What Is The BOLT Score Breathing Test
The 30 Second Test That Predicts Your Movement Quality And Training Capacity
There are hundreds of movement screens, assessments, and tests in the fitness industry. Most take 30 minutes and require a trained eye to interpret. The BOLT score takes 30 seconds, requires no equipment, and tells you more about your movement system than most comprehensive screens.
What Is The BOLT Score
BOLT stands for Body Oxygen Level Test, developed by Patrick McKeown as a measure of CO2 tolerance. CO2 tolerance is the single most important variable in breathing function. Here is the test: breathe normally, exhale gently through your nose, pinch your nose closed, and count the seconds until you feel the first definitive desire to breathe. Not until you are gasping. Until the first urge.
What Your Score Means
A score below 20 seconds indicates significant breathing dysfunction. Between 20 and 30 seconds is moderate. Above 30 seconds indicates functional breathing. Above 40 seconds is optimal. Most people who train regularly score between 15 and 25 seconds, which means their breathing pattern is actively working against their training.
Why CO2 Tolerance Matters For Training
CO2 is not just a waste gas. It is the primary regulator of your breathing rate. When your CO2 tolerance is low, your brain triggers the urge to breathe at very low levels of CO2. This means you breathe more frequently, more shallowly, and more through your mouth. This overbreathing keeps your nervous system in a sympathetic state, reduces oxygen delivery to tissues through the Bohr effect, and compromises your Zone of Apposition.
For training, a low BOLT score means you cannot recover between sets effectively, your intra-abdominal pressure is compromised, your heart rate stays elevated longer than it should, and your perceived exertion is higher than it needs to be.
How To Improve Your BOLT Score
Simple nasal breathing practice during low intensity cardio, breath hold walks, and the breathing drills in the MOVECHECK protocol can increase your BOLT score by 5 to 10 seconds within two to three weeks. The improvements in training capacity, recovery, and overall energy are noticeable almost immediately. MOVECHECK uses your BOLT score as a cornerstone metric because it directly reflects the functional state of your entire breathing and postural system.
See This In Your Own Body
Every concept in this article is tested in the MOVECHECK assessment. Find out which patterns apply to you.
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