Overview
- In a controlled study, 57 people with ME/CFS were compared with 25 matched controls using two-day cardiopulmonary exercise tests.
- Seventy-one percent of ME/CFS participants showed hyperventilation, dysfunctional breathing, or both, despite similar peak oxygen uptake to controls.
- Nearly half of patients displayed erratic breathing, about one third hyperventilated, and nine had both issues, combinations rarely seen in controls.
- The patterns may worsen core symptoms and could contribute to post-exertional malaise, with reported overlaps including dizziness, brain fog, and exhaustion.
- Authors point to dysautonomia and orthostatic intolerance as plausible drivers and suggest testing breathing exercises, breath-focused conditioning, and biofeedback as potential interventions.