Why sprinters hold their breath

I hold my breath for the first four steps, little expiration, then hold for next four steps before resuming more subconscious breathing pattern. I hold my breath deliberately while cycling into top speed but its a very small breath hold at top speed.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel. Facebook Twitter Instagram. Miele-Scott on October 12, at am That is the only thing I am sure of, so thats all im going to say lol im pretty sure its set, hold, 25m, exhale. Matt Norquist on October 12, at am Craig Pickering on October 12, at am Nick Newman on October 12, at am I always run faster fly sprints when i hold my breathe during the fly zone….

We can test Accels — 30m from crouch Flying — 20m Where a few of us do 2 repetitions of each with 3 different protocols: 1. Anyone else game for signing up? Everyone self time and take average of the 2 times per method. The common theme with all these sports is that they're anaerobic. The body already has all the oxygen it needs for 20 seconds or so of hard effort, bound to the blood's hemoglobin.

The negative after-effect will be a lactic acid build-up, which in a distance athlete would be crippling, but for a sprinter doesn't matter. I was able to find one scientific study of Norwegian national level swimmers that broke it down to simple numbers. This causes an associated decline in haemoglobin-oxygen saturation, which reduces the total oxygen content of your blood significantly. In short, higher altitudes make it more challenging for your body to take in and use oxygen to produce energy — and your body is then forced to adapt accordingly.

As a result, training at altitude can cause vast improvements in your ability to draw oxygen from the air, as well as your ability to carry that oxygen around your body in your blood. There is also evidence to suggest that your body can become more efficient at using that oxygen to produce energy. Consequently, when returning to sea level, aerobic endurance performance is improved in a very big way. With this, you might be wondering how altitude affects breathing.

And it can certainly have an effect. It is common for people training at altitude to feel breathless, despite exercising at relatively low intensities. They can also find themselves feeling restricted through their chest, and even short of breath long after exercise has finished. The key is to focus on keeping your breathing as normal as possible, despite feeling uncomfortable.

So, if you are training at altitude, simply use the same tips outlined above, and you cannot go wrong. Now, considering the importance of breathing in athleticism, it should come as no surprise that there is some evidence to suggest that you can use breathing exercises to cause an improvement in your performance. When it comes to implementing running-based breathing exercises, the research is actually pretty scarce. And this is done by following the tips outlined above perfectly.

So, every time you are running — irrespective of whether it is sprint training or endurance work — make sure that you place a premium on your breathing. Make sure that you are using your mouth every single breath and that you are breathing deep into your stomach rather than shallow, and into your chest.

Time your breathing with your steps and keep a constant rhythm. Importantly, every time you find yourself deviating from these key points, reset and return your focus. It is this repetition that reinforces good breathing technique, and therefore maximizes your performance.

Interestingly, when it comes to breathing for the athlete, most of research sits around the use of breathing exercises performed outside of exercising conditions , when you are at rest. Commonly known as respiratory muscle training , these types of exercises have been used for years to improve performance HajGhanbari, This mode of training uses specially designed tools that add resistance to your breathing.

In doing so, they strengthen your respiratory muscles, making it easier to breathe under exercising conditions. Budd Coates, author of "Running on Air," suggests a rhythmic breathing technique in which the runner synchronizes exhalations with alternate foot strikes. Based in London, Eleanor McKenzie has been writing lifestyle-related books and articles since Her articles have appeared in the "Palm Beach Times" and she is the author of numerous books published by Hamlyn U. How Should a Sprinter Breathe?

Live Healthy Sports. By Eleanor McKenzie. Strengthen Your Diaphragm Running coach Mindy Solkin says that runners tend to focus on strengthening the heart and legs but forget about the lungs. Use Your Belly Most people, including runners, naturally use chest breathing. Keep Your Mouth Open Breathing through your nostrils is another natural breathing habit.