Hello

I wouldn't say I was a complete beginner to running as I have been running on and off for a couple of years and actively take part in sport. It is only recently though that I have decided to take it more seriously and have drawn up training plans to abide by.

One of the things I am told about as being very important is breathing correctly - in through the nose and out through the mouth. This may be true but anyone who has ever told me this has never been able to explain why? I find it difficult to do this as I have a high VO2 max capacity and when breathing in through my nose and after a mile or two, I feel fatigued and short of breath. I do not have this problem when breathing through my mouth alone and completed 5 miles on Saturday with relative ease averaging 8min miles and having energy to continue easily.

If someone could explain the reason why this is important, what benefits it offers and if so, if there is anything I can do to make breathing like this easier.

I'd be interested in knowing why as well. I've never really bothered with it to be honest, and after a hard run when I'm struggling to keep going, I'm just happy to be breathing and not really worried about how the air is getting into my lungs.

It's good in theory - I find as soon as I start pushing myself I am breathing in through my mouth and my nose (and my ears!)

I guess in some ways, breathing through your nose is good because you have filters in there, which you don't have in your mouth - so for city running it may prevent toxins getting into your lungs.

I think breathing in through the nose is also related to diaphgramatic breathing techniques, but am not sure if breathing in through nose in any way increases the amount of oxygen you've got going in!

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excuse the language, but how the hell do you manage to run purely by breathing in through your nose??? I could never breathe in enough air through my nose to do anything beyond an easy run - I don't think paying attention to your breathing really makes much difference and you'd be much better off just breathing however feels naturally.

In direct response to your questions at the end of your post... 1) I don't think it is important, 2) I think it'll hinder you rather than benefit you! 3) Use your mouth to breathe in...lol

I'm sorry if that's a very blunt repsonse, and dismissive of the idea of breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, but I don't understand why anyone would want to restrict their intake of air when their body needs it most!???

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Can’t see what difference it makes. Swimmers breathe in through their mouths and out through their noses because it suits the activity. If you are in need of oxygen it doesn’t matter how you get it in; nose, mouth or both.

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swim, cycle, run, sit down and have a cuppa

I've thought about this for a while now and the only circumstances that I can imagine it being beneficial are to limit your exertion when going on longer runs...? Would be interested to hear if there's more to it than that though!

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RF Winter Social @ Castle Combe - Judgement day has arrived
www.richardsimkiss.co.uk - 'Lady Godiva Half Marathon' Race Report Added 27/10/08

I was told this too and quickly dismissed it as being completely impossible

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It sounds like I've opened a can of worms hear. It would appear that this is some urban legend passed on from generation to generation with no-one quite knowing the true story. I think I'm going to just dismiss it and be content with simply breathing until someone can come up with a proven benefit.

Just been having a quick look for this. I've found one person in a forum saying that you should breath in through your nose and out through your mouth very slowly. This, apparently, is the most efficient way of getting maximum oxygen into the body. She said that her personal trainer told her.

hmmmm, seem to find a lot of people saying you should breath in through your nose and out through your mouth but I haven't found a decent explanation why yet

Breathing? It all comes down to whether you're right-handed, left-handed, phases of the moon and what surface you're running on.
For example: if you're right handed, running on a paved concrete surface and it's a three-quarter moon; the formula is to breathe in through your left nostril and out through your mouth... Unless you're facing on-coming traffic, in which case it's in through the mouth and out through alternate nostrils... In the unfortunate event that you stand on a crack in the pavement, you will then have to breathe in AND out of the same nostril for the next ten paces, at which point you can revert back to whatever pattern you happened to be using before the Crack-standing incident... Unless of course you're a Pisces, Cancer or Aquarius who will just revert back to breathing in through their snorkels and out through their Himalayan nose flutes...


If you think that one's daft, you should hear the one where you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Hilarious.

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GONE RUNNING

Well I have always breathed in through my mouth, as has virtually everyone here, and we all seem to have done quite well with it. If it ain't broke don't fix it :P

Some people swear by colonic irrigation. Doesn't make me contemplate for even a second sticking a plastic tube up my arse and firing water up there.

I was taking notes then until you mentioned star signs.

I am an Aquarian, where can I buy a nose flute and will it ensure a sub 50 10k

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0 - 14 Miles in 6 months, 2 hours, 13 minutes and 58 seconds.
Start weight: 18 st 4.. Current weight: 14 st 11.. Current Goal: Duchy Marathon, 8th March 2009

Not only will you attain your sub-50 10k; you will also be the fastest busker in the race. So be sure to carry a bucket round with you for all the money you're bound to collect.

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GONE RUNNING