Effects of magnetic fields on breathing

Since oxygen gas is paramagnetic and easily attracted by magnets, it may be possible to assist respiration using permanent magnets. To investigate the effects of magnetic fields on respirations, we measured the velocity of inhalation and exhalation in the presence and absence of permanent magnets. When a U-shaped permanent magnet of central magnetic field 0.7 T was set around the air intake, the averaged velocity of inhaled and exhaled flows increased by about 23% compared with that without a magnet. When a block of magnet was set on the nose, the averaged velocity increased by about 18%. Next, we measured the volume of ventilation (VE), the volume of oxygen intake, breathing frequency, and heart rate for trained young men group and untrained women group when a pair of permanent magnets was set near or inside the nostril, and compared the results with those of control measurements. The fluctuation of VE with time decreased or increased, depending on the strength of magnets and if tested persons were trained or not.