Section G — Coach Breath — Breath and Your Nervous System
This section covers Chapter 2, Lessons 2.1 through 2.4.
Part A — Vocabulary (20 points, 2 points each)
Select the best answer for each question.
1. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is:
A) The part of the nervous system you consciously control B) The part of the nervous system that runs automatic body functions — heart rate, digestion, breathing baseline, blood pressure, sweat C) Only present in adults D) A type of muscle
2. The sympathetic nervous system is:
A) The "rest and digest" branch B) The "fight or flight" branch of the ANS — speeds the heart, raises alertness, mobilizes energy C) Only active when you sleep D) The same as the parasympathetic system
3. The parasympathetic nervous system is:
A) The "fight or flight" branch B) The "rest and digest" branch of the ANS — slows the heart, supports digestion and recovery C) A type of muscle D) Only present in animals
4. The vagus nerve is:
A) A muscle in the throat B) A major nerve that carries parasympathetic signals from brain to body and back; longer slower exhales engage it C) A type of food D) The same as the optic nerve
5. CO₂ tolerance is:
A) The body's ability to comfortably handle modest rises in blood carbon dioxide before the urge to breathe becomes strong — varies by person B) Always perfect at all ages C) A type of asthma D) An attention measure
6. Hyperventilation is:
A) Breathing slowly B) Rapid or deep breathing that lowers blood CO₂ below normal — can cause tingling, lightheadedness, and (combined with breath-hold underwater) shallow water blackout C) Calm breathing D) The same as snoring
7. Shallow water blackout is:
A) A swim trick B) A sudden loss of consciousness underwater that can happen when someone hyperventilates first and then holds their breath underwater — has killed adolescents and adults; never practiced C) A normal swim feature D) Only in deep water
8. Box breathing (4:4:4:4) is:
A) Holding your breath underwater B) A calm breath pattern — 4 seconds in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold — used at conversational ratios to settle the nervous system (not for CO₂-tolerance training) C) Forcing maximum exhales D) A type of music
9. The choking game (also called the fainting game) is:
A) A harmless party trick B) A specifically dangerous pattern of cutting off breath or blood flow to cause lightheadedness — has caused brain injury and death; never practiced C) A school sport D) The same as box breathing
10. The Wim Hof Method, in popular form combining breath-holds with cold water:
A) Is recommended at all ages B) Is specifically named as dangerous in its combined breath-hold-plus-water form — Coach Breath and Coach Cold both reject the water version regardless of age C) Has no risks D) Is required by the curriculum
Part B — Concept Comprehension (20 points, 2 points each)
Select the best answer for each question.
11. Slow, long exhales tend to:
A) Speed the heart and raise blood pressure B) Activate the parasympathetic branch through the vagus nerve, slowing heart rate and calming the body C) Stop the breath entirely D) Have no effect
12. Fast, shallow breathing tends to:
A) Engage the sympathetic branch — heart rate up, alertness up — useful in some contexts and harmful when chronic B) Always calm you C) Have no nervous system effect D) Replace sleep
13. The main urge to breathe comes from:
A) Low oxygen levels B) Rising CO₂ and the resulting drop in blood pH (sensed by chemoreceptors) C) Boredom D) Hunger
14. Hyperventilating before holding your breath underwater is dangerous because:
A) It uses up oxygen B) It lowers blood CO₂ enough that the body's urge-to-breathe signal is silenced — the swimmer can pass out from low oxygen without warning, then drown C) It improves swim performance D) It is required for safety
15. Coach Breath at Grade 7 is unambiguous that:
A) Underwater breath-hold practice is a fun curriculum item B) The curriculum does not teach underwater breath-hold practice at any grade; shallow water blackout is real and has killed teens and adults C) Anyone can hold their breath as long as they want D) Breath-holds are required for fitness
16. Useful breath tools described in Lesson 2.3 include:
A) Hyperventilation before tests B) Slow conversational ratios (such as 4:4:4:4 box breathing) and slow exhales — applied during stress, before sleep, or to settle attention C) Holding breath as long as possible during exams D) Breath-holds in the pool
17. "Breath is the autonomic system you can voluntarily influence" means:
A) Breath is unimportant B) Almost no other automatic body function can be deliberately changed; breath is unique, which makes it a powerful regulation tool C) Breath has nothing to do with the nervous system D) Only adults can use breath this way
18. Asthma and other respiratory conditions:
A) Are failures of "proper breathing" and should never be discussed B) Are real medical conditions; inhalers and medical care are appropriate; nothing in this chapter replaces medical treatment C) Should be ignored D) Only happen at night
19. Hyperventilation in everyday life (without underwater context) can cause:
A) Tingling, lightheadedness, sometimes panic-feeling — because of low CO₂ and constricted brain blood vessels B) Improved memory C) Nothing D) Hunger
20. Coach Breath's main message at Grade 7 is:
A) Breath is the most reliable bridge to the autonomic nervous system, and learning conversational breath tools is one of the most useful middle-school skills — and underwater breath-holds plus combined breath-and-cold practices are not part of this curriculum B) Hold your breath as long as possible C) Breathing slowly is dangerous D) Use a phone to track every breath
Part C — Application (30 points, 6 points each)
Write 2-4 complete sentences for each question.
21. Explain sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Use a real example for each (one for "fight or flight," one for "rest and digest").
22. Why does a long slow exhale tend to calm you down? Use the word vagus nerve in your answer.
23. Safety recognition. A friend says, "Let's hyperventilate together and then see who can hold their breath underwater the longest." Explain specifically why this is dangerous, name the condition you would be risking, and describe what you would say to your friend.
24. Safety recognition. A different friend tells you about the "fainting game" (sometimes called the "choking game") and says it is "just a way to feel a head rush." Based on Lesson 2.2, what is actually happening to the body, and what would you say?
25. Describe one useful, safe breath practice from Lesson 2.3 (such as 4:4:4:4 box breathing, or a slow-exhale practice). When during your day might it be useful, and what does it do to the nervous system?
Continue to Section H — Coach Light.