Nose Breathing While Running: Why It Matters
Breathing through your nose instead of your mouth while running offers quite a few benefits. Nose breathing helps regulate pace, prevent side stitches, and improve endurance.Â
Read on to understand why nasal breathing boosts running performance.
Here are a few reasons why nose breathing is often recommended for running:
- It slows your breathing rate. Breathing through your nose (rather than mouth) automatically slows your rate of breathing, which in turn helps regulate carbon dioxide levels and prevents hyperventilation. This allows more efficient oxygen uptake.
- It humidifies the air. The nasal passages warm and humidify incoming air, making it easier for the air to reach the lungs. Cold dry air can irritate airways when mouth breathing.
- It filters the air. The nasal passages contain tiny hairs and mucus that help filter out dust, allergens, and other particulate matter that could otherwise reach the lungs. This keeps your lungs cleaner.
- It improves pace control. The slower regulated breathing makes it easier to find a comfortable, steady rhythm and pace when running long distances. Over-breathing can lead to getting quickly winded.
- It helps to engage proper running form. Nose breathing encourages running with an upright head position, engaging the core rather than hunching over and leading with the head and mouth. This improves overall form.
So by breathing through the nose, runners can achieve more regulated, efficient breathing that allows better endurance and pacing. The airflow is also cleaner and conditioned. Most running experts recommend nose breathing for these reasons.
Why Run With Nose Breathing
Breathing during exercise serves the critical purpose of delivering oxygen to working muscles. Most people naturally turn to mouth breathing when running intensity increases. However, breathing through the nose offers advantages in conditioning inhaled air, controlling breathing rate, and supporting proper form. Nasal breathing enhances running economy and endurance.
Steady Pace and Endurance
Nose breathing slows the rate of inhalation, preventing rapid shallow breathing that can limit running stamina. The natural resistance of the nasal passages helps reduce intake volume. This makes it easier to settle into an efficient rhythmic pace. Nasal breathing also increases carbon dioxide tolerance through conditioned gas exchange. The result is greater mile splitting ability.
| Mouth Breathing | Nose Breathing |
| Rapid pace leads to quick fatigue | Helps find steady, sustainable rhythm |
| Easy to over breathe | Prevents hyperventilation |
| Leads to side stitches | Allows greater mile split times |
Air Filtration and Humidifying
Inhaling through the nose filters and treats incoming air before it reaches the lungs. The nasal turbinates remove dust, pollen, and other irritants. The passages also humidify and warm cold air to body temperature. This clean, conditioned air reduces strain on respiratory function.
Better Running Form
Nasal breathing encourages proper upright posture while running. Taking air through the mouth tends to lead to forward head tilting as chest expansion increases. Panting through an open mouth also tenses neck and shoulders. Keeping the mouth closed helps engage the core, relax the upper body, and improve running efficiency.
Additional Nasal Breathing Benefits
Beyond direct physiological effects, nose breathing also provides mental advantages to help runners reach flow state. The deep rhythmic breathing promotes relaxation. Nasal inhalation also allows runners to take in ambient smells during outdoor training, engaging more senses. This helps increase mindfulness and enjoyment.
Preventing Side Pain
Side stitches are a common complaint, especially for new runners. These intense muscle spasms under the ribs can feel like a stabbing pain. While several factors contribute to side stitches, rapid shallow breathing is a prime culprit. Nose breathing helps prevent severe side pain by controlling intake pace.
Integrating Nasal Breathing Into Your Runs
Focusing on nose-only breathing takes concerted effort at first. Try incorporating dedicated nasal breathing practice into the beginning of runs before switching to a comfortable natural rhythm. Use mental cues to keep your mouth closed. Initially target nasal breathing during warm ups, cool downs, and short run segments. With time, this rhythmic breathing pattern will become second nature. Allow breaths in through the mouth as needed at higher intensities. Ultimately a fluid blended breathing approach offers ideal respiration management.
Q and A
What is the main benefit of nose breathing while running?
The main benefit is it helps regulate breathing rate and rhythm, which allows better pace management and prevents hyperventilation fatigue.
Does nose breathing filter incoming air? Yes, the nasal passageways remove dust, allergens, and other particles from airflow before reaching the lungs.
Can nose breathing help prevent side stitches? Yes, by controlling rapid shallow breathing, nose breathing can help minimize side stitches.
Should you try to always breathe through your nose when running?
It’s fine to let mouth breathing complement nose breathing during higher exertion. Aim to nose breathe more during easier efforts.
Are there mental boosts to nose breathing? Yes, the deep regular rhythm has a relaxation effect. Smelling the environment also engages more senses to increase mindfulness.
In Summary
Breathing through the nose offers physiological and mental advantages for runners by conditioning incoming air while controlling respiration rate. Work on your nasal breath skills to boost endurance.
“Nose breathing while running helps runners build endurance by regulating pace and preventing fatigue.” This is some basic, sample markdown.
