Stride and posture are important to a long-distance runner but not as important as proper breathing. If you don't take in enough oxygen, your muscles contract and your heart works harder than necessary, making it more difficult the keep a relaxed form and maintain your pace. A shallow and fast breathing pattern may replace depleted oxygen, but one that is deep and rhythmic aerates your whole body and increases your endurance.
The Importance of Oxygen
Your body needs extra oxygen as your metabolism speeds up while you're running, and it also needs to get rid of excess carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is toxic, and an accumulation makes you feel tired. Moreover, if you're not getting enough oxygen, your body generates the energy it needs by initiating an anaerobic process that bypasses your normal metabolism. The by-products of this process, called lactates, build up in your active muscles and create a burning sensation, which is your body's signal to stop using those muscles and take a rest so it has a chance to clear them out.
Lactates Impede Performance
Lactates increase the acidity of the muscle cells, inhibiting the breakdown of glucose that produces energy when the body is at rest. This actually makes the muscles work more slowly. Kinesiologist Stephen M. Roth characterizes this as a defense mechanism. They slow down to prevent becoming permanently damaged by the anaerobic metabolic process that takes over during heavy exertion. As your muscles become less responsive, the feeling of tiredness increases and your performance suffers. Lactates are not responsible for muscle soreness that you may experience after running, however. That soreness is more likely the result of muscle inflammation.
Breathing Patterns Used by Runners
Marathon runners use two breathing patterns to increase their endurance and boost their performance. The first is light, shallow breathing through the mouth, with the lips slightly parted and the face relaxed so they they draw air into the upper lungs. The superior method, however, according to track and field coach Mindy Solkin, is to draw air into the lower lungs by breathing into the abdomen. Deep breathing is a simple technique, but it's one that you have to learn, and it has the added benefit of exercising your abdominal muscles to flatten your stomach.
Recommended by the Military
Stew Smith, a military strength and conditioning specialist, agrees that properly oxygenating your body is essential for a runner. It prevents dizziness, increases the rate at which your body burns fat and improves your performance. He recommends a 3-2 breathing pattern whereby you inhale for three steps and exhale for the next two. Like abdominal breathing, it's a learned technique, best mastered while running at a slower pace. Deep breathing is not just important when you're running, says Smith, but also when you're doing any kind of exercise, and it's a technique you can practice when you're involved in your daily activities.
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