Deep breathing does burn calories, but the amount is minimal. Breathing is a muscular process, and any muscle activity requires energy, meaning calories are expended even during involuntary respiration. The intentional, controlled effort of deep breathing elevates this baseline energy use only slightly. Understanding this minimal caloric expenditure requires looking at the body’s continuous energy demands and how focused breathing techniques alter them.
Baseline Energy Use for Respiration
The body constantly uses energy to sustain life functions, a measure known as the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). BMR accounts for the majority of daily calorie expenditure, typically ranging from 60% to 70% of total energy burned. Functions like circulating blood, maintaining body temperature, and continuous respiration are included in this necessary energy demand.
Respiration is an ongoing part of the BMR, requiring a small, continuous caloric input. The body uses oxygen to convert nutrients into usable energy, and the amount of oxygen consumed is directly proportional to the calories burned. During normal, involuntary breathing, the process is highly efficient and requires very little energy, making it a small fraction of the overall BMR.
In quiet breathing, the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles perform the majority of the work to draw air into the lungs. This resting state is considered a low-level form of muscular work. Since the energy required for this passive respiration is already factored into the BMR calculation, the calories burned are simply part of the body’s cost of living.
Deep Breathing and Muscle Work
Deep, conscious breathing, such as diaphragmatic or “belly” breathing, introduces intentional muscular effort that slightly exceeds the baseline. This controlled respiration requires the diaphragm to move more forcefully and through a greater range of motion. The muscles of the abdomen and the intercostals are also engaged more actively to manage the slower, deeper inhalation and complete exhalation.
Any activity that increases the rate or depth of breathing requires more work from the respiratory muscles, demanding more energy in the form of calories. This intentional activation of the diaphragm and secondary respiratory muscles increases the body’s oxygen consumption beyond the normal resting rate. Because caloric expenditure is tied to oxygen consumption, this elevated muscle work results in a measurable, though modest, rise in the metabolic rate.
One study focusing on diaphragmatic breathing found that participants who regularly practiced this technique showed a higher resting metabolic rate compared to those using conventional methods. This suggests that training the respiratory muscles can lead to a slight increase in energy expenditure even at rest over time. However, the energy cost remains minor compared to other forms of physical activity.
Caloric Context and Metabolic Rate
While deep breathing technically increases calorie burn, the practical effect on weight management is negligible. The increase in energy expenditure from an hour of deep, controlled breathing is comparable to the calories burned while simply standing or fidgeting. These activities burn only a few dozen calories per hour, a fraction of what is needed for meaningful weight loss.
For context, a 100-gram muffin can contain enough calories to offset hours of dedicated deep breathing practice. Substituting an hour of rest with a moderate activity like jogging can increase the metabolic rate by seven times the resting level. The primary health benefits of deep breathing are related to its effects on the nervous system, such as reducing stress hormones and improving heart rate variability, not its caloric output.
The slight boost in metabolic rate from deep breathing is not a pathway for significant weight loss. It is an enhancement to overall wellness, with its power lying in stress reduction. Stress reduction indirectly supports a healthy metabolism by regulating hormones like cortisol. Relying on deep breathing for a calorie-burning effect requires an impractical amount of time and effort for a minimal return.