physiology

If you missed part 1 of this article, which details some simplified physiology of breathing and exercise, I suggest you take a few minutes to get familiar with it now, as it will help you put into practice what will be discussed below.  Ready?  Cool, let’s rock.

BREATHING TECHNIQUE

Now that we understand the fundamental differences between deep belly (diaphragmatic) breathing and chest (thoracic) breathing, we can begin to work technique into the mix.

First off, we need to consider that our work load is largely going to determine our breathing and pick our battles appropriately.  If we’re in an all out anaerobic sprint, there’s little you can do to relax and breathe properly.  If you’re slogging up a long climb, you may be able to eke out a few extra watts or keep your heart rate a few BPM lower with good technique.  The same could hold true for taking pulls on the front of a paceline during a fast group ride; proper breathing will keep you out of the red and pulling longer.

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Those of you who regularly challenge yourselves in hilly terrain will know that a lot of thinking can be done while you’re in the hurt locker.  Anything to keep your mind off the pain in your legs is a welcome distraction, and I’m really no different.  That why on a recent ride, one of the main things I began to ponder about was something that I rarely (if ever) think about.  I’d wager you probably don’t think about it much either, until it is taken from you for some reason.

No, I’m not talking about freedom, money or your car, but the simple act of breathing.  Nothing is more ignored on a daily basis but becomes the focus of our attention when we can’t suck in enough oxygen.  Climbing is, of course, the perfect time to consider this necessary vital function, since it really comes into the spotlight.  Let’s take a look at breathing and what it means to a cyclist.

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