Breathing techniques First, although the healthy volunteers were trained in all three elements, subjects only practiced breathing techniques during the endotoxemia experiment. Second, the breathing techniques were characterized by cyclic hyperventilation, which has been shown before to result in increased adrenaline levels. Subjects practiced two types of breathing techniques during the endotoxemia experiment in our previous endotoxemia study. Both of these breathing techniques were characterized by cycles of hyperventilation. In one of the techniques (hyper/hypoventilation), subjects held their breath for up to several minutes after each hyperventilation period, while in the other technique (strength ventilation), subjects held their breath for only 10 seconds during which all muscles were tightened after each hyperventilation period.