out of breath

How to breathe optimally when running.

I seem to run out of breath every few 100 metres and it is mainly because I am not sure how to breathe when running (just getting into it). I try running with my mouth closed but that doesn't work (I generally don't like to breathe through my mouth).

Reply 1

bl0bf1sh

Original post by Anonymous

The "optimal" way of breathing whilst running will depend on multiple factors, such as how far you're running, the speed/intensity (including hills), your overall level of fitness…

Personally, I find that I cannot get enough air in when breathing through my nose alone – if you think about it, your body needs lots of oxygen for respiration, in order for your muscles to be able to contract so that you can run; your nostrils are likely too small to be able to get enough air into your lungs to meet these requirements. You'll also be needing to exhale in order to get rid of carbon dioxide (a waste product of respiration).
Your mouth, however, is much bigger and so it is easier to get more air in and out – you can move a higher volume of air at the same breathing rate. A really fast rate of breathing will also limit how much air you can get in easily!

I'm a reasonably decent runner, and my general breathing pattern when running would be:
– Inhale (two steps: left, right)
– Exhale (the next two steps: left, right)
Primarily through my mouth (although my nose might get involved a bit as well, just to optimise air flow).

You don't have to be running with your mouth wide open! But the benefit of breathing through your mouth whilst running is that you can change the shape of the "air hole" to change the volume of air flow without needing to breathe at a crazily fast rate.

TL;DR: your nostrils are probably too small to get enough air in. :smile: