Simply put, the less breaths you take per minute and the more efficiently your body utilizes oxygen and carbon dioxide, the better and more efficient you will perform.
As an endurance athlete, there is one nutrient that’s critical to your overall performance: oxygen. Simply put, the less breaths you take per minute and the more efficiently your body utilizes oxygen and carbon dioxide, the better and more efficient you will perform. I’m going to take it a step further; aerobic energy production is most effective when we nasal breathe, not mouth breathe.
Mouth and nasal breathing differ dramatically in how they physiologically support the body and brain. How you breathe determines many factors, including how well you’re oxygenating your cells, whether you’re burning fat or sugar, the release of hormones, heart rates, lactic acid build-up, cardiovascular and digestive function and so much more. Breathing rates control heartrates, heartrates control brainwave activity and neurochemistry, while neurochemistry triggers the body to burn fat or sugar energy (Pal et al., 2014).
Our bodies need a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide to function properly. Only nasal breathing can do this correctly and only nasal breathing can produce nitric oxide, which is a bronchodilator and vasodilator that helps to lower your blood pressure and significantly improves oxygen being absorbed in the lungs (Otolaryngol, 2001).
Learning Objectives:
Warm-Up with breath: Warm-ups play a vital role in preparing our bodies for their workout. Learn how to activate your digestion system instead of more “junk miles.”
Train with breath: Use nasal breathing to balance the ANS and biohack into flow states.
Recover with breath: Integration periods at the end of a workout are key for preparing the body for your next workout.