Bohr effect

Bohr effect describes how carbon dioxide and acidity influence how readily haemoglobin releases oxygen into the tissues. When CO₂ falls, for example through fast breathing, haemoglobin holds on to oxygen more tightly, so tissues receive it a little less easily even while blood oxygen saturation stays high.

It is named after the Danish physiologist Christian Bohr, who described it in 1904. In breathwork it helps explain why breathing much more than needed does not deliver extra oxygen to the body. This is one reason many teachers favour calm, unhurried breathing for everyday practice.