Proper breathing techniques while running

When running, muscles and the respiratory system have to work harder than usual. The body produces more carbon dioxide (CO2) and needs more oxygen, making runners more prone to feeling breathless, short of breath, and chest tightness if they don't breathe properly.

Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth is recommended when running. Inhaling through the nose helps detect odors and harmful substances in the air. The air is warmed, humidified, and filtered of dust, toxins, and allergens before reaching the lungs. This protects the lungs from many respiratory disease-causing agents.

This breathing technique helps to better control oxygen intake, facilitates nitric oxide absorption, enhances blood circulation, and supports the transport of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Proper breathing techniques can improve your running performance. (Illustrative image)

Meanwhile, inhaling air through the mouth is unselective, easily causing dry mouth and increasing the risk of respiratory illnesses. This breathing method also increases ventilation—exhaling more than inhaling—causing a rapid decrease in CO2 levels and an imbalance of oxygen and CO2 in the body. This can lead to dizziness, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, and rapid breathing.

Inhaling and exhaling through the nose is suitable for slow-paced running, while exhaling through the mouth is usually reserved for high-intensity running. Combining nasal inhalation and mouth exhalation is beneficial during sprints or uphill runs, when the body needs to take in more oxygen and eliminate accumulated CO2 to produce energy. This breathing technique optimizes oxygen intake and CO2 elimination, thereby increasing endurance, improving respiratory efficiency, and maintaining a stable running pace.

To increase endurance while running, in addition to combining nasal and mouth breathing, you should practice deep abdominal breathing (also known as diaphragmatic breathing), rhythmically following your steps. When breathing deeply and slowly, the diaphragm lowers to its maximum, the lungs expand fully, increasing chest capacity and activating the lower lobes of the lungs, which contain a larger proportion of blood than the upper lobes. At this time, oxygen-rich blood easily flows to the organs, creating energy to sustain activity.

You can practice abdominal breathing in a 5-step rhythm, inhaling through your nose for two steps and exhaling through your mouth for the next two steps. Maintaining this breathing rhythm consistently helps balance the pressure on the diaphragm and pelvis while running, reducing the risk of injury, regulating blood pressure, and minimizing fatigue during exercise.

Dr. Nguyen Van Ngan (Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tam Anh General Hospital , Hanoi )

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cach-tho-dung-cach-khi-chay-bo-ar906544.html