![\"Gas](\"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/gas-exchange.jpg\" "\\"Gas")
<\/a>If broken down on a basic cellular level, all energy pathways in the body create water and CO2 as a byproduct, both of which are expelled from the body through the respiratory system. \u00a0CO2 dissolves in the blood (creating bicarbonate and carbonic acid) which decreases the pH of the blood as it accumulates. \u00a0The brain is not a lover of acidic environments however, and any increase of CO2 in the blood spills over to the cerebral spinal fluid (the fluid surrounding the brain) which causes a response in the brainstem to increase breathing rate. \u00a0This increases the volume of CO2 expelled in an attempt to alkalize the blood.<\/p>\nSince hard efforts tend to speed up and recruit more energy producing pathways, CO2 is created faster and needs to be removed faster. \u00a0This explains why those really hard efforts leave us unavoidably gasping for breath as the body tried to reach equilibrium. \u00a0What about those sub-maximal efforts though? \u00a0Our goal is always to utilize our aerobic system as much as possible, but when our breathing can't sustain the oxygen requirements necessary for the muscles to work aerobically, we go into the red. \u00a0There are a few tricks you can use to help keep things in check and keep yourself from hitting the rev limiter.<\/p>\n
Breathing Types<\/h3>\n
After a short primer on the physiology of breathing and how it relates to cycling, we need to understand the different types of breathing.\u00a0 When speaking on breathing or breathing technique, it's possible to go in depth into all of the different types of breathing (both normal and pathological) but for all intents and purposes we'll keep the discussion simple and limited to shallow and deep breathing.<\/p>\n
Shallow (or thoracic) breathing is essentially a “panting” breath: the muscles of the ribcage expand the ribs, allowing the lungs to expand. \u00a0This is terribly inefficient since the ribcage is not all that expandable, and allows only a very marginal lung expansion and the short duration of the breath allows little time for gas exchange. \u00a0As a result, more breaths need to be taken and the heart has to push more blood through the lungs in order to raise the efficiency of gas exchange. \u00a0This leads to a higher heart rate and the feeling of “being unable to control your breathing” that people often describe.<\/p>\n