Retrain Your Breathing For Athletic Performance

Breathing is often taken for granted, much like the ability to run or walk. But just because we can do it instinctively, it doesn't mean that we're doing it properly. In fact, many of us are not breathing optimally for our long-term health or peak performance. If you're not sure how you're breathing, take a moment to check. Are you breathing through your mouth? Do you have pauses between breaths? Do you find yourself gasping for air or breathing rapidly during exercise? If you answered yes to any of these questions, read on to learn more about why you might want to rethink your breathing habits.

The Basics of the Respiratory System

Your respiratory system is composed of organs and tissues that deliver oxygen from the atmosphere to your body's cells and tissues. It also helps to transport carbon dioxide, a waste product of metabolism, from your tissues back into the atmosphere. Proper oxygenation of your blood is essential for exercise and overall health.

Oxygen is a vital fuel that muscles require to work efficiently. Carbon dioxide is responsible for transporting oxygen from the blood to the tissues. Contrary to popular belief, taking deep breaths does not necessarily increase the amount of oxygen in your blood. Most people have sufficiently oxygenated arterial blood at all times, with oxygen saturation levels of 95-99%. Taking deeper breaths will not significantly increase oxygen levels.

The Role of Carbon Dioxide

While oxygen is essential, the key to improving its delivery to your tissues is through carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide helps to offload oxygen from the blood to the tissues. Bohr's effect - Wikipedia

The Bohr Effect explains the chemical relationship between oxygen and carbon dioxide. According to this principle, increased levels of carbon dioxide lead to an increased release of oxygen by hemoglobin, resulting in more oxygen available for your muscles.

Your breathing habits affect carbon dioxide levels in your body. Breathing rate and volume can impact the amount of carbon dioxide in your blood. Your brain contains receptors that monitor oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in your blood. When carbon dioxide levels rise, these sensors signal you to breathe. The primary stimulus for breathing is in response to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in your blood.

The Issue with Overbreathing

Over breathing can occur throughout your day, especially if you're a mouth breather. When you breathe too much, you exhale too much carbon dioxide, decreasing the concentration of CO2 in your blood. This can lead to decreased oxygen delivery to your tissues and muscles, leaving you feeling fatigued or short of breath. This cycle perpetuates the increased rate of breathing, called over-breathing, which can lead to biomechanical changes in the receptors in your brain. Over breathing can increase your sensitivity and decrease your tolerance to carbon dioxide, the very gas that is essential for delivering oxygen to your blood.

Carbon Dioxide Sensitivity and Athletic Performance

Proper breathing habits are critical for athletic performance. During exercise, your body uses more oxygen for energy production, which increases the metabolic activity of your muscles, producing more carbon dioxide in your blood. It's essential to have breathing receptors that can cope well with changes to carbon dioxide and oxygen levels. If your breathing receptors are too sensitive to increased carbon dioxide concentrations or decreased oxygen concentrations, it can lead to over-breathing, which can decrease the oxygenation of your working muscles, resulting in overexertion, poor performance, and an increased risk of inflammation or injury.

Nose Breathing vs Mouth Breathing

Breathing through your mouth is the quickest way to breathe in excess of what your body requires, leading to over-breathing. Breathing through your nose helps to filter, warm, and humidify the air you breathe. It also offers greater resistance, which forces you to use your diaphragm and reduces the amount of carbon dioxide you exhale.

Benefits of Nasal Breathing During Exercises :

Nasal breathing exercises are becoming increasingly popular among athletes due to their numerous benefits for sports performance. According to a study published by the University of Milan in November 2021, young basketball players who adopted a nasal breathing protocol during their regular training practice saw significant improvements in their physical fitness and pulmonary function.

So, what exactly are the benefits of nasal breathing during exercise? First and foremost, breathing through your nose: -Allows working muscles to receive more oxygen, which in turn can lead to improved performance. -Nasal breathing can help speed up recovery time and decrease the risk of injury. -Nasal breathing also has positive effects on your core, spine, and pelvic floor, leading to a stronger overall body-. Nasal breathing helps balance your nervous system, reducing performance anxiety and oxidative stress.

Overall, integrating nasal breathing exercises into your training routine can lead to numerous benefits for sports performance and overall health.