How to Find Out Your BOLT Score: A Simple Guide
The BOLT score (Body Oxygen Level Test) is a simple test that helps measure your tolerance to carbon dioxide (CO2) and gives insight into your breathing patterns. It's a great tool for anyone looking to improve their breathing health, whether you're a singer, athlete, or simply interested in optimizing your well-being. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to find out your BOLT score using a few easy steps. You will need a stopwatch or timer for this exercise.
What is the BOLT Score?
The BOLT score is a measure of how long you can comfortably hold your breath after a normal exhalation without experiencing any discomfort. The higher the score, the better your body is at utilizing oxygen and managing CO2 levels. This is important for everyone, but especially for singers, athletes, and anyone involved in performance, as optimal breathing can enhance endurance, control, and relaxation and help us to manage performance anxiety.
Step-by-Step Guide to Find Your BOLT Score
Step 1: Find a Quiet, Comfortable Space To get an accurate reading, make sure you're in a calm environment. This test is best done first thing in the morning when you're not physically exerting yourself or feeling stressed, so find a space where you can sit comfortably without distractions.
Step 2: Take a Normal Breath Sit or stand with your back straight. Take a normal, gentle breath through the nose—nothing too deep or too shallow. This should be a relaxed breath, not forced.
Step 3: Exhale Normally Exhale gently through your nose, ensuring it's a soft, relaxed exhale—not too fast or forced.
Step 4: Hold Your Breath After exhaling, hold your breath and start your timer. Hold your breath comfortably, but don’t strain. You should feel a slight urge to breathe but should not feel panic or discomfort.
Step 5: Note the Time Continue holding your breath until you feel the need to breathe again, then stop the timer. The time you held your breath, in seconds, is your BOLT score.
Step 6: Assess Your BOLT Score Here’s a general breakdown of BOLT score ranges:
Less than 10 seconds: You may be over-breathing and have low CO2 tolerance. Breathing exercises can help you to improve your BOLT score
10–20 seconds: This is considered average for most people. You may have room to improve your breathing capacity
20–30 seconds: This is a good score, indicating solid CO2 tolerance and healthy breathing patterns
30+ seconds: Excellent. You have a very high CO2 tolerance, indicating optimal breathing efficiency
Why Should You Care About Your BOLT Score?
Your BOLT score is a helpful way to understand your overall respiratory health. If your score is low, you may be over-breathing or inefficiently using oxygen, which could affect your energy, stamina, and focus. For singers, this is particularly important because controlled, efficient breathing is essential for vocal power, control, and endurance. Improving your BOLT score can help you optimize your breath support and reduce anxiety or breathlessness during performances.
How to Improve Your BOLT Score
If your BOLT score is on the lower end, don't worry! It’s something you can work on over time. Regular practice with controlled, slow breathing exercises, such as Buteyko Breathing, can help improve your CO2 tolerance. Start by doing relaxation exercises, focusing on low and slow nasal breathing, and gradually increasing the time you can hold your breath comfortably.
Ultimately…
The BOLT score is a simple, effective way to gauge and improve your breathing. By tracking and improving your score, you can enhance your respiratory health, build better breath control for singing, and boost overall well-being. If you’re looking to dive deeper into breathing techniques or need guidance on improving your BOLT score, feel free to reach out to Tala Performance—we’re here to support you on your breathing journey.