How to breathe on the run to maintain a good performance

How to breathe on the run it is still a common question among people who are starting to practice the modality and want to maintain a good performance, whether on the street or on the treadmill.

According to otorhinolaryngologist Bruno Borges de Carvalho Barrosone of the biggest mistakes when talking about breathing is to pull and release the air through the mouth, in order to increase the flow of inspired air.

“What few people know is that the effect is exactly the opposite. Instead of enhancing, when breathing is not correct during physical activity, the risk of injury increases, as the diaphragm is overloaded, and may even cause cramps in the organ”, explains the professional.

“The result is quickly perceived with painful discomfort on the side of the abdomen, in addition to damage that is increased in those who maintain this type of breathing at rest. Breathing through the mouth in adolescence can lead to craniofacial alterations, such as open or crossbite”, he warns.

Breathing through the nose vs mouth

Although there are already studies that compare nasal breathing with oral breathing during running, their results were considered inconclusive, as they used small samples to reach a more concrete conclusion.

Some experts, however, say nasal breathing has its own benefits, including increasing the saturation of CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the blood, which creates a more calming effect.

Another positive point is that inhaling and exhaling through the nose can also help warm the air entering the lungs and can minimize the intake of toxins (especially if you run outside).

“By inhaling through the nose, which is adequate, the air enters the lungs warm and humid, in addition to being filtered by the cilia of the nostrils. The ambient air we breathe is between 15-27ºC. Upon reaching the end of the nose, it is already at a body temperature of 36.5ºC and humid. When passing through the mouth, none of that happens”, explains the otorhinolaryngologist.

It is worth noting, however, that these benefits only speak to the inspiration part. So if breathing through your mouth is more comfortable for you, try breathing in through your nose and just exhaling through your mouth.

So how to breathe on the run?

According to Roberto Ranzini, orthopedist and sports doctorit is necessary to breathe (both exhale and inhale) as deeply as possible so that all CO2 (carbon dioxide) can be “thrown” out during practice.

In addition, ideally, inspiration and expiration should have the same duration, to avoid hyperventilation – a condition that occurs when lung ventilation is greater than necessary for the elimination of CO2, affecting the entire balance. of the body.