Proper breathing during sprinting improves your run times and recovery. While breathing during sprinting will always present some difficulties, coordinating you breathing with your foot strike makes sprinting slightly easier. Proper breathing allows you to pull air into your lungs and your bloodstream to carry oxygen to your working muscles. The ability of your muscles to process oxygen determines the rate at which they fatigue, so driving oxygen to your working muscles more efficiently improves your endurance, according to a 2003 study in the "Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry." Consult a health-care professional before beginning any exercise program.
Step 1
Breathe deeply before you run. Do not attempt to overfill your lungs or hyperventilate but take several deep breaths, pulling the air down into your abdomen. Do not breathe with your chest, you will not fully oxygenate your lungs in this manner.
Step 2
Breathe evenly during your run. Never hold your breathe. Breathe in through your mouth and out through your mouth. Unlike other types of running, when sprinting, your oxygen demands rise sharply, so you need more oxygen than breathing through your nose will provide.
Step 3
Breath out on your first step. Attempting to breath in on your first step will cause the muscles of your abdomen to tighten slightly. You want to be relaxed as you start running. This enables you to accelerate quicker.
Step 4
Breath out for two steps. Breath in for two steps. Repeat this pattern, keeping your breathing constant. This helps regulate your breathing and coordinate it with your foot strike.
Step 5
Relax your jaw. Do not hold your mouth in an unnatural position attempting to draw in more air. Breathing should be a natural function, even if you are running in a manner you might consider unnatural.
Tips and Warnings
- If you can breath in and out for three strides per side, speed up your pace.
- Avoid eating right before sprinting.
References
- "Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry"; Skeletal Muscle Oxygenation During Incremental Exercise; K. Shibuya, et al.; December 2003
- "Training for Speed and Endurance"; Peter Reaburn; 1997
