Breathing is subconscious. We donโt have to think about it โ it just happens. But when we exercise, many of us become more aware of it than we normally are โ sometimes thinking about every breath we take.
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During low and moderate-intensity exercises (such as walking and cycling), the majority of us breathe in through our nose and out through our mouths. But the more intense the exercise becomes, the more we tend to breathe entirely through our mouths.Most of us would assume that breathing through the mouth is the best technique to use during intense exercise, as it allows more oxygen to reach our muscles. But evidence shows the contrary โ and that breathing through your nose may actually be a better technique to use during intense exercise (such as running).
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A series of studies have shown that when exercising at different intensities, less oxygen is used when breathing through the nose compared to breathing through your mouth. While this might not sound like a benefit, it basically means that the body can still perform the same amount of exercise while using less oxygen to perform it.This could be a real advantage, especially for endurance athletes, as economy of movement is fundamental to success. Think of oxygen as fuel for the car. The fewer miles per gallon of fuel a car uses, the better its โfuel economyโ is. The same applies to oxygen. The less oxygen used per footfall, the less energy a person uses (and therefore, the more economical they are). This means you may be able to run further without becoming exhausted as quickly.
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Further to this, breathing through your nose is associated with reduced volumes of air. This makes sense, as the nostrils are much smaller than your mouth is, so you canโt draw in as much oxygen at one time. But this study also found that people breathed less frequently through their noses when exercising, which seems less logicalThe key here is understanding that air moves from high pressures to lower pressures to help it go from the air and into the lungs. So, although the volume of air is lower in the nasal cavity compared to the mouth, the pressure is higher โ meaning the air moves more quickly into the respiratory system. The result is that oxygen can then be delivered more quickly to the working muscles.
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More oxygen is also released per breath, which explains why thereโs no difference in heart rate when breathing orally or nasally during the same exercise. So, despite lower volumes of oxygen coming in, this indicates the heart doesnโt need to work harder to deliver it to the muscles. This means the heart is under no additional stress when breathing through your nose during exercise.Researchers also suggest that breathing through your nose increases the production of nitric oxide, which not only makes it easier for oxygen to reach the lungs and muscles, but it may also prevent airborne pathogens (such as viruses) from causing harm. Nitric oxide does this by lowering blood pressure and helping blood flow more easily, allowing that much-needed oxygen to reach the working muscles.
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In all, it looks like breathing through your nose may actually be of benefit when running. It makes your movements more economical, reduces the amount of airborne particles you breathe, reduces exercising blood pressure, and helps oxygen reach the working muscles more effectively.
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