People use to breathe out of their mouth when doing a heavy exercise, in an intense situation, or just trying to calm themselves. But did you know there is a big difference between breathing through the mouth and nose?
According to the South China Morning Post, experts revealed breathing through the mouth might not be as efficient as breathing through the nose. The nose has a specific purpose, and that is to support the respiratory system. The mouth, on the other hand, is built to start the digestive process.
The nose's nostrils, hair, and nasal passageways help to filter allergens and other foreign particles from entering the lungs. It also adds moisture and warmth to the air so it can smoothly enter to the lungs.
Compare to mouth breathing, nasal breathing also has an important role for effective and efficient exercise, as it can bring more oxygen to active tissues. Breathing through the nose releases nitric oxide, which is a significant part to increase carbon dioxide in the blood that also releases oxygen. Mouth breathing does not release nitric oxide, so the cells are not getting enough oxygen that can eventually lead to fatigue and stress.
A recent study revealed 10 runners', composed of males and females, the maximum rate of oxygen consumption did not change from nasal to mouth breathing, per Chicago Tribune. However, it revealed the runners' "respiratory rate, breaths per minute, and oxygen ratio intake to carbon dioxide output decreased" when they breathed through the nose.
The researchers explained it could be because they had lower breath rate used during nasal breathing that gave more time for oxygen to enter the bloodstream. Breathing through the mouth, alternatively, led to the offload of more carbon dioxide that gave cells a hard time to get oxygen. So in an intense moment, the study stated nasal breathing is the perfect way to oxygenate the body's system.
Breathing through the nose also activates the nervous system's part that supports rest, recovery, and digestion. So, if the body is feeling stress because of a high-intensity exercise, nasal breathing can calm the exerciser and let the body work better.
"It's incredibly difficult to learn or process anything in survival mode," author, athlete and founder of the Art of Breath Brian Mackenzie said. "We are now understanding some of the deeper layers to manage stress, which has a direct impact on not only the general population but is at the heart of how elite performers can optimize performance."
