References

BUSINESS STORY: OxyGoal

15.11.2024

OxyGoal-hengitysvalmentaja Milja Markkanen hymyilee henkilökuvassa, joka on otettu kuusikon keskellä. — *Milja Markkanen, the founder of OxyGoal Ltd.*

Breathing coach Milja Markkanen offers various tools for optimizing breathing through her developed OxyGoal® method. Breathing exercises can improve performance, manage symptoms related to stress and tension, and enhance concentration in competitive and training situations. Markkanen’s goal is to bring the benefits of breathing coaching to competitive gaming and esports as well.

A fellow traveler

Expertise in breathing techniques has accompanied OxyGoal® entrepreneur Milja Markkanen for decades. With a long career in vocal instruction, Markkanen also tackled challenges related to breathing and voice use, which catalyzed the creation of an entirely new coaching method. She tested various breathing and voice techniques on herself and her students during music lessons. The results convinced her of the effectiveness of these new methods, and gradually her client base expanded—partly by chance—from singers to athletes as well: “Sports were a completely foreign field to me, as I don’t even consider myself a bench athlete. At first, I wondered if I could help anyone other than singers and whether I dared to challenge existing ideas about breathing coaching with a new target audience.

Hengitysvalmentaja Milja Markkanen ohjaamassa urheilijoita liikuntasalissa. — *Markkanen wants to improve their clients’ breathing habits.*

In the end, the vocal coach had a plenty to offer for athletes as well, as their accounts revealed various breathing-related issues that Markkanen could address from an entirely new perspective. Positive experiences with the benefits of breathing techniques brought her closer to the world of sports, where breathing exercises are also part of the training processes for elite athletes. Markkanen’s deepening interest in respiratory health led her to first complete two certifications in breathing instruction and, eventually, a master’s degree, with a thesis focused on breathing coaching from both singing and sports perspectives.

In her thesis, Markkanen conducted interviews with sports physicians, physiotherapists, and elite athletes, along with a physiological study and testing of her breathing coaching concept. In the testing phase, she applied her breathing coaching method with athletes from various sports, most of whom faced functional breathing challenges. The thesis also opened up new connections for Markkanen with sports medicine experts and broader networks. Ultimately, the thesis led to the founding of OxyGoal Ltd, which today actively collaborates with institutions such as the Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport KIHU and the Finnish Olympic Committee.

Breathing Coaching as Part of Competitive Gaming

Oxygen intake during sports performance impacts athletic output, especially in winter and endurance sports. However, optimized breathing also offers other functional benefits, such as stress management, recovery, and preventing overexertion. Markkanen emphasizes that breathing is part of a broader well-being framework: “Breathing is the most direct route to our autonomic nervous system and the regulation of our body’s automatic functions.”

While considering the role of breathing techniques across different sports, Markkanen’s perspective also expanded to include competitive gaming. She noted that sports performance is, in many ways, comparable to the performing arts, where there’s often only one chance to perform flawlessly in front of an audience. She began to consider the similar stress experienced by e-athletes, even though their performance isn’t as physically demanding as traditional sports. Despite her lack of experience in competitive gaming, the connections between breathing coaching and electronic sports became clear to her.

Optimizing breathing can provide cognitive benefits for e-athletes, who endure prolonged mental strain during gameplay. According to Markkanen, the main advantages for e-athletes relate to enhanced concentration through improved oxygen intake, as the body demands more oxygen under stress. When a player masters breathing techniques, the body relaxes and starts sending positive, calming signals. These signals can directly influence the mind and reduce tension.

”With shallow, irregular breathing, a gamer’s alertness easily fluctuates between hyperarousal and underarousal, which often leads to mistakes.”

-Milja Markkanen

Markkanen is interested in exploring how various breathing techniques can be utilized during different phases of an esports performance. She also envisions the possibility of active breathing coaching becoming an integral part of a competitive gamer’s training regimen, alongside nutrition, physical training, and mental coaching.

Support for Everyday Breathing

The OxyGoal® method, developed by Milja Markkanen, combines her knowledge and skills as a breathing coach into a system aimed at enhancing body wellness and function by improving breathing technique and capacity. Markkanen describes three core breathing types within the method: Resting Breath, Active Breath, and Maximal Breath.

Resting breath is autonomous, but during physical strain, active breathing is often needed to support body function and performance. The third type, maximal breathing, is only used when conditions demand it. For elite athletes, coordinating active breathing often initially requires a coach’s guidance. According to Markkanen, ingrained breathing habits and beliefs can be so deep-rooted that unlearning them alone can be challenging.

*Milja Markkanen is already a familiar face to many athletes.*

According to Markkanen, breathing techniques often focus on deep inhalation, where the lungs are filled with air to maximize oxygen intake. However, such a large intake of oxygen is not always necessary — breathing patterns should be adjusted according to the level of activity. A full-body activating breathing technique can also help calm the body and prevent over-breathing, or hyperventilation, where the body receives more oxygen than it currently needs. Markkanen also uses the term “everyday breathing,” where active breathing techniques are incorporated into daily life, extending beyond elite sports and competition.

”Optimizing the breathing is important not only for performance, but also for overall well-being.”

-Milja Markkanen

Although Markkanen herself can recognize the benefits of optimized breathing and the visible changes it brings to individuals, the athletes she coaches often seek additional information and research findings to support their understanding about the breathing methods. Advanced breathing coaching is still a relatively unknown topic to the general public, and research data can help reinforce the positive effects of breathing methods as well as raise awareness about respiratory health.

Growth and Fresh Perspectives

OxyGoal’s objective is to grow as an organization so that the effects of breathing techniques can be more widely recognized, even beyond elite sports and into the broader consumer market. The company also sees potential from external sources, as public interest in respiratory health has increased since the pandemic years. According to Markkanen, awareness of the topic can be raised through guides and continuing education programs, as increasing awareness doesn’t always require personal coaching.

Plans are underway for the development of “OxyGoal® Trainer” program for breathing coaches, along with a related handbook, which Markkanen is currently compiling with a journalist writing the book. Markkanen’s vision is for as many people as possible to spread the coaching method’s “gospel,” for example, in the role of an certified OxyGoal® Trainer.

The planning and framework for the training program are still quite open, and it is under consideration whether the program will be developed in collaboration with educational institutions, research organizations, or similar entities. Markkanen is positive about expanding the topic beyond its current target audience and believes that interdisciplinary networking has provided valuable insights into the application of breathing coaching.

Currently, the target group for OxyGoal® coaching mainly consists of athletes and people working under high stress. Markkanen is excited to work with e-athletes, but before diving into practical coaching, she wants to first deepen her understanding of the field and learn more about the characteristics of competitive gaming.

She notes that simply joining the CoEsports network has expanded her understanding of the esports industry and competitive gaming, offering fresh perspectives for advancing her own business. Through the Center of Expertise in Esports in Central Finland -project, Markkanen has also found a way to approach competitive gaming coaches and expand her network into the field of electronic sports as well.

Check out the OxyGoal® website here!

Article Photos: Moona Tarvainen, Kasper Karvo