Ryan Linn
You breathe every day—but are you using it to your advantage? Science says you should. The way you breathe can sharpen focus, boost endurance, and speed up recovery. Here’s why breath-work is a must for athletes who want to perform at their best.
Controlled, deep breathing can help to increase the overall volume of oxygen your body absorbs, helping your muscles,heart and brain to stay fueled. It does this by improving lung function (1,2), strengthening your respiratory muscles (3) and coordinating the blood flow to your heart (1,4).
Slow breathing has been shown to increase HRV, which is linked to better emotional control, and parasympatheticactivation— that’s the “rest and digest” component of your nervous system.(4,5) This means that pre-competition, you’ll be taming any nerves;post-competition you’ll be getting a full and restorative rest and recovery.
Breathing through your nose stimulates brain and autonomic functions, linking breath control to improved focus,psychological balance, and behavioral outputs - all of which are key to athletic success (4,7)
Breath-work can reduce fatigue in your respiratory muscles after intense activity, keeping you performing at your peak. Again, this will keep you going at your best when the competition are starting to wither. (8)
From Olympians to elite endurance athletes, breath control is a proven tool for better performance. Whether you're managing pre-game nerves, staying locked in during competition, or accelerating recovery, breath-work isn’t just a skill—it’s an edge.
Ready to take control of your breath and level up your game? Start now and feel the difference.
1) Russo MA, Santarelli DM, O'RourkeD. The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe(Sheff). 2017;13(4):298-309. doi:10.1183/20734735.009817
2) Jahan I, Begum M, Akhter S, IslamMZ, Jahan N, Haque M. Effects of alternate nostril breathing exercise onrespiratory functions in healthy young adults leading stressful lifestyle. JPopul Ther Clin Pharmacol. 2020;27(1):e104-e114. Published 2020 Mar 19.doi:10.15586/jptcp.v27i1.668
3) Bahenský P, Bunc V, Malátová R,Marko D, Grosicki GJ, Schuster J. Impact of a Breathing Intervention onEngagement of Abdominal, Thoracic, and Subclavian Musculature during Exercise,a Randomized Trial. J Clin Med. 2021;10(16):3514. Published 2021 Aug 10.doi:10.3390/jcm10163514
4) Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M,et al. How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review onPsycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. Front Hum Neurosci.2018;12:353. Published 2018 Sep 7. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
5) Fincham GW, Strauss C,Montero-Marin J, Cavanagh K. Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health:A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):432.Published 2023 Jan 9. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y
6) Jiménez Morgan S, Molina Mora JA.Effect of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Sport Performance, a SystematicReview. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2017;42(3):235-245.doi:10.1007/s10484-017-9364-2
7) Jerath R, Edry JW, Barnes VA,Jerath V. Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: neural respiratory elementsmay provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts theautonomic nervous system. Med Hypotheses. 2006;67(3):566-571. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2006.02.042
8) Sales AT, Fregonezi GA, RamsookAH, Guenette JA, Lima IN, Reid WD. Respiratory muscle endurance after trainingin athletes and non-athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phys TherSport. 2016;17:76-86. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2015.08.001
1) https://publications.ersnet.org/content/breathe/13/4/298
2) https://doi.org/10.15586/jptcp.v27i1.668
3) https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10163514
4) https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
5) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36624160/
6) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28573597/
7) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16624497/
8) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1466853X15000656?via%3Dihub
