Breathing is subconscious. No need to think about it. It just happens. However, when we exercise, many of us become more conscious of our exercise than usual, and sometimes find ourselves thinking: every breath we take.
During low- and moderate-intensity exercise (such as walking or cycling), most of us breathe in through our noses and exhale through our mouths. However, the more intense the exercise, the more we tend to breathe fully. our mouth.
Most of us consider mouth breathing to be the best method to use during intense exercise, as it allows more oxygen to reach the muscles. However, evidence suggests the opposite, and that nasal breathing may actually be a better technique during intense exercise (such as running).
A series of studies have shown that when you exercise at different intensities, less oxygen is used When you breathe through your nose compared to when you breathe through your mouth. This may not sound like an advantage, but it basically means your body can perform the same amount of exercise using less oxygen.
This can be a huge advantage, especially for endurance athletes. Economy of movement It’s the basis of success. Think of oxygen as fuel for your car. The fewer miles a car travels per gallon of fuel it uses, the better its “fuel economy.” The same goes for oxygen. The less oxygen used per foot, the less energy a person will use (and therefore be more economical). This means you can potentially run longer without getting tired too quickly.
Furthermore, breathing through the nose Decrease in air volume. This makes sense because the nostrils are much smaller than the mouth, so they can’t take in as much oxygen at once. But the study also found that people breathe through their noses less often during exercise, which doesn’t seem very logical.
The key here is to understand that air moves from high pressure to low pressure to help the air enter the lungs. Therefore, the volume of air in the nasal cavity is less than in the mouth, but the pressure is higher. move faster Enters the respiratory system. As a result, oxygen is delivered faster to working muscles.
more oxygen too released with each breathThis explains why there is no difference in heart rate when breathing through the mouth or through the nose during the same exercise. Therefore, even though the amount of oxygen coming in is reduced, this indicates that the heart does not have to work as hard to deliver oxygen to the muscles. This means breathing through your nose during exercise won’t put extra stress on your heart.
Researchers also found that breathing through your nose nitric oxideThis not only makes it easier for oxygen to reach your lungs and muscles, but also airborne pathogens Avoid causing harm (such as viruses). Nitric oxide does this by lowering blood pressure and making blood flow easier. desperately needed oxygen Target the muscles that are working.
Overall, it appears that breathing through your nose may actually be beneficial when running. It makes movement more economical, reduces the amount of airborne particles you breathe, lowers blood pressure during exercise, and allows oxygen to reach working muscles more effectively.
There is less clear evidence for other types of exercise that require short bursts of concentration (such as weightlifting).This kind of exercise depends on draw out energy It comes from sources other than oxygen, such as sugar (glucose) stored in muscles. However, these metabolic processes are depleted during exercise, still needs oxygen to recover.Taking deep breaths through your nose while recovering between sets can make this process more likely to occur. more optimally.
But while this all sounds incredibly positive and encouraging, there are also some negatives to be aware of.
Breathing only through your nose while exercising is extremely dangerous. learned process. It should not be implemented immediately. If introduced without training,air hunger” – a process in which a small amount of carbon dioxide is retained at the end of each breath. This can cause discomfort and hyperventilation.
As with anything, practice makes perfect. When learning to breathe through your nose, be careful not to force air into your nose. Relax in the process. Make sure your tongue is at the top of your mouth. This will relax your jaw and facial muscles, making it easier to breathe deeply through your nose. You can also alternate breathing through your nose and mouth at first until you get used to breathing only through your nose. The more you do this, the more the process will penetrate your subconscious mind.
Breathing through your nose while exercising is very effective. Be sure to practice to avoid harm and give your body time to adapt.
This article was first published conversation By Dan Gordon, Chloe French and Jonathan Melville of Anglia Ruskin University.read Original article here.
