Intermittent Hypoxic–Hyperoxic Training (IHHT): A Simple, Science-Backed Guide

Reclaim your vitality

IHHT is one of the core tools used within the BodyMindBrain Method, our signature 6-Week Nervous System Reset and standalone energy and resilience programmes.


This page explains the science behind how it works and why it’s so effective for recovery and resilience.

What You’ll Learn

  • What IHHT is : a simple explanation of intermittent hypoxic–hyperoxic training (IHHT) and how a 40-minute session works.

  • How it works in your body : mitochondria & energy, antioxidant “sparks” (ROS hormesis), the HIF-1α switch, HRV/autonomic balance, and brain blood flow.

  • Real-world benefits : stress resilience, sleep, steady energy, quicker recovery, lower soreness, sharper focus, metabolic support, and long-term cellular health.

  • Passive vs with exercise : when to choose a relaxed chair session vs pairing IHHT with light cycling/walking.

  • What a session feels like : calm breathing through a mask; no breath-holding or strain.

  • Key takeaways:  IHHT is interval training for your cells and nervous system: small, safe stress → stronger, more resilient you.

More interested in how sessions work and pricing than the science?

Learn More About Sessions Here

What Is Intermittent Hypoxic Hyperoxic Training (IHHT)?

IHHT is a training method where you breathe lower-oxygen air for a few minutes (that’s hypoxia), followed by a few minutes of higher-oxygen air  (that’s hyperoxia), and you repeat those cycles for approximately  40 minutes.

There are two routes to IHHT:

  1. You sit or recline comfortably and breathe through a mask while the IHHT system delivers the rounds of oxygen. Most people find it deeply relaxing. This is the best route for stress recovery goals.
  2. It can also be paired with light exercise, such as cycling. A great choice if you want to focus on stamina and better oxygen efficiency.

With either approach, think of it as interval training for your cells and nervous system. Small, safe “stress” where your body adapts and you get stronger, healthier and more resilient. 

To understand why IHHT is so effective, it helps to look at what’s happening inside your body during those oxygen cycles.

How IHHT Works (Explained Simply)

 

IHHT introduces short, gentle bursts of controlled oxygen stress . The hypoxia cycles are a mild stressor and this prompts a cascade of positive adaptations across many of your body’s key systems, helping you become more oxygen efficient and resilient.

Here’s what happens inside your body:

1) Mitochondria & Energy

Every cell has tiny power stations called mitochondria. In IHHT, the controlled stress prompts mitochondria that can’t keep up with the challenge to self-renew (mitophagy). This prompts your body to:

  • Make new, better mitochondria (more power stations, improved metabolism).
  • Recycle older, faulty ones

Mitochondria play a pivotal role in out energy regulation and metabolism, so keeping them healthy is key to our long term health and adaptability.

Want to know more about the pivotal role Mitochondria play in your health and performance?

Read: Mitochondrial Health: The Key to Sustained Energy

 

2) Antioxidant Production

The IHHT cycles lead your body to create tiny bursts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to the hypoxic stress, think of them like sparks. In the right dose, those sparks teach your body to switch on its sprinklers (antioxidant defences like CoQ10).
IHHT has been scientifically proven to help boost anti oxidant levels which help protect against oxidative stress.

3) Brain Resilience

Your cells sense oxygen through a protein called HIF-1α. IHHT activates this sensor in short cycles, teaching your body to:

  • Use oxygen more efficiently

  • Maintain healthy blood vessels

  • Adapt energy metabolism to changing demand

In brain areas that manage mood and stress, this switching helps build psychological resilience, the capacity to bounce back after pressure.

 4) Red blood cells & oxygen delivery

Across several sessions, IHHT has been shown to increase red-blood-cell production, improving how oxygen travels through your brain and body. Improved oxygen delivery helps stamina, recovery and brain function, especially alongside an active lifestyle.

    5) Nervous system balance: easier reset after stress

    IHHT gently nudges your body’s oxygen sensors and fine-tunes serotonin pathways that help your brain let go after stress. This leads to:

    • increased HRV
    • better sleep
    • a balanced stress response

    6) Brain blood flow: sharpening mental faculties

    Studies show IHHT can improve blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

    Brain oxygenation helps with sharper focus, better decision-making, useful for busy workdays and ageing brains.

