Breath training as a performance cheat code
We had the pleasure of hosting Dave Hedges for our Wellness Hour on Thursday 3oth of November.
He gave a brilliant synopsis on how breathing is directly related to the body’s stress response.
How as humans, our breath technique is critical in assisting our body in times of fight or flight.
But how can this help us as GAA athletes?
Dave gave his insight below.
If there was one thing, a low hanging fruit, that every human can work on to improve performance, I would say it is breathing and more specifically, CO2 tolerance.
Improved CO2 tolerance can aid in:
- Faster recovery, both acute and chronic
- Better sleep, which is where recovery really happens
- Mental focus, less distraction, clearer thinking
- More endurance, at higher work rates.
Now, don’t get me wrong, these things don’t just happen unless you’re training well, but deliberately improving breathing mechanics and CO2 tolerance amplified pretty much everything.
How?
Step 1
Nasal breathing at rest, non exercise and aerobic levels of exercise.
Simply breathing through the nose opens up the lungs, improves diaphragm engagement and promotes better gas exchange at the cellular level.
Step 2
Exhale for longer than you inhale.
At rest/non exercise activities, breathing should be relaxed with the exhale naturally longer than the in.
As exercise intensity rises, deliberate exhales will help you sustain for longer while keeping the mind clearer, calmer.
Immediately after a high intensity effort, blow that air out, try to empty the lungs as quickly as possible.
You have a choice on the inhale, either ignore it completely and let reflex action take it’s course, or do a double inhale.
This is breathe in, breathe in again before exhaling, the so called “physiologist sigh”
Step 3
Practice some breath holds.
This can be via box breathing or utilising the Buteyko method of a hold after thr exhale until you feel a mild “air hunger”
Both methods are good for different reasons, just a s squat and a deadlift are good for different reasons.
Experiment with both and see which gives you the biggest bang for your buck.
Implement these three steps, nasal breathing, emphasised exhales and occasional holds, and you can expect:
More endurance , at all intensities.
Better sleep
Clearer mind
And an all round improvement in your sense of wellbeing which spills over into your training and performance.
If you have questions, reach out.
Regards
Dave Hedges
07340584750
Dave is based in Dungannon.
He is a martial arts instructor, a personal trainer, a strength & conditioning coach and now specialises in using the Anatomy in Motion Flow Motion Model to help people optimise their performance.
