By the Boost Oxygen Team | Last Updated: October 2026
If you follow the world of biohacking and human performance, you have likely come across Gary Brecka. A professional human biologist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of 10X Health System, Brecka has built a reputation for translating complex science into practical, actionable health advice — and oxygen sits at the center of much of what he teaches. His now-famous quote, “the presence of oxygen is the absence of disease,” has resonated with millions and helped bring mainstream attention to something Boost Oxygen has been focused on for years: the critical role oxygen plays in how we feel, perform, and recover.
Who Is Gary Brecka?
Gary Brecka is a human biologist with over two decades of experience studying how genetics and lifestyle choices influence human health. He is the co-founder of 10X Health System and founder of Streamline Medical Group, and has worked with high-profile athletes, celebrities, and business leaders. He rose to wider public attention after appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience, where he discussed his approach to human optimization — including the central role of oxygen in the body.
Brecka regularly speaks at conferences around the world and has become one of the most prominent voices in the biohacking space, advocating for a science-backed approach to health that prioritizes foundational inputs like oxygen, genetics, and nutrition.
What Gary Brecka Says About Oxygen and Emotions
One of the more compelling things Brecka talks about is the relationship between oxygen levels and emotional states. His position is straightforward: every elevated emotional state a human can experience — joy, passion, elation, arousal — requires the presence of oxygen. Without sufficient oxygen, he argues, you simply cannot access those higher emotional states.
Anger, by contrast, does not require oxygen in the same way. This is why, as Brecka explains, a person can wake up angry from a dead sleep but cannot wake up laughing. You do not have the oxidative state required for elevated emotion straight out of deep sleep.
The science behind this connects to how oxygen interacts with neurotransmitters in the brain. The amygdala, which processes emotions, connects directly to the hippocampus where memories are stored. Brecka argues that your current oxygen levels can therefore influence not just how you feel in the moment, but how you encode and recall experiences over time — making oxygen a factor not just in physical performance but in mental and emotional wellbeing.
Oxygen, Performance, and Recovery
Beyond emotions, Brecka is a strong advocate for optimizing oxygen intake as a foundation for physical performance and recovery. He emphasizes deep diaphragmatic breathing to improve oxygen intake and has spoken extensively about how increasing oxygen availability in the body supports energy production, cellular repair, and overall vitality.
This aligns directly with what Boost Oxygen users experience — whether they are athletes looking for a performance edge, people managing fatigue, individuals dealing with poor air quality, or anyone spending time at high altitude. Giving your body access to purer, more concentrated oxygen is one of the most direct ways to support the processes Brecka describes.
How Boost Oxygen Fits In
Boost Oxygen delivers 95% pure supplemental oxygen, compared to the roughly 21% oxygen found in the air we normally breathe. For anyone looking to support their body’s oxygen levels quickly and conveniently — before a workout, during recovery, at altitude, or simply when energy is low — it offers a portable, easy-to-use solution that aligns with the oxygen-first thinking Gary Brecka advocates. Learn more about what Boost Oxygen is and how it works.
Boost Oxygen is intended for recreational use and is not a medical device or treatment for any medical condition. Always consult your physician if you have any health concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Gary Brecka say about oxygen?
Gary Brecka teaches that oxygen is foundational to human health, performance, and emotional wellbeing. He is known for the phrase “the presence of oxygen is the absence of disease” and regularly speaks about how increasing oxygen availability in the body supports energy, recovery, and elevated emotional states.
Does Gary Brecka recommend supplemental oxygen?
Brecka is a strong advocate for increasing oxygen levels in the body through methods including breathwork and supplemental oxygen. He has spoken publicly about the benefits of 95% pure oxygen and its role in supporting physical and mental performance. For more on the research behind supplemental oxygen, see the scientific studies that support the benefits of supplemental oxygen.
What is the connection between oxygen and emotions?
According to Gary Brecka, elevated emotional states such as joy, passion, and elation all require the presence of oxygen. Lower emotional states like anger do not require oxygen in the same way, which is why it is possible to feel angry immediately upon waking but not to feel joy or elation until oxygen levels in the body rise.
What is Boost Oxygen?
Boost Oxygen is a portable canister of 95% pure supplemental oxygen designed for recreational use. It is used by athletes, people at high altitude, older adults, and anyone looking for a convenient way to support their oxygen levels. No prescription is needed.
