How to Breathe While Running

Proper breathing when running can make a difference in terms of your overall comfort and performance. While your body will naturally alter your breathing pattern in response to changes in your activity level, you may have some breathing habits that affect your ability to run efficiently.

When running (or performing any exercise), it's crucial that your body gets enough oxygen. Oxygen converts glycogen—a stored form of readily available glucose—into energy for strenuous activities like exercising.

Learn about different theories about the way breathing affects running and recommendations about the best way to breathe during your running workouts.

Nose Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing

Some runners have heard they should exclusively breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. This breathing pattern is promoted in yoga and some martial arts. However, it's not always the most efficient method for vigorous-intensity aerobic activity such as running.

Many runners find it most effective to breathe through both the mouth and nose when running. Your muscles need oxygen to keep moving, and your nose alone simply can't deliver enough. In fact, you may notice changes as your pace increases.

Sustained Pace Running: Nose and Mouth Breathing

When you run at an easily sustainable pace, you are likely to get enough oxygen primarily through your nose alone. This allows you to carry on a steady conversation without stopping to gasp for air through your mouth.

However, as your pace and intensity increase, your body needs more oxygen. You need mouth breathing to meet your body's needs. While your nose can warm and filter the incoming air, breathing through your nose alone won't cut it. This is when mouth breathing kicks in to help out.

For your faster, sustained runs (such as tempo runs or races), you should try to inhale more through your nose and exhale more through your mouth. Try to focus on exhaling fully, which will remove more carbon dioxide and also help you inhale more deeply.

Sprints: Mouth Breathing

During speed work, you might notice that you naturally shift to mouth breathing. It feels like you breathe in and breathe out fully through your mouth. This might lead you to wonder if mouth breathing is wrong for these high-intensity bursts of work.

Researchers have studied the effects of mouth breathing versus nasal breathing during anaerobic work performed at high intensity. In a small study, researchers examined performance outcomes and heart rate when test subjects had to perform nose-only or mouth-only breathing.

They found that RER (respiratory exchange ratio) was higher when mouth breathing was used. RER is a measurement of your body's oxidative capacity to get energy. It can be used as an indicator of fitness level. They also found that the heart rate was higher during nasal breathing.

However, because the researchers found that breathing mode does not affect power output or performance measures, they concluded that athletes should choose their preferred breathing technique during high-intensity intervals.

Deep Belly Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing—sometimes called belly breathing—can help to strengthen your breathing muscles and encourage full oxygen exchange. This, in turn, makes the breathing process more effective and allows your body to use oxygen more efficiently. Deep belly breathing allows you to take in more air, which may also help prevent side stitches.

You can practice belly breathing while lying down:

1. On your bed, couch, or any other flat surface, lie down on your back with your knees slightly bent (you can place a pillow or rolled-up towel beneath them for support).
2. To better feel your stomach expanding and collapsing, gently rest one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
3. Breathe in through your nose. Push your stomach out and, at the same time, push down and out with your diaphragm. Rather than your upper chest expanding, you should feel your belly expanding. This allows you to draw in more air with each breath.
4. Breathe out slowly and evenly through your mouth.

When you are first learning belly breathing, try to practice a few times each day for about five minutes per session. After you've gotten the hang of it lying down, you can try practicing in an upright (seated or standing) position.

When seated or standing, pay attention to your upper body form. Your posture should be straight, with relaxed shoulders that aren't hunched up or slouched forward. Your head should be in line with your body, not jutted forward. You won't be able to breathe deeply if you are hunched over.

Once you are more comfortable with diaphragmatic breathing, it will be easier to incorporate efficient breathing practices during your runs.

Breathing and Footstrikes

Researchers have long known that most animals (including humans) practice some form of rhythmic breathing pattern when running. That is, they sync their breathing to locomotor movement, or more specifically, to footstrikes. Scientists refer to the patterns as locomotor-respiratory coupling (LRC). All mammals—including humans—practice some form of LRC, although humans exhibit the greatest degree of flexibility with the range of possible patterns.

Preferred Breathing Rhythm

While four-legged animals often breathe at a 1:1 LRC ratio (one breath per footstrike), humans may use a variety of breathing patterns and even have the flexibility to use no LRC at all. However, studies suggest that a 2:1 coupling ratio is favored. That means for every two strides, you take one breath.

Alternating Rhythm

A research paper published in 2013 noted that runners naturally couple their breathing with their footstrikes in an even-foot pattern, which results in always exhaling on the same foot.

Some theories advanced in this paper led running experts such as Budd Coates, author of "Running on Air," to propose breath patterns that would alternate which foot was striking during inhalation and exhalation. For example, taking three footstrikes for every inhale and two footstrikes for every exhale.

While you can try this alternate breathing pattern, it may or may not have any benefits. Reportedly, one of the study authors thinks it is improbable that even-foot breathing patterns are detrimental.

Natural Rhythm

If the idea of trying to coordinate your breathing with your footstrikes seems overwhelming, don't worry.

A small study published in a 2019 edition of the Journal of Sports Sciences evaluated running economy in 12 subjects as they focused on internal factors (such as breathing mechanics) or external factors (watching a video). Researchers concluded that consciously focusing on breathing and movement can lead to a decrease in running efficiency and running economy.

Breathing During Races

While it can be relatively easy to fall into a breathing pattern during training runs, it can be harder to maintain steady breathing during a race. Race day nerves can increase your breathing rate before the race and can also make it harder to get into a rhythm during the race.

But establishing a breathing pattern might help you focus and get into a race-pace rhythm. For this reason, it can be helpful during your race to turn your focus inward and find your breath.

As you sprint past another runner or run up a hill, your breathing pattern may change with the intensity. But returning to your stable breathing pattern can help get you back into a steady pace.

As you finish the race, it is likely that your breathing rate will increase. Trying to sprint to the finish line with tired muscles can cause an increase in your breathing rate and a deepening of each breath. However, research has shown that trained athletes can maintain their LRC or effective rhythmic breathing pattern.

Post-Race Breathing

And what happens after the race is complete? Expect your breathing to return to normal ten to 20 minutes after you finish running. Your breath rate will gradually slow, and mouth and nose breathing will return to nose-only breathing. As your breathing returns to normal, your heart rate returns to normal as well. With an increased fitness level, you'll notice that this process takes less time.

A Word From Verywell

As a beginner, try to run at a pace at which you can breathe easily. Use the "talk test" to figure out if your pace is appropriate. You should be able to speak in full sentences without gasping for air. This pace is also known as a conversational pace.

As you add faster-paced tempo runs and speed intervals to your running repertoire, experiment with different breathing styles and breathing rhythms. Practice diaphragmatic breathing as well. It is likely that your body will find a rhythm that feels natural, so try not to force a breathing pattern that feels uncomfortable.

Be mindful of your preferred breathing style and use it as one more tool in your toolbox to steady your nerves and run more effectively at races.