Breathwork: The Science Behind Better Performance

Your breath is more powerful than you think. Science proves that controlled breathing can boost focus, endurance, and recovery—giving athletes a competitive edge.

AUTHOR: 
Ryan Linn
Category:  

Breathwork

Date: 

April 24, 2024

You breathe every day—but are you using it to your advantage? Science says you should. The way you breathe can sharpen focus, boost endurance, and speed up recovery. Here’s why breath-work is a must for athletes who want to perform at their best.

Optimising Oxygen Use:

Controlled, deep breathing can help to increase the overall volume of oxygen your body absorbs, helping your muscles,heart and brain to stay fueled. It does this by improving lung function (1,2), strengthening your respiratory muscles (3) and coordinating the blood flow to your heart (1,4).

Heart Rate Variability (HRV):

Slow breathing has been shown to increase HRV, which is linked to better emotional control, and parasympatheticactivation— that’s the “rest and digest” component of your nervous system.(4,5) This means that pre-competition, you’ll be taming any nerves;post-competition you’ll be getting a full and restorative rest and recovery.

Nasal Breathing:

Breathing through your nose stimulates brain and autonomic functions, linking breath control to improved focus,psychological balance, and behavioral outputs - all of which are key to athletic success (4,7)

Respiratory Muscle Endurance:

Breath-work can reduce fatigue in your respiratory muscles after intense activity, keeping you performing at your peak. Again, this will keep you going  at your best when the competition are starting to wither. (8)

Why It Matters:

From Olympians to elite endurance athletes, breath control is a proven tool for better performance. Whether you're managing pre-game nerves, staying locked in during competition, or accelerating recovery, breath-work isn’t just a skill—it’s an edge.

Ready to take control of your breath and level up your game? Start now and feel the difference.