‘Runfluencers’ want you to breathe through your nose, but that’s what science says

Running is more popular than ever, and with the influx of new runners has also come a flood of influencers offering their advice – some helpful, some obviously not. If you’ve ever spent time scrolling through running-related videos, you’ve probably seen a coach, athlete, or “runfluencer” insisting that you keep your mouth closed while running. The advice to breathe through the nose while running is nothing new, but is it really backed by science?

The answer, as with most things in racing, is nuanced. Here’s what different schools of thought say, and how to actually practice breathing better at your next race.

Should You Really Breathe Through Your Nose During Cardio?

Due to the popularity of James Nestor’s book, I personally witnessed nasal breathing becoming a cultural moment online in 2020. breath. Mai BukTok and RunTok promote combined forces, with the creators emphasizing the idea that modern humans have forgotten how to breathe correctly, and we should breathe through our nose most of the time.

Whether you buy that exact claim or not, studies show There are benefits of nasal breathing during cardio. When you breathe heavily through the mouth, you exhale carbon dioxide too quickly, which can lead to intermittent manic “I can’t breathe” feelings. Nasal breathing naturally slows your breathing rate and helps your body better tolerate CO2 over time. If nothing else, it’s a great way to pace yourself and stay in the coveted Zone 2 (the low-intensity aerobic range that builds your aerobic base and is currently having a major moment).

Also, mouth breathing at high intensity is a completely natural and necessary adaptation, and trying to suppress it can harm your performance. A simple reality is at work here: Your nose has a much smaller airway than your mouth. At an easy, conversational running pace, nasal breathing is perfectly manageable. But once your heart rate climbs to a higher intensity—tempo run, interval, or race pace—your muscles demand more oxygen than your nose can immediately supply. Forcing yourself to breathe only through your nose while running at high intensity can make tough workouts unnecessarily brutal.

For most of us, a mixed approach makes sense: breathe through the nose easier and longer to build aerobic efficiency, and let your mouth open naturally when intensity is demanded.

When to inhale and exhale while running

Some runners do not take a strong stance on nose versus mouth breathing, and instead focus more on the timing of breaths relative to speed. This focus is called “rhythmic breathing,“Where you time the inhalation and exhalation with the strike of your feet. The idea is that if you always exhale on the same leg – let’s say, every time your right foot hits the ground – then you are repeatedly loading one side of your body at the moment of maximum tension, and after miles and miles, that asymmetry increases.

One solution to this is to breathe on an odd-count pattern. For easy runs, a 3:2 ratio works well – inhale for three steps, exhale for two steps. For harder efforts, a 2:1 ratio (inhale in two phases, exhale in one phase) keeps oxygen flowing without disrupting your rhythm. Since you’re working on odd counts, your breathing will naturally alternate between your left and right leg.

How to breathe better during a run

Here are some ways to practice breath control during your next workout.

• On your easy runs, resolve to breathe only through your nose. Once you are no longer able to cheat with an open mouth you will realize that you are running out of easy days too fast. If you can’t maintain nasal breathing at an “easy” pace, you’re working too hard.

• Try a 3:2 cadence while running comfortably. Inhale through your nose three times, exhale through your nose (or mouth) twice. Some runners find it meditative; Others find it distracting at first. Either way, I think the awareness it creates is valuable.

• Learn how to do a quick body scan. Are your shoulders hunched near your ears? Is your jaw clenched? Are you taking fast, shallow breaths? Drop your shoulders, open your jaw and take a long, slow breath to reset. Stress is the enemy of good breathing.

• Calm down by deliberately breathing through your nose. The last five minutes of your run is the perfect time to intentionally return to nasal breathing.

Remember, you can open your mouth when intensity calls for it. The goal is not to become a nose-breathing purist at all costs, but to rearrange your breathing to make your race easier. If you’re looking for ways to practice, I recommend trying any of the guided runs along with the breathing-training coaching cues from the Nike Run Club app. intrinsic respiratory movements You can find some on your running watch (I use some on my Garmin).

bottom line

This time, it’s not an influencer-driven discussion Completely Social media noise. There’s real science behind nasal breathing, and the habits it encourages — slowing down, building an aerobic base, being more aware of the body — are important for runners at every level. But for me breathing through nose is not a religion. The best breathing strategy is one that you will actually practice consistently, and that will help you stick to your running routine.