Can There Be Too Much Oxygen?
Yes — and that is where breathing efficiency breaks down.
Oxygen is essential. Every breath fuels your cells, powers your brain, and keeps you alive. But here’s the paradox: more oxygen is not always better.
When oxygen is not used efficiently, it can contribute to oxidative stress — one of the major drivers of aging and declining performance.
When Oxygen Turns Against Us
Inside your mitochondria — the cell’s power plants — oxygen helps produce ATP, your body’s energy currency.
The key is not how much oxygen you inhale. It’s how well your body can use it.
(btw this is true for almost everything, e.g. the danger with sun is not sun, it's when your body cannot absorb it and gets burned)
To understand how efficient the body is, we have to look inside and at a delicate biochemical chain reaction — influenced by oxygen (O₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen (H₂), cellular water, and many supporting enzymes and cofactors. When this balance is disrupted — by stress, pollution, inflammation, poor breathing habits, or fast mouth breathing — oxygen atoms can ‘go rogue.’
How Modern Breathing Fuels Oxidative Stress
Modern humans breathe far faster than previous generations. This often means:
Shallow chest breathing
Chronic mouth breathing
Low CO₂ tolerance
Reduced nitric oxide production
Poor oxygen utilization
When oxygen is not handled properly, unstable molecules called free radicals form. In small amounts, they are useful — supporting immunity and cell signalling.
But in excess, they damage cells, proteins, and DNA.
That overload is oxidative stress.
Modern Life Makes It Worse
Common drivers include:
Fast, shallow breathing
Chronic stress
Poor sleep
Pollution, electrosmog and UV exposure
Alcohol, smoking, and low-nutrient diets
Overtraining without recovery
As we age, our natural antioxidant defenses decline — making oxidative stress a powerful accelerator of fatigue, aging, and reduced breathing efficiency.
It Comes Down to RedOx Balance
Healthy breathing supports RedOx balance — the equilibrium between oxidation (energy production) and protection (repair and resilience).
When oxidation outweighs protection, cells burn out instead of burning bright.
Antioxidants help restore balance:
Endogenous: Glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase
Exogenous: Nutrients from whole foods and targeted support
Why Hydrogen Matters
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) stands out because it:
Can penetrate deep into cells because of its small size
Has a selective nature to only neutralise the most harmful free radicals
Preserves beneficial signalling
Leaves the body easily — no buildup, no toxicity
Hydrogen does not just fight oxidative stress. It helps restore the molecular balance that supports energy, resilience, and efficient breathing. Learn more here.
By Marla Hansen, Founder of WellBreathing, with the mission to transform how the world breathes
