What Do They Have in Common?

Well, actually quite a bit…

Breathing patterns can change our pH levels, which in turn can change the ability for oxygen to dissociate with hemoglobin, which ultimately affects the amount of oxygen that can reach working tissues. Excess carbon dioxide exhalation can throw off breathing and health patterns, leadings to a cycle of negative over breathing symptoms.

One of the issues with the way we breathe is the rate. Often we exhale at a rate that is too great and our inhalations too large. Obviously this is not the case for everyone, but it can influence our training.

The Benefits

It has been well reported that nasal breathing can have a late positive influence on some of the negative effects of over breathing.

It increases both the amount of oxygen absorbed per breath and the total amount of carbon dioxide exhaled. In turn, this allows for a more “balanced” pattern when intensity is not too great.

At the same time, breathing through the nose reduces the total number of breaths per minute and technically will reduce total “un-needed” energy expenditure dedicated towards breathing.

Other Pros:

Nasal breathing at night is associated with better mouth pH balance, which can actually reduce your likelihood of oral issues (cavities, tonsil stones, dry mouth).

Nasal breathing is a skill.

We are not used to it, and like all skills, it needs to be trained. In our aerobic training block, we integrate nasal breathing to help develop a more efficient breathing pattern early on. By adding nasal breathing to submaximal work, it allows you to train the skill without being in a high stress state.

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