PART 2: Our Biochemical Rhythm

Your Body, Mind & Mood Run on Rhythms

PART 2: Biochemical Rhythm

Remember when one goes off-beat, everything starts to feel 'off'. 

In part two of this three-part newsletter, you will learn how ...

Breathing is The Bridge Between All Three.

2. What is our Biochemical Rhythm? 

The biochemical rhythm is the chemical heartbeat of your body, a coordinated timing system that governs hormones, energy, temperature, sleep, and hunger.

It works alongside the circadian and ultradian rhythms and influences:

• Hormone release (like cortisol, melatonin, and insulin)

• Neurotransmitter activity (affecting mood and focus)

• Metabolic processes (such as glucose use and oxygen consumption)

• Cell repair and detoxification

Chemical:	What It Does:	When It Peaks:	When It’s Off:
Cortisol	Wake-up energy	Morning	Anxiety, tension
Melatonin	Sleep signal	Evening	Trouble sleeping
Dopamine	Motivation, focus	Morning–day	Boredom, low drive
Serotonin	Mood balance	Midday	Sadness, low calm
Nitric Oxide (NO)	Energy & calm	With nasal breathing	Fatigue, brain fog

Biochemical rhythms are disrupted by environmental factors like light exposure (especially artificial light at night), shift work, and jet lag. Plus, lifestyle factors such as irregular sleep schedules, inconsistent meal times, caffeine or alcohol consumption, acute and chronic stress, certain medications, and underlying health conditions.

What Regulates the Body’s Biochemical Rhythm

Your biochemical rhythm is the body’s internal timing system, kept in sync by several key regulators:

1. Light exposure:: especially morning sunlight, sets the master clock in the brain (SCN) and balances cortisol and melatonin.

2. Sleep-wake patterns: consistent sleep restores hormone cycles and brain chemistry.

3. Meal timing: eating at regular times aligns metabolism, insulin, and hunger hormones.

4. Breathing rhythm: slow, nasal breathing supports nitric oxide and CO₂ balance for calm energy.

5. Movement and rest: daily activity and recovery cycles maintain dopamine, serotonin, and temperature rhythms.

6. Cellular clocks: internal gene-controlled cycles coordinate repair, energy, and hormone release.

7. Emotional stability: routine, calm, and connection keep cortisol levels steady.

^{Gnocchi, D. and Bruscalupi, G., 2017. Circadian rhythms and hormonal homeostasis: Pathophysiological implications. Biology (Basel), 6(1), p.10. doi:10.3390/biology6010010.}

How Breathing & the BradCliff Method Regulate the Biochemical Rhythm

1. Balances body chemistry :Slow, nasal breathing maintains healthy CO₂ and pH levels, improving oxygen delivery and preventing stress-related biochemical changes.

2. Calms the nervous system : Smooth, rhythmic breathing restores balance between the sympathetic (alert) and parasympathetic (rest–repair) systems.

3. Boosts nitric oxide (NO) :Nasal breathing increases NO, enhancing blood flow, brain function, and immune regulation.

4. Stabilises hormones and mood : Regular breathing patterns help normalise cortisol, melatonin, serotonin, and blood glucose.

5. Aligns the body’s internal clocks: Each steady breath helps synchronise the brain, heart, and endocrine rhythms for energy, focus, and emotional balance.

BradCliff breathing retraining restores your body’s natural biochemical rhythm: steadying chemistry, hormones, and mood through calm, nasal, rhythmic breathing.

^References:

^{Courtney, R. and Cohen, M., 2023. The science of breathing: Principles and clinical applications. Breathe, 19(2), p.230061. doi:10.1183/20734735.0061-2023
Lundberg, J.O. and Weitzberg, E., 2022. Nasal nitric oxide in health and disease. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 18(6), pp.385–398. doi:10.1038/s41574-022-00639-5
Russo, M.A., Santarelli, D.M. and O’Rourke, D., 2017. The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe, 13(4), pp.298–309. doi:10.1183/20734735.009817}