Acid-shifted metabolism is the first indication of failing energy production as a decrease in CO2, which triggers breath and creates urine alkalinity.
This is the first in our series on how LiveO2 really works.
Basics
True or false? When you put a pH dipstick in a jar of your urine, an alkaline reading means you’re healthy and an acidic means you’re sick.
Well, If you believe that, good luck.
The Acid/Alkali Cycle
Acidity or alkalinity reflects how much carbon dioxide the body makes and dumps: not enough is acidic, while enough is alkaline.
But where does the CO2 come from?
The Krebs Cycle
Well, it’s exhaust from you body’s engine called the Kreb’s Cycle, the process of converting glucose into energy.
With oxygen, called aerobic, your body burns glucose into 6-CO2, and 38 units of energy.
Without oxygen, anaerobic or stress energy, it splits glucose into two lactic acids, and 2 units of energy, with no CO2.
Where it Goes
So, when your body runs efficently, with oxygen, you produce a lot of CO2, and a lot of energy.
When your body runs on the stress energy cycle, there’s a shortage of both CO2 and energy.
So a decline in CO2 shows either shift-to-stress energy production, or a loss of energy as fatigue, or both.
Both are bad and foretell of coming problems.
Measurement
Two measurements together, your breath rate and your urine pH, indicate how much CO2 your dumping—and this reveals how well your engine is running.
A low breath rate and acidic urine indicates low CO2 production, hence compromised energy.
Breath Check
After we finish this video, take 5 minutes to sit quietly and count your breaths.
If you count less than 75, your body isn’t making enough CO2 to trigger a normal breath rate—and you are starting to have a problem.
If your count 65 or less, your Krebs Cycle is depressed and you’re on a road to trouble.
About 80 is ideal.
Urine Check
If your breath rate was low, your urine is probably acidic, too.
You can get pH test strips at most drug stores.
A urine pH of about 6.4 is ideal. Lower numbers usually mean there’s less CO2 in your urine than there should be.
But if your breath rate was low, you already know you have an issue.
CO2 Energy Efficiency
Every CO2 molecule your body doesn’t make is 6 units of energy you had to do without, manifesting as fatigue.
The more your body does without the energy it needs, the sooner you’ll have problems.
If you’re low on CO2, or energy, then “brownouts” from vascular inflammation are the first thing you want to eliminate.