Why Nasal Breathing Boosts Your Training #29

If you want to maximize your training, here’s a simple but game-changing shift: Breathe through your nose.

Nasal breathing isn’t just a nice idea—it’s a performance-enhancing practice backed by science. Patrick McKeown, as we discussed, author of The Oxygen Advantage, emphasizes that nasal breathing improves oxygen efficiency, reduces fatigue, and sharpens focus.

Let’s dive into why you should consider it and how to dominate your breath during training.

Why Nasal Breathing Matters During Training

1. Optimizes Oxygen Delivery. Nasal breathing slows your breath, increasing carbon dioxide tolerance and improving oxygen delivery to your muscles and brain. Again, check out the Notes on The Oxygen Advantage for more on the science of why that works that way.

2. Reduces Fatigue. Mouth breathing leads to over-breathing, which can cause fatigue by disrupting your body’s oxygen balance. Nasal breathing conserves energy and keeps you in control.

3. Improves Focus and Recovery. Nasal breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, helping you stay calm and focused even during intense training sessions. And of course, throughout the rest of your day.

4. Strengthens Your Diaphragm (The most underappreciated muscle in your body). Controlled nasal breathing engages your diaphragm more effectively, building core strength and stability.

How to Dominate Nasal Breathing During Training (We have the Why, Here’s the How):

1. Start with Low-Intensity Workouts. Begin by practicing nasal breathing during walks, light runs, or yoga. Build your capacity gradually.

2. Be Patient During High-Intensity Training. (I remember when I first started doing this, it’s hard!). Nasal breathing may feel challenging at first during intense workouts, but it’s worth the effort. Give it a week, or two, or three. If you must switch to mouth breathing temporarily, return to nasal breathing as soon as you can.

3. Warm Up and Cool Down with Intentional Nasal Breathing. Use slow nasal breaths during warm-ups to prepare your body and during cool-downs to enhance recovery.

4. Tape Your Mouth (if it’s safe for you): For certain steady-state activities (like jogging), you can gently tape your mouth to help you stay disciplined with nasal breathing. Always ensure safety first.

5. Practice Breath-Hold Intervals. During lower-intensity sessions, you can hold your breath briefly after exhaling to increase carbon dioxide tolerance; again, that’s the key. Check out the Notes for more on why, and you’ll improve your efficiency.

Adjust for Different Situations

• Strength Training. Focus on nasal breathing during rest periods to recover faster and stabilize your heart rate.
• Endurance Workouts. Train your ability to nasal breathe at higher intensities over time—it improves endurance and reduces fatigue.
• High-Intensity Intervals. Alternate between nasal and mouth breathing as needed, but prioritize nasal breathing whenever possible for long-term benefits.

The Heroic Elite Mindset

Breathing isn’t just an automatic process—it’s a skill. Mastering nasal breathing during training is a powerful way to increase your energy, resilience, and performance.

At Heroic Elite, we don’t settle for average. We optimize every breath, every step, and every rep to activate our Soul Force and thrive.

Action for Today

Practice nasal breathing during your next workout:

1. Start with 10 minutes of nasal breathing during low-intensity exercise.

2. Notice how it feels—are you calmer and more in control?

3. Gradually extend the practice to more challenging workouts.

Breathe better. Train smarter. Let’s go.

P.S. Research shows that nasal breathing enhances oxygen efficiency, reduces fatigue, and improves endurance over time.

P.P.S. For more on this, check out the Philosopher’s Notes on:

• The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown
• The Power of Your Breath by Anders Olsson
• The Healing Power of the Breath by Richard P. Brown