Movement and Nose Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing

We’ve all heard that it’s better to breathe through your nose. But as soon as you start sprinting or cycling up a hill, your nose suddenly doesn’t seem like a reliable breathing machine. And it’s true – studies show that most noses are physiologically unable to take in enough air at elevated heart rates, even in athletes who have trained nasal breathing. In fact, clinical studies have shown that breathing through the mouth during intense exercise increases oxygen uptake.

Does this mean mouth breathing is the better choice for athletes?

It’s a bit more complicated than that. While mouth breathing is the easiest option for most people, it has been linked to a range of acute and long-term health problems that can actually hinder athletic performance. Mouth breathing can lead to dehydration, inflammation in the lungs, imbalanced blood pH, and decreased endurance and mental acuity.

Nasal breathing, on the other hand, supports lung health, regulates hydration, and protects organs, muscles, and the immune system from damage. A key benefit of this is that nasal breathing stimulates the production of nitric oxide, an antimicrobial and vasodilatory gas that improves blood circulation and increases physical resilience. In addition, the nose is directly connected to areas of the brain that regulate short-term memory and mood. Research shows that regular nasal breathing sharpens focus, strengthens memory, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which improves mood and stress management.

Since the introduction of nose patches in the 90s, athletes have tried to promote nasal breathing during strenuous exercise and competition. However, multiple studies have shown that these patches have little to no effect on athletic performance. It wasn’t until almost three decades later, in 2018, that companies started paying attention to this aspect of the sports world again and developed a nasal breathing system specifically for athletes.