The fascinating breathing method that helped Jeremy McGovern in the lead-up to the Grand Final

An unusual breathing technique developed by the Dutch ‘Iceman’ may have helped Jeremy McGovern in the lead-up to the AFL Grand Final.

The Eagles player told the Sunday Footy Show he did a “heap of stuff” including the Wim Hof breathing technique to help recover from internal bleeding.

The club was unsure if he would play, with a hip-pointer injury and bleeding keeping him in hospital in the the lead-up to the clash against Collingwood.

Ross and John told Professor Marc Cohen, from the School Of Health and Biomedical Science at RMIT, they were fascinated by the idea of it.

He explained the method, developed by “extreme athlete” Wim Hof made famous with his ability to withstand the extreme cold, involves three things, a particular breathing technique, mental focus and cold exposure.

“Wim Hof found that those three things, he could control his physiology and do things that were otherwise thought impossible,” he said.

“I haven’t heard that, controlling internal bleeding, but we know cold itself is a really powerful anti-inflammatory or analgesic, any first-aider knows that you sprain your ankle you put a cold pack on it.”

He said the breathing technique has similarities with breathing practices taught in yoga.

“There’s certainly something in it, it really does profoundly change your blood chemistry and the way your body reacts to injury,” he said.

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Photo: AAP