Skip to content
Okanagan Peak Performance

Okanagan Peak Performance

Reduced Injury. Enhanced Performance.

  • Home
  • About
    • The Team
    • Testimonials
  • Fitness Centre
    • Facility Pictures
    • How we’re different
    • Membership Packages
    • Location and Hours
    • Group Fitness Classes
    • Group Fitness Schedule
  • Coaching
    • Personal Training
    • Nutritional Support
    • Fitness Seminars
    • Fitness Consulting
  • Training Programs
    • Year Long Training Program
    • Hockey Training Program
    • Half Marathon Sprint Training
  • Contact
  • Blog

An Easy Way to Be Better at Every Sport

  • Home » An Easy Way to Be Better at Every Sport
August 30, 2014
In Fitness, Training

An Easy Way to Be Better at Every Sport

Do you remember growing up and having your parents drill into you proper manners? I’m talking specifically ones that had to do with your mouth. You know what I mean?Poor manners cost him a lucrative pro career.

Poor manners cost him a lucrative pro career.

‘Chew your food with your mouth closed’

‘Don’t smack your gum’

‘Close your mouth’

And besides helping me develop proper manners and etiquette so I won’t be a social outcast this also helped me with my sports performance. So thanks mom & dad!

But how exactly does chewing with your mouth closed help with sports performance? Well honestly it has nothing to do with the nutrition and more to do with how we take in oxygen and expire carbon dioxide. I’ve got to give credit to Mr. Sherwin, my high school science teacher, for teaching me some of the following.

Below are 4 benefits of nose versus mouth breathing.

Benefit #1 – Nasal air is warmed and humidified

When you consider the location and properties of our lungs we know they are in the chest cavity and moist to facilitate inflation, deflation and gas exchange. The more similar the air we breath in is to this environment the better. For example, air taken in through the mouth needs to warmed and moistened before arriving at the lungs.

***I remember when going to university in Regina riding my bike in the middle of winter. In -35 C weather I learned that although you may be tempted to ride quickly to get out of the cold weather more quickly this caused me to breath through my mouth and typically was followed by a sore throat or chest cold. It was a better strategy to bike more slowly and keep my mouth closed. This allowed me take air in through my nose only and ensure the air was warmed before reaching my lungs.***

Related Post:  Eat a Big Breakfast for Greater Diet-Induced Thermogenesis

Benefit #2 – Nasal air is filtered

Are you concerned with air quality? Are you aware of all the pollutants floating around in the air you breath at home, work or school? And I’m not even talking about people upstairs from your work that smoke cigarettes right out the front door of our gym. Yeah that happens on a daily basis.

Anyways, the nose has small hairs in it called cilia which help to filter out dust, pollutants and other air borne particles to clean this air before it makes its way to our lungs.

Benefit #3 – A dose of nitric oxide

Not to be confused with nitrous dioxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO) is made by the nose and serves a number of functions. NO helps to lower blood pressure, helps increase the oxygen carrying capacity of our blood and also kills bacteria, viruses and germs.

So NO helps us be more efficient in our transfer of oxygen and helps keep us healthy. This same benefit is not provided when we breath through our mouth.

Read also about Kai Greene’s famous “Grapefruit” video

Benefit #4 – Calmer breathing

Breathing through our mouth is associated with chest breathing and stress (sympathetic). For example, think of a dog or animal that is about to attack. It bares its teeth and breaths through its mouth. And you can see the chest and shoulders rise and fall which each breath.

Or picture the athlete who has just won the 800 m at the Olympics. This is a painful event involving high levels of stress. Upon crossing the finish line some athletes may collapse to the ground, eyes closed, pained expressions on their faces and breathing rapidly through their mouths.Nasal breathing would help them make the shot.

Related Post:  The Importance of a Training Partner

Nasal breathing would help them make the shot.

Contrast this with breathing through the nose which is calmer, less thoracic and more diaphragmatic, and helps restore a state of parasympathetic stress.

As you continue on with your training and day to day activities pay attention to how you breath. Is it nasal or oral? When does it change? If you play hockey or ringette a mouth guard is a great way to practice breathing through the nose as the lips are kept sealed around the mouth guard.

And if you’re a decent athlete with good manners make sure to thank your mom & dad.

Chris [fb-like]

Breathing

Tough Mudder Training Program

Get all the workouts, videos, tips and support to not only complete but compete in Tough Mudder. Do it all as efficiently as possible, remaining injury free, and finishing strong.

Book-1

Search

Recent Posts

  • Powerlifting Competition Rules: Deadlift Guidelines
  • Nolvadex Bodybuilding Review: Everything You Need to Know About the Drug
  • Safe Steroid Cycle: Is It Possible?
  • Cut Steroid Cycle: The Best Way Bodybuilders Cut Down on Fat While Maintaining The Muscles Gained
  • Steroid Cycles: Best Steroid Cycle for Muscle Gain for Beginners in the Field
  • Review of Au-roids.com: One of the Biggest Supplier of Bodybuilding Supplements Online
  • Testo-Max: CrazyBulk’s Very Own Sustanon
  • Macimorelin: The Safest and Most Powerful Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide!
  • Trenorol: CrazyBulk’s Safe Alternative to Trenbolone
  • HGH-X2: The Safest HGH You Will Ever Use

Browse

  • Home
  • The Team
  • Facility Picture
  • Training Programs
  • Personal Training
  • Blog
  • Contact

Recent Posts

  • Powerlifting Competition Rules: Deadlift Guidelines
  • Nolvadex Bodybuilding Review: Everything You Need to Know About the Drug
  • Safe Steroid Cycle: Is It Possible?
  • Cut Steroid Cycle: The Best Way Bodybuilders Cut Down on Fat While Maintaining The Muscles Gained
  • Steroid Cycles: Best Steroid Cycle for Muscle Gain for Beginners in the Field

Categories

  • Bodybuilding
  • Crazybulk
  • Fitness
  • Fitness Education
  • Fitness Equipment
  • Fitness Predictions
  • General Fitness
  • Injury Prevention
  • Motivational
  • Nutrition Advice
  • Peptides
  • Recommended Products
  • Review about Steroids
  • Reviews
  • Steroid Reviews
  • Steroids
  • Steroids Reviews
  • Training
  • Work-Out Recovery

© 2021 Okanagan Peak Performance