guest post by Radek Bulva
There are sides to running which are not frequently discussed as nobody really thoughts of them as having any significant influence on performance. Breathing is without any doubt one of them. And yet, how many times has it happened to you that you had to slow down because you had run out of breath rather than because of muscle fatigue? Here are some tips which might help you with breathing more comfortably on your next run.
Belly Breathing vs. Chest Breathing
There are basically two patterns of breathing. Chest breathing relies on using the chest muscles to breathe and you can recognize it by feeling your chest rise and fall. While chest breathing is very common, it doesn’t use the capacity of lungs fully and is often labelled as shallow. A better alternative is belly breathing which is deeper and increases the amount of oxygen taken in and the amount of carbon dioxide removed from lungs. Signs of breathing from your belly properly are that your lower ribcage and abdomen expand while your chest remains still. Sometimes belly breathing is called diaphragmatic breathing but this is a bit misleading as the diaphragm is active in both breathing patterns. However, only in the second breathing pattern is the diaphragm able to fulfil its other key function which is the core stabilization. When you breathe in, the diaphragm and muscles around it contract and thus stabilize the core.
Nose Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing
The obvious goal is to get in as much air per breath as possible. Thus the question whether to breathe through nose or mouth while running is sort of irrelevant. Breathing through your nose and mouth together seems to be the most effective strategy in terms of potential oxygen intake. However, nose breathing seems to have an upper hand in certain circumstances. When running in cold weather it is sensible to breathe through your nose as the cold, dry air is moisturized and warmed to body temperature and thus irritates the lungs less. Moreover, nose breathing filters out pollutants from the inhaled air which is a definitive plus in winter months when air pollution levels tend to be elevated. Nose breathing also seems to be preferable for some runners while running at an easy pace. Not only does it help you breathe more deeply and lower your heart rate, it can be also used as a kind of cruise control system – when you start running out of breath, it means that you are no longer running at an easy pace and forces you to slow down. This comes handy especially in summer when hot temperatures and increased air humidity can alter your usual training paces by tens of seconds per kilometre.
Though you may not be aware of it, there is a good chance that your breathing is aligned to your stride rate. For example, when running fast you may inhale for two steps and exhale for the same amount. These breathing patterns are called breathing rhythms or breathing rates. Rhythmic breathing is said to be beneficial to your respiratory system and may even have a small effect on performance, but arguably its most important benefit is that it can teach you how to measure your effort and pace yourself.
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