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Breathing Through Your Nose During Strenuous Exercise
You start life breathing through your nose, but at some point many individuals begin to breath through their mouths 2. According to Healthy Place, breathing through the nose is the natural and beneficial way to breathe, as nasal hairs act as a filter for dust particles, bacteria and other foreign bodies, purifying air before it enters the lungs and the bloodstream 2. This filtering system is not available through the mouth. Breathing through your nose also stimulates nerves in your nasal passages, making nose breathing more beneficial for you when you exercise strenuously 2.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
Oxygen Intake
According to Yoga Health Benefits, inhaling through your nose makes the flow of oxygen more effective since it reaches all vital organs of the body. Because your nose has a smaller entrance and exit for air, your breath is unable to exit your lungs as quickly as it can discharge through your mouth, allowing your lungs to use more oxygen. Therefore, nose breathing helps balance the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood 2.
Misconceptions
Functions of the Nose
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A misconception is that because air is inhaled more quickly through your mouth that mouth-breathing provides you more oxygen, making it easier to complete your exercise routine. But the fact is that mouth-breathing actually causes you to breathe excess air, which can cause hypertension or trigger your body into a fight-or-flight mode. This makes mouth-breathing counter-productive to strenuous exercise -- which is supposed to reduce stress and tension.
Mouth Disadvantages
According to Optimal Breathing, exhaling through your mouth sends signals to your brain indicating carbon dioxide is lost too rapidly, which causes goblet cells to produce mucous, slowing your breathing and causing constriction of your arteries and blood vessels. Constriction limits the amount of oxygen your body uses during strenuous exercise, reducing your energy and making it difficult to complete your workout routine.
Nose-Breathing and Vitality
Mouth Breathing Vs. Nasal Breathing
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Breathing through your nose not only helps your exercise routine but also improves your overall vitality 2. To achieve optimal benefits from breathing, observe your breathing patterns. If you catch yourself breathing through your mouth, stop, and begin nose breathing 2.
Exception to Nose Exhalation
One exception to inhaling and exhaling through your nose is when you practice meditative or stress-relieving deep-breathing exercises 2. During this type of exercise, inhale through your nose 2. Hold the breath for several seconds, and then exhale through pursed lips. Pilates is a form of exercise that encourages mouth exhalation because mouth exhalations through pursed lips contract your abdominal muscles, which can help in core strengthening.
Related Articles
References
- The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: Relaxation techniques: Breath Control Helps Quell Errant Stress Response
- Healthy Place: The Importance of Breathing Through Your Nose
- University of Missouri Extension: Take a Deep Breath
- Recinto C, Efthemeou T, Boffelli PT, Navalta JW. Effects of Nasal or Oral Breathing on Anaerobic Power Output and Metabolic Responses. Int J Exerc Sci. 2017;10(4):506-514.
- Cancelliero-gaiad KM, Ike D, Pantoni CB, Borghi-silva A, Costa D. Respiratory pattern of diaphragmatic breathing and pilates breathing in COPD subjects. Braz J Phys Ther. 2014;18(4):291-9. doi:10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0042
- Cleveland Clinic. Diaphragmatic Breathing. 2019.
- Giuliodori MJ, Lujan HL, Briggs WS, Dicarlo SE. A model of locomotor-respiratory coupling in quadrupeds. Adv Physiol Educ. 2009;33(4):315-8. doi:10.1152/advan.00057.2009
- Daley MA, Bramble DM, Carrier DR. Impact loading and locomotor-respiratory coordination significantly influence breathing dynamics in running humans. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(8):e70752. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0070752
- Schücker L, Parrington L. Thinking about your running movement makes you less efficient: attentional focus effects on running economy and kinematics. J Sports Sci. 2019;37(6):638-646. doi:10.1080/02640414.2018.1522697
- Stickford AS, Stickford JL, Tanner DA, Stager JM, Chapman RF. Runners maintain locomotor-respiratory coupling following isocapnic voluntary hyperpnea to task failure. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015;115(11):2395-405. doi:10.1007/s00421-015-3220-y
- Bramble, D., & Carrier, D. (1983). Running and breathing in mammals. Science, 219(4582), 251–256. doi:10.1126/science.6849136
- Ramos-Jiménez, A., Hernández-Torres, R. P., Torres-Durán, P. V., Romero-Gonzalez, J., Mascher, D., Posadas-Romero, C., & Juárez-Oropeza, M. A. (2008). The Respiratory Exchange Ratio is Associated with Fitness Indicators Both in Trained and Untrained Men: A Possible Application for People with Reduced Exercise Tolerance. Clinical medicine. Circulatory, respiratory and pulmonary medicine, 2, 1–9. doi: doi.org/10.4137/ccrpm.s449
- Recinto, C., Efthemeou, T., Boffelli, P. T., & Navalta, J. W. (2017). Effects of Nasal or Oral Breathing on Anaerobic Power Output and Metabolic Responses. International journal of exercise science, 10(4), 506–514. PMID: 28674596
- Schücker, L., & Parrington, L. (2018). Thinking about your running movement makes you less efficient: attentional focus effects on running economy and kinematics. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(6), 638–646. doi:10.1080/02640414.2018.1522697
- Stickford, A. S. L., Stickford, J. L., Tanner, D. A., Stager, J. M., & Chapman, R. F. (2015). Runners maintain locomotor–respiratory coupling following isocapnic voluntary hyperpnea to task failure. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 115(11), 2395–2405. doi:10.1007/s00421-015-3220-y
- TAKANO, N. (1995). Phase Relation and Breathing Pattern during Locomotor/Respiratory Coupling in Uphill and Downhill Running. The Japanese Journal of Physiology, 45(1), 47–58. doi:10.2170/jjphysiol.45.47
- Daley MA, Bramble DM, Carrier DR. Impact Loading and Locomotor-Respiratory Coordination Significantly Influence Breathing Dynamics in Running Humans. Hug F, ed. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(8):e70752. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0070752.
- Morton D, Callister R. Exercise-Related Transient Abdominal Pain (ETAP). Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.z). 2015;45:23-35. doi:10.1007/s40279-014-0245-z.
Writer Bio
Melissa McNamara is a certified personal trainer who holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and communication studies from the University of Iowa. She writes for various health and fitness publications while working toward a Bachelor of Science in nursing.