Nose Breathing Benefits: How It Improves Your Health and Athletic Performance

by Joe Somodi, Mental Performance Coach

As an athlete, you know the importance of maintaining peak physical fitness to perform at your best. You work hard to train your body, eat right, and focus on your technique, but did you know that something as simple as nasal breathing can significantly impact your performance? I'm here to share with you the amazing functions of the nose and how nasal breathing can improve your everyday performance.

Visuospatial Awareness

One of the incredible benefits of nasal breathing for athletes is increased visuospatial (VS) awareness. In 2019, research conducted at the Weizmann Institute in Israel demonstrated that nasal breathing can synchronize the brain's electrical activity to maximize visuospatial awareness. VS is the ability to assess and navigate your surroundings, which is essential for athletes competing in sports that require quick reaction times and strategic thinking. This includes sports like basketball, football, and tennis, where anticipating your opponent's moves is crucial. By breathing through your nose, you can optimize your visuospatial awareness and gain a competitive edge. (1,2)

Nasal Resistance

Nasal breathing is also a powerful tool for inducing relaxation and regulating your breathing rate. Breathing through the nose offers resistance, which slows down the breathing rate and results in a relaxed state. This is crucial for athletes who need to conserve energy and remain calm during high-pressure situations. Research shows that slow functional breathing helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and promote relaxation. (3)

Diaphragm Recuitment

Another fantastic benefit of nasal breathing for athletes is that it improves the recruitment of the diaphragm breathing muscle. The diaphragm is the primary muscle used for breathing, and nasal breathing can increase its recruitment. Breathing through the mouth can lead to shallow movement of the diaphragm, while nasal breathing can restore its natural depth and rhythm. For athletes who rely on breathing to optimize their performance, such as runners, swimmers, and gymnasts, to name a few,  it’s crucial to switch to habitual nasal breathing during training and daily life to improve better recruitment of the diaphragm muscle. (4)

Oxygen Uptake

Nasal breathing is also more efficient in terms of oxygen uptake compared to mouth breathing. The nose has a more complex structure, with turbinates and nasal hairs that help to warm, humidify, and filter the air before it reaches the lungs. In fact, when the nasal passages are blocked, the amount of oxygen uptake in the blood decreases. This makes nasal breathing crucial for athletes who need to optimize oxygen uptake to perform at their best. (5)

Improved Sleep

Quality sleep is essential for restorative physical and cognitive function, and nasal breathing has been shown to promote deeper sleep, reduce snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea. This is because nasal breathing allows for proper air filtration and humidification, preventing dryness and irritation in the throat and airways. Athletes who get quality sleep have better physical and cognitive function and receive the proper physical restoration that is needed. This makes nasal breathing essential for optimal athletic performance. (6,7)

Mental and Physical Resilience

Lastly, research has shown that proper nasal function is essential for optimal cognitive performance and energy levels. Chronic nasal issues can have a negative impact on cognitive function and energy levels. In a study of 100 individuals, those with nasal congestion reported significantly higher levels of cognitive dysfunction and fatigue. This suggests that proper nasal function is important for cognitive performance and energy levels. (8)

Nasal breathing offers many benefits for athletes looking to improve their performance. By optimizing oxygen uptake, improving cognitive function, and inducing relaxation, nasal breathing is an easy and effective way to gain a competitive edge. By training your body to breathe through your nose, you can improve your everyday performance and achieve your athletic goals.

Research

1. Bergland, Christopher. “Breathe In! Nasal Inhalations Are Linked to Laser-Like Focus.” Weizmann Institute of Science. Published March 17, 2019. www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/breathe-in-nasal-inhalations-are-linked-to-laser-like-focus (accessed January 7, 2020).

2. Perl, Ofer, Aharon Ravia, Mica Rubinson, Ami Eisen, Timna Soroka, Nofar Mor, Lavi Secundo, and Noam Sobel. "Human non-olfactory cognition phase-locked with inhalation." Nature human behavior 3, no. 5 (2019): 501.

3. Russo MA, Santarelli DM, O'Rourke D. The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe (Sheff). 2017;13(4):298-309. doi:10.1183/20734735.009817

4. Trevisan ME, Boufleur J, Soares JC, Haygert CJ, Ries LG, Corrêa EC. Diaphragmatic amplitude and accessory inspiratory muscle activity in nasal and mouth-breathing adults: a cross-sectional study. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2015 Jun;25(3):463-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2015.03.006. Epub 2015 Apr 6. PMID: 25900327.

5. Swift AC, Campbell IT, McKown TM. Oronasal obstruction, lung volumes, and arterial oxygenation. Lancet. 1988 Jan 16;1(8577):73-5. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(88)90282-6. PMID: 2891980.

6. Olsen KD, Kern EB, Westbrook PR. Sleep and breathing disturbance secondary to nasal obstruction. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1981 Sep-Oct;89(5):804-10. doi: 10.1177/019459988108900522. PMID: 6799913.)

7. Petruson B. Increased nasal breathing decreases snoring and improves oxygen saturation during sleep apnoea. Rhinology. 1994 Jun;32(2):87-9. PMID: 7939149.

8. Soler ZM, Eckert MA, Storck K, Schlosser RJ (2015) Cognitive function in chronic rhinosinusitis: a controlled clinical study. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 5(11):1010–1017