Rather than spending money on new cycling gear, you may be able to improve your speed and endurance with simple breathing techniques. Your breathing rate automatically increases when you cycle for a long time, however your pattern of breathing may not be optimal. Special ways of breathing may allow you to get more oxygen out of each breath.
Benefits
When you cycle quickly for a long time, your heavier breathing uses up a lot of energy that would otherwise go to your legs. In a 2010 article for The American Council on Exercise, Carrie Myers notes that deliberately exaggerating your breathing method strengthen the muscles that allow you to take air in. This means that over time the muscles around your lungs will require less energy, thus freeing up energy to go to your legs when you need it most. An added benefit to breathing techniques is that focusing on your breathing provides you with a distraction from self-defeating thoughts during your workout.
Performance Breathing
Performance breathing consists of breathing in three steps that take up fixed amounts of time, according to Carrie Myers. The first phase is when you inhale. Inhale for two strokes of your pedals. Then hold your breath for two strokes of your pedals. Finally exhale slowly, for four strokes of your pedals. You may find it helpful to practice performance breathing prior to cycling. In that case, simply breath on counts of two, two and three instead of pedal strokes.
Breath Through Nose
In a February 2008 article for Pez Cycling News, sports psychologist Marvin Zauderer recommends you breath through your nose to improve your cycling. Nasal breathing slows the rate at which you can exhale, so your lungs can extract more oxygen from each breath. Zauderer notes that at first you may feel like nasal breathing restricts your airflow. Try integrating nasal breathing with less intense parts of your cycling first, and slowly work your way up to breathing through your nose when you exert more effort.
Deep Breaths
Your muscles require more oxygen as you cycle farther and pedal faster. Your body naturally increases your oxygen intake by instructing the many muscles around your lungs to contract and relax in a coordinated manner. You experience this as heavy breathing. In an article for the Cycling Performance Tips website, Dr. Richard Rafoth states that most people only increase their rate of breathing, not the depth. You can take in more fresh air on each breath by making sure you fully inhale and exhale.
Breathe With Belly
Breathe with your stomach to take in larger lungfuls of air. Your diaphragm controls how much space your lungs have to expand and fill with air, according to Rafoth. Focus on pushing your diaphragm down as you inhale. This will cause your stomach to expand past your chest. It may feel unnatural at first, but with consistent practice, it becomes second nature.
