (so called because it runs in the body along the sympathetic system).
When a person is distressed by a ‘real or imagined danger’, the hypothalamus influences the pituitary gland by releasing the hormone ACT-RH (Adrenocorticotropic hormone-releasing hormone), which influences the pituitary gland to release the hormone (ACTH) (Adrenocorticotropic hormone-releasing hormone).
I repeat that when a person is distressed by a real danger or one that only exists in his imagination… Then that Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) affects the cortex of the adrenal glands (suprarenals). Remember that the adrenal glands are above the kidneys.
The adrenal glands produce glucocorticoid hormones that have similar structures, and ‘cortisol‘ accounts for 95% of such glucocorticoids…In other words…CORTISOL is the stress hormone!!!
The adrenal medulla of stress gland releases ‘Adrenaline’ (also called ‘Epinephrine’) and ‘Noradrenaline’ (also called ‘Norepinephrine’).
Both are related to the sympathetic nerve chain. The sympathetic nerve ganglia chain is located near the spinal cord and the parasympathetic nerve ganglia chain is located somewhat further from the spinal cord and closer to the organs they affect.
The action of the Sympathetic Nervous System is antagonistic to the action of the Parasympathetic System…The Sympathetic System dilates the pupils and the Parasympathetic System dilates them, the Sympathetic System accelerates the heartbeat and the Parasympathetic System slows it down…The Sympathetic System stimulates the secretion of adrenaline which prepares the organism for danger.
After seeing all this, let’s consider the effects of ‘Abdominal Inflation Breathing’.
The ‘Vagus’ nerve (from the Latin ‘wandering’) is the longest and most branched cranial nerve, and, among other branches, it has fibers in the ‘Parasympathetic Autonomic Nervous System’ that innervate various viscera (Page 21).
The Sympathetic System stimulates sexual orgasm and the Parasympathetic System promotes sexual arousal (Page 21).
When you do abdominal breathing by inflating the abdomen, the ‘Vagus’ nerve is stimulated and that decreases the frequency of the heartbeats when they are elevated (Page 21).
For example, Sapolsky points out in his work that when a man is stressed, he may not have an erection to be able to have sexual intercourse. But when the Vagus Nerve of the Parasympathetic System is stimulated, he calms down and can have a good erection (Pages 124-125).
It is interesting to note in this article that Sapolsky says that when a man is about to ejaculate, then if he takes a deep breath he can delay ejaculation (Page 124).
It is well known that in Yoga and in all martial arts disciplines (Karate, Kung Fu, etc.), breathing is practiced by inhaling air and slowly inflating the abdomen and then slowly exhaling the air… This calms the mind and helps reduce stress and obtain serenity.
My personal experience is that abdominal breathing, inflating the abdomen and stimulating the Vagus nerve, certainly helps to reduce stress, help you fall asleep, calm your mind and get back to sleep, although I have not been able to prove that it is as effective as many authors say.
In popular culture the expression “When we have a problem we have to breathe deeply” is well known and that, as we see in this article, perhaps has a biological scientific basis (2).
NOTES: (1) Robert M. Sapolsky (2004) ‘Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers’ (Third Edition). Henry Holt and Company. All page references in this article are from this work. (2) For the information on the central and peripheral nervous system, I have used many works and if any reader is interested, they can be requested by email.
#BREATHING #INFLATING #ABDOMEN #REDUCE #STRESS #Ernesto #Rodríguez
2024-09-06 11:40:45
Breathing, Stress, and the Autonomic Nervous System: Understanding How Abdominal Inflation Can Help Reduce Stress
We live in a world where stress and anxiety are omnipresent, and finding ways to manage and reduce them has become a crucial aspect of maintaining our overall well-being. One effective way to do so is by practicing abdominal inflation breathing, a technique that can help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm the mind.
The Science Behind Stress and the Autonomic Nervous System
As explained by Robert M. Sapolsky, an American neurologist and professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University, in his book “Why Don’t Zebras Get Ulcers?” (2004), animals only experience stress when they detect a real threat, whereas humans can become stressed simply by having distressing thoughts. This stress can affect the functioning of many organs, particularly the immune system.
To understand how stress affects the immune system, it’s essential to have a basic knowledge of the nervous system. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system includes afferent sensory neurons and efferent neurons. The autonomic nervous system, a branch of the peripheral nervous system, is further divided into the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).
When a person is distressed by a real or imagined danger, the hypothalamus releases the hormone ACT-RH, which stimulates the pituitary gland to release the hormone ACTH. This, in turn, affects the adrenal glands, leading to the production of glucocorticoid hormones, with cortisol being the primary stress hormone.
The Role of Abdominal Inflation Breathing in Reducing Stress
Abdominal inflation breathing involves inhaling air and slowly inflating the abdomen, stimulating the vagus nerve, which is a key component of the parasympathetic nervous system. This can help to:
Decrease heart rate when it is elevated
Promote relaxation and calmness
Improve sleep quality
Enhance overall well-being
By stimulating the vagus nerve, abdominal inflation breathing can help to counteract the effects of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the “fight or flight” response. This can be particularly beneficial in situations where stress and anxiety are high.
Personal Experience and Popular Culture
My personal experience with abdominal inflation breathing has shown that it can be an effective way to reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and calm the mind. Additionally, this technique is commonly used in yoga and martial arts disciplines, such as Karate and Kung Fu, to promote relaxation and focus.
In popular culture, the expression “when we have a problem, we breathe in and out, and suddenly the problem no longer exists” highlights the importance of breathing in managing stress and anxiety.
Conclusion
Abdominal inflation breathing is a simple yet effective technique that can help reduce stress and anxiety by stimulating the