    Proven IHHT Benefits

    Energy and Recovery

    • Steadier energy through the day

    • Faster recovery from physical or mental effort

    • Less soreness and inflammation after exercise

    Stress Resilience and Mental Edge

    • Nervous system resets faster after pressure

    • Improved emotional regulation

    • Better sleep quality, the foundation of all recovery

    Cognitive Performance

    • Clearer thinking, stronger focus, improved memory

    Metabolic and Weight Regulation

    • More efficient fuel use

    • Support for weight management and metabolic flexibility

    Long-Term Cellular Health

    • Stronger antioxidant defences

    • Healthier mitochondria and oxygen efficiency

    • Foundation for longevity and wellbeing

      Passive IHHT vs IHHT with Exercise

      Passive (Relaxed) IHHT:

      Ideal when you’re tired, stressed, short on time, or returning from illness or injury. Builds resilience without physical strain.
      You’ll breathe calmly through a mask while oxygen levels change in short, controlled steps. Most people feel deeply relaxed. You can read, rest or listen to music.

      IHHT + Light Exercise:
      Best when you’re rebuilding capacity or want to combine metabolic and nervous-system training.
      IHHT can be used while exercising on an exercise bike. Just like exercising up a mountain it will feel hard on your lungs but despite it feeling hard, your body will recover well afterwards.

      Simple guide:
      Feeling depleted → go passive.
      Feeling ready to rebuild → add gentle activity.

      Getting started with IHHT

        Most clients begin with a 10-session block to kick-start adaptation.
        Sessions are fully personalised to your goals, stress levels, and recovery markers such as HRV, sleep, and energy.

        IHHT can be done passively or paired with exercise depending on your current capacity.
        Screening ensures safety and suitability for your health status.

        At BodyMindBrain, we tailor every aspect, oxygen levels, cycle lengths, and frequency,  to your physiology and lifestyle, so you gain measurable, lasting results.

        Why IHHT Fits the BodyMindBrain System

        IHHT forms one of the core pillars of our integrated recovery and performance approach.
        While traditional oxygen therapies focus on adding oxygen, IHHT trains your body to use oxygen better, improving the very systems that govern energy, focus, and stress tolerance.

        In combination with:

        • Neurofeedback, which retrains brain regulation and calm focus

        • Whole-Body EMS, which builds muscular and metabolic strength

        • Performance and recovery coaching, which integrates psychological and lifestyle foundations to help you find the right balance

        …IHHT becomes part of a complete system for restoring balance across mind, brain, and body.
        This synergy accelerates recovery, stabilises energy, and sustains performance far beyond what a single intervention can achieve.

        Summary: IHHT Key Takeaways

        • IHHT = interval training for your cells and nervous system.
        • Short cycles of low/high oxygen teach your body to adapt: better mitochondria, stronger antioxidant defences, smarter oxygen use, steadier nervous-system balance, and improved brain blood flow.
        • Expect more energy, greater endurance, faster recovery, better sleep, sharper focus, and support for metabolism and long-term cellular health.
        • Go passive when stressed or tired; add light exercise when rebuilding capacity.
        • Start with ~10 sessions, track how you respond, and adjust the plan to you.

         

        Understanding the science is powerful, but experiencing how it feels in your body is even more impactful.
        A single IHHT session can boost your physiology and start your journey towards greater oxygenation, energy and endurance.

         

        Ready to experience IHHT for yourself?

        Start with an Introductory Trial Session and feel the difference a single IHHT session can make.

        Book your Performance Boost

        About BodyMindBrain:

        At BodyMindBrain, we help you break free from the cycle of stress and fatigue and rebuild the capacity to perform at your best. Our integrated system restores balance across mind, brain, and body, helping you recover faster, think clearer, and stay stronger under pressure.

        Modern life keeps the sympathetic nervous system switched on, draining focus and slowing recovery. Using advanced, science-backed technologies, we retrain the systems that drive resilience, optimising nervous system regulation, oxygen efficiency, mitochondrial health, and physical strength.

        Alongside this, we rebuild the psychological and lifestyle foundations that sustain energy,  and protect your long term wellbeing.