When I run, I almost always breathe through my mouth. I am trying to change that. I have been reading about the many benefits of nose breathing while running, and I am interested to see if they help.

It turns out that humans have been nose breathers for millennia and it is only recently that we have turned to breathing through our mouths.  There are several benefits to breathing through the nose.

• Nasal breathing warms and humidifies incoming air very efficiently, especially when compared to mouth breathing. This means that air, except the very coldest air, will be at body temperature by the time it reaches our lungs.
• Nasal breathing removes a significant amount of germs and bacteria from the air we breathe in.
• Nasal breathing is more restricted than breathing through the mouth, which changes the CO2 balance in our bodies and allows 10-20% higher oxygen uptake.
• The nose is a reservoir for nitric oxide, which is an essential gas for maintenance of good health.

The one benefit  of nose breathing that I am really interested in, is the increase in oxygen uptake.  This can lead to improved athletic performance and efficiency.  Running efficiency is very important in endurance sports, so any help I can get in this area, I will take.

So far, I can tell you that nose breathing while running, is tougher than it sounds.  The key is to lower the intensity until you can manage to nose breathe comfortably.  This change in breathing practice is certainly helping me take my easy runs at a very easy effort, which is what I am supposed to do.

It is going to take several months for me to adapt, but I am very keen to try and make  nasal breathing work. I guess only time will tell.