Breathing and sport

It is an innate act that we forget throughout the day, but we all know its importance and the need we have to breathe in order to survive. In the case of sports, this act acquires greater importance, since it is essential to breathe in order to obtain enough energy to continue moving, whatever the sport that is practiced.

• In order to breathe in and out, you need a series of muscles that help and that allow, especially in times of high demand such as exercise, adequate breathing.
• The techniques to work the diaphragm muscles are not always known, so if you are an athlete it is important to know the methods to work with the diaphragm.
• Depending on the type of exercise / sport that is practiced, different techniques are recommended.

Breathing circuit

As a reminder, mention that the respiratory cycle consists of two essential moments: the release of air -expiration- and the capture of that air -inspiration-. It is necessary for the cycle to be complete to be able to capture oxygen and eliminate CO2 from our body since the latter does not provide us with any benefit. For breathing to be as efficient as possible, it must be started through the nose so that the air is already at a temperature higher than that of the outside, when it reaches the lungs, and exhalation is done through the mouth. When it is not, it interferes with effectiveness.

In addition to knowing which is the correct circuit, it must be borne in mind that to breathe in and breathe out, a series of muscles are needed that help and that allow, especially in times of high exercise demand, adequate breathing. The diaphragm is what allows the lungs (located just above) to expand and contract with its movements. When it contracts, the lungs undergo pressure and, therefore, the air tends to come out, while in expiration the opposite happens.

Along with the diaphragm, there are other muscles called accessories, such as the intercostals, and others that at first may seem to have nothing to do with breathing, but they do, such as those of the abdomen. It should be noted that the thoracic cavity is delimited by the diaphragm but that the abdominal cavity just below it also has a set of muscles that delimit it, these being those of the pelvic floor, which are also related to respiration.

Working with the diaphragm

Using one or the other of these muscles will allow breathing to be more efficient. When we only use the intercostal muscles we are making a great effort and the amount of air we are going to get will be less, if we compare it with diaphragmatic breathing. In this case, when the abdomen is swollen, air enters a larger lung surface. The techniques to work the diaphragm muscles are not always known, so if you are an athlete it is important to know the methods to work with the diaphragm.

Depending on the type of exercise / sport that is practiced, different techniques are recommended:

• In strength exercises: it is important that there is a high awareness of the respiratory cycle and integrate it into the movement. It is recommended to breathe in in relaxation and breathe out at the moment of maximum effort.
• In continuous aerobic exercises: try to complete the cycle of inhalation through the nose and exhalation through the mouth using both intercostal and diaphragmatic breathing.
• Stretching: inhale in the first movement or exhale when we are at the moment of maximum stretch.