“You can tell the difference that everything you do on the court becomes more difficult with tape over your mouth,” Swirtek said during the tournament’s media day, according to the Women’s Tennis Association’s blog. . “So I see it as a way to build endurance by not running too fast or doing anything extreme.”
Nose breathing exercises have become more and more popular in recent years, thanks in part to TikTok videos and popular books like: “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor and “Benefits of Oxygen” By Patrick McCune, praising its benefits. Some scientists believe that nasal breathing alone can even improve athletic performance.
But is it a good idea to tape your mouth while exercising? asked about the potential benefits of
Benefits of nasal breathing
Nose breathing has several benefits.
“It helps filter warm, moist air,” he said. Brett Comer, professor of otorhinolaryngology at the University of Kentucky. “It prepares the air to go through your nose and prepares it to fall into your lungs.”
Breathing through your nose also releases nitric oxide. “Once it’s out of the sinuses and into the lungs, it can help dilate blood vessels,” says Kammer.
Experts say some of these benefits are lost when you breathe through your mouth. George DurhamAn exercise science professor at Colorado State University in Pueblo compares mouth breathing to driving a car without an air filter.
“One would argue that it might temporarily make a little more horsepower because it doesn’t restrict the airflow to the engine,” he says. “But of course any mechanic would tell you not to run your car without an air filter.”
nasal breathing and exercise
During exercise, people usually start by breathing through their nose and eventually open their mouth to replenish oxygen.
“By default, our bodies will do whatever it takes to get oxygen,” says Kammer. “There’s a reason we open our mouths. It’s the body’s survival mode.”
But Durham said the assumption that everyone has to open their mouths to get more oxygen at high intensity during exercise “may be shortsighted.” His view is that people should breathe through their nose as much as possible.
in small study In the paper, published in the International Journal of Kinesiology and Sports Science in 2018, Durham and his co-authors utilized a nose-only breathing pattern during all training and races for at least six months prior to the race. Ten runners (5 men, 5 women) were tested. study. The researchers wanted to include only athletes who had used nasal breathing long enough and were fully adapted to it, Durham said.
In this study, participants were asked to complete two treadmill tests (one at an increasingly difficult speed and one at a steady pace) under different conditions. In one version, the mouth was duct taped to ensure only nasal breathing. In another experiment, a nose clip was worn to force mouth breathing.
The study found that “breathing through the nose is much more efficient,” Durham said. “Because they didn’t have to breathe much.”
Recent Pilot study Researchers at Baylor University found that breathing only through the nose during exercise increased blood flow to the brain. “If you can get more blood to your brain areas, you can improve your memory and be able to move your body a little better.” Ko Yoon Seokthe principal investigator of the study.
How to practice nose-only breathing
when If Siviatek’s mouth is taped shut, his heart rate will increase because his heart has to work harder to compensate for the lack of oxygen, Kammer said. This happens because “if you try to breathe through your nose alone, you don’t have the ability to provide enough airflow through your nose to begin with,” says Durham. “It changes over time.”
But that doesn’t mean recreational athletes should tape their mouths over while exercising, experts say.
Nicholas RowanAn associate professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, and neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University is concerned that people may inhale the tape or have an allergic reaction to it. “Doing it in an unsupervised environment can actually make it harder to breathe,” he said.
Instead, Rowan recommends paying attention to your breathing while exercising. “Make a conscious effort to keep your mouth shut,” he advises.
“Breathe through your nose during exercise, whether it’s just inhaling and exhaling or just inhaling and exhaling,” says Rowan.
Durham says you can also practice breathing slowly through your nose. It takes time to get used to breathing only through your nose, and you may not be able to exercise at the intensity you are used to breathing through your mouth.
“It’s worth doing, but you have to slow down,” Durham said.
