Meeting oxygen: how breathing works
You meet oxygen every time you breathe in — but what exactly happens in your body? Oxygen makes up 21% of the air around us, and for now there is still plenty of it in our environment. The question is how well we actually use it.
Meeting oxygen starts in the nose
The first organ to come into contact with oxygen is the nose. From the nasal cavity, air passes to the larynx, then the trachea and bronchi, where it is moistened, cleaned and warmed to body temperature. The body prepares the air for its meeting with the blood — this is no coincidence but a precise biological process.
Branching out like the crown of a tree, the bronchioles end in alveoli that resemble bunches of grapes. This is where the most important part happens: air quickly crosses the alveolar wall and passes into the blood. This is the end goal of oxygen’s journey — and the place where the quality of your breathing really counts.
What does oxygen delivery to the body mean?
At rest, a person takes in about 500 ml of air with a single breath. Only part of it reaches the alveoli right away — the rest stays circulating in the airways. A person breathes 12–18 times a minute, ventilating 6–7 liters of air.
Depth matters more than it seems at first glance. With shallow breathing, the body takes in at most 400 ml of air per breath. With deep breathing, this reaches 900 ml — more than two times as much for the same effort. From one liter of air, 35–45 ml of oxygen is extracted, so the efficiency of each breath is directly tied to its depth.
A simple truth: when you breathe shallowly, you are cheating yourself. You don’t get even half of the oxygen your body actually needs — and the blood’s contact with the alveoli stays too short for a full transfer to take place.
Oxygen delivery during training
During physical work, the body’s oxygen demand rises considerably. Although the body’s capacity to store oxygen is limited, it can be increased with specific training. The capabilities of the respiratory system depend largely on lung vital capacity.
The increase in air exchange comes mainly from breathing getting deeper — not so much from breathing getting faster, as many people think. In an untrained person, breathing speeds up sharply during training. Panting overloads the respiratory muscles, fatigue sets in sooner and the blood’s contact with the alveoli stays superficial.
Especially in endurance sports — running, cycling, skiing — developing proper breathing habits is the foundation of success. Athletic success depends to a large extent on whether you breathe efficiently.
Honestly, deep, calm breathing is one of the simplest yet most underrated training skills. Practice it deliberately even during lighter workouts — your body will benefit quickly.
FAQ
How much oxygen from the air actually reaches the body?
From one liter of air, 35–45 ml of oxygen is extracted. The rest — mainly nitrogen — is simply breathed out.
Why is deep breathing better than fast, shallow breathing?
With shallow breathing, the body takes in up to 400 ml of air per breath. With deep breathing, this reaches 900 ml, and the alveoli’s contact time with the blood is longer — so oxygen transfer is more efficient.
Can breathing be improved with training?
Yes. Lung vital capacity increases with regular training, and practicing deep breathing improves oxygen uptake. This is especially important for endurance athletes, whose results depend directly on the efficient use of oxygen.
Author: M.M.
Source: WHO – physical activity.
Come and train with ArtGym!
