How Nose Breathing Improves Exercise Efficiency

Re-thinking how we breath on a bike.

Watching Tadej Pogacar win a sprint finish on Stage 1of the Tour of Romandie, I was struck that he had his mouth closed as he crossed the line, instead of gasping for air like Lipowitz, Martinez and Nordhagen who followed him seconds later.

In most bike races, we can see riders seemingly bowling along at record speeds, while nose breathing.

Pogacar and his peloton colleagues are some of the most highly adapted, aerobically efficient athletes on the planet but to be able to nose breath in these circumstances is interesting.

I thought I would have a look at some comparisons between nasal, oral and (combined) oronasal breathing to see what the science has to say.

Most research concludes that at nose breathing is good for us, whether we are trained athletes are not. In summary:

- Nose breathed air is pre-filtered, pre-warmed and moistened, making it more easily absorbed by the lungs.

- Breathing through the nose produces Nitric Oxide, a magical molecule that transports oxygenated blood to working muscles and helps buffer lactic production. (As an aside, it can help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol and remove harmful plaque from blood vessels too)

- We lose a lot less moisture when nose breathing compared to exhaling through our mouth, slowing the onset of dehydration.

- Nose breathed air is directed more deeply into our lungs, where it is better absorbed. Mouth breathing tends to be shallower, mainly filling the narrow upper chest.

- We use less energy when we breath through our nose, improving our exercise efficiency.

- Importantly, nose breathing can help us regulate our effort during a Zone 2 ride, ensuring that the benefits are maximised, through staying in the Zone.

There is limited and contradictory research into whether nose breathing compares well with mouth and combined nose/mouth breathing when looking at endurance performance.

A randomized experiment to verify the effect of different breathing regimens on muscular endurance performance was conducted on 107 physically active college students who performed repeated bench presses to failure

Heart rate, blood oxygen saturation and perceived exertion were measured as well.

No differences were recorded in any of these measures when comparing the different breathing methods. Nose breathing appears just as efficient as the options.

However, another study drew some different conclusions.

During light to moderate exercise, pure nasal breathing seems to be sufficient to maintain performance. However, at higher intensities, people switch to oronasal or oral breathing.

The ratio of mouth and nose usage can vary among individuals, and the cause of the transition is unclear, although current evidence suggests the switch in breathing patterns might result from subjective feelings of hypoventilation or be triggered by a lowering of the turbulence associated with airflow through of nasal passage.

Available research demonstrates that nasal breathing during steady submaximal exercise, results in a lower respiration rate, lower oxygen uptake at a given intensity, and lower levels of O₂ and higher CO₂ in exhaled air. During easy efforts, nose breathing is more efficient.

However, nasal breathing can reduce achievable maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max) and peak work in under trained individuals. But individuals who have trained using nose breathing, pro cyclists for example, and have adapted to it, show no significant differences in VO₂max or endurance performance

Further available evidence suggests that most healthy individuals should be able to complete both moderate intensity aerobic exercise and short-term anaerobic exercise while nasal breathing without the need for specific training.

However, heavy and/or maximal aerobic exercise may require specific long-term training, more than 6 months is suggested, to adapt to a nasal breathing approach and overcome initial limitations to peak VO2 and work capacity.

In addition, the use of a device designed to open the nasal flares will increase ventilation during nasal breathing and increase the peak workload which can be achieved. So, it seems that simple nasal strips do deliver benefits.

I have used nose breathing extensively and now feel well adapted to it. The benefits of breathing through our noses seem to me to outweigh the downsides of feeling short of breath at times, during the adaptation phase. I use nose breathing during longer Zone 2 rides and find it helps speed recovery, improving consistency. It is also a more relaxed, less stressful way to train.

As ever, I am interested in comments on this.

Have a good Sunday,

Mike

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