Pro tennis player Iga Swiatek made headlines a few years ago by practicing with tape over her mouth, forcing herself to breathe only through her nose. Other tennis players like Jack Draper refer to their breathing coaches as an essential component of their improvement, and many other world class athletes use breathing tools as a key differentiator in their performance.
While taping or using a sports mask may seem like extreme measures, they exemplify the growing interest in nasal-only breathing and its potential benefits for athletic performance and endurance.
Here, we’ll explore the science-backed advantages of nasal breathing, how it works, and practical ways to incorporate it into your routine.
1. It Enhances Oxygen Efficiency
Breathing through your nose filters, warms, and humidifies the air, preparing it for optimal absorption in your lungs. Unlike mouth breathing, nasal breathing increases nitric oxide production, which helps dilate blood vessels and improve oxygen delivery to muscles.
In a study published in the International Journal of Kinesiology and Sports Science, runners who trained with nasal-only breathing over six months found it far more efficient than mouth breathing. They could sustain their workouts with fewer breaths while maintaining performance, indicating better oxygen utilization.
2. It Stimulates Brain Blood Flow
A recent pilot study from Baylor University revealed that nasal-only breathing during exercise increases blood flow to the brain. Improved cerebral circulation supports enhanced memory, focus, and coordination—all critical factors for athletes. By keeping your mouth closed, you’re not just benefiting your lungs but also sharpening your mental edge.
3. It Regulates Heart Rate and Stress Levels
Nasal breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps calm the body and regulate the heart rate during physical activity. This makes workouts feel less taxing and reduces unnecessary oxygen consumption.
Iga Swiatek noted that practicing nasal-only breathing made her workouts harder, but that was precisely the point. By limiting oxygen intake initially, her body had to adapt, improving endurance over time.
4. It Protects Your Airways and Prevents Dehydration
Mouth breathing bypasses your body’s natural air filtration system, exposing your lungs to unfiltered, dry air. Experts, like Brett Comer from the University of Kentucky, liken it to running a car without an air filter. Nasal breathing, on the other hand, protects your airways while reducing water loss. This means less dehydration and better performance over extended periods.
5. It Supports Core Stability
Nasal breathing encourages diaphragmatic (belly) breathing, which engages your core muscles, including the transverse abdominis. This “natural girdle” helps stabilize your lower back and pelvis, making exercises like weightlifting safer and more effective.
Practical Tips for Adopting Nasal-Only Breathing
- Start Slow: Begin by practicing nasal breathing during low-intensity workouts, warm ups or short periods of your training. This allows your body to adjust to the reduced airflow without straining.
- Be consistent: Incorporate breathing to your daily routines, training or not, so you can improve or restore the functionality of your breathing pattern. Work with a breathing coach to guide you though a series of progressing exercises. These include slow, light and coherent breathing.
- Train your breathing muscles. Perform exercises or drills that strengthen the muscles that give you an endurance and breathing capacity, starting with the diaphragm.
- Be Mindful: Focus on keeping your mouth closed during exercise.
- Monitor Your Progress: Track how long you can sustain nasal-only breathing during a workout. Over time, your endurance and efficiency will improve.
- (only with) the right expert advice, you can start introducing tools in your breathwork training and practice, such as mouth taping (for sleeping or workouts), or using a Buteyko belt to work on your diaphragm.
A Worthwhile Practice
While the science on nasal-only breathing is still emerging, there’s enough evidence to suggest it offers unique advantages for athletes. From enhancing oxygen efficiency to improving brain function and endurance, it’s a practice worth exploring.
Remember, you don’t need to tape your mouth shut like a pro to reap the benefits (… but you can), —just a conscious effort to prioritise nasal breathing during workouts can go a long way.
Are you ready to breathe better and perform stronger? Give nasal-only breathing a try and experience the difference it can make in your training!
