Williamsburg Sun

Even though most people breathe through their mouth during intense workout sessions, nasal breathing might be much more effective, as per the latest research, according to U.S. News and World Report.

"Well, mouth breathing is not effective. The nasal vestibule is the pathway to your health; the nose is a major filtering system," Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told the Williamsburg Sun. "And an anti-infection system in your body, the nose lining, has immunoglobulins and immune cells there to also help initiate early protection from infections."

A recent study published in the International Journal of Kinesiology and Sports Science studied 10 runners, both male and female, who implemented nasal-only breathing for six months while exercising. Their maximum rate of oxygen consumption did not change between nasal and mouth breathing. But the study found that the runners' respiratory rate, which is breaths per minute, and the ratio of oxygen intake to carbon dioxide output decreased during nasal breathing.

In other words, their bodies didn't have to work as hard to get the same amount of oxygen. According to the researchers, this happens because, in the case of nasal breathing, your breathing rate lowers, thus enabling higher oxygen levels to enter the bloodstream.

Nasal breathing "helps to decrease the flow of these pathogens and allergens into the lungs," Ditto said. "And we know that the nose and the lungs are considered a unified airway, in the sense that allergies affect the nose. They cause congestion and drainage, but in the lungs, they cause bronchoconstriction and mucus production and asthma."

Efficiency is the key factor of any endurance sport. And if an athlete wants to be more powerful while exerting less effort, nasal breathing is one way to accomplish this.

"I've witnessed that when patients are not suffering from their chronic sinusitis symptoms that their cognitive ability has improved," Ditto said.

Breathing through the nose while exercising promotes good form and good posture, and therefore prevents injuries. When breathing slowly through the nose, people allow their lungs to fill up and use the diaphragm more effectively.

The way to get used to breathing through the nose while exercising is to push yourself until you feel the sensation of what researchers call "air hunger," or breathlessness, and only challenge yourself as much as you can while maintaining nasal breathing. However, this process will not happen overnight and will take time to get used to.

You can take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz to evaluate your symptoms and decide if you might benefit from seeing a doctor about sinus or allergy issues.