Optimal Breathing Rhythm for Running

Audio Transcript

Coach Hayley: Hey Runners Connect fans. Welcome to Runners Connect, Run to the Top Extra Kick Podcast.

Today, we have a great question from Susan. She asks, “Is there an optimal breathing rhythm to run to and does it depend on how fast you’re going or how hard you’re working?”

Hayley: That’s a good question Susan. To answer the first part of your question, yes there is and it depends on the intensity of your workout.

It depends on how hard you’re pushing rather than how fast you’re going. Focusing on your breathing rhythm can help you feel more in control, help your pacing, and monitoring your intensity or effort level.

Your breathing rhythm refers to the number of footsteps you take with each foot whilst breathing in and out.

Let’s start with the easy runs. I’d a go for 3-3 rhythm on needs. That’s three steps whilst breathing in and three steps whilst breathing out.

Whilst breathing in, you take one with your left, one with your right one with your left. Whilst breathing out, one with your right, one with your left, one with your right.

That rhythm’s perfect for warmups, cooldowns, in easy days or recovery runs. It allows plenty of oxygen to reach your system.

However, you want the easy runs to be comfortable. Don’t force this breathing rhythm if it doesn’t feel natural.

If you prefer 2-2 and it feels more comfortable, go with that. I don’t advise breathing slower on 3-3 as your body won’t have enough time to clear carbon dioxide.

More moderate pace runs like steady state, tempo runs, marathon pace, that early parts of a longer race.

These runs are harder than easy ones, but they’re not all out-race efforts. For these, I’d use a 2-2 ratio that is two sets while breathing in and two sets while breathing out.

This should be perfect when you’re pushing a little bit harder. Phrasing on this breathing rhythm can also help with your pacing consistency on tempo and steady runs.

It’s a lot more relaxing than looking at your watch every five seconds. Lastly for hard work outs and races.

For example, the end of races. I don’t mean early in the race when you’re trying to keep in control, I mean those last few miles when you’re really pushing.

Also, there are those interval sessions, those VO2 Max workouts, where you’re pushing hard for brief bursts and you’re going to be breathing quite a lot.

You can switch to a 1-2 or 2-1 rhythm for these. I wouldn’t advise a 1-1 as you won’t get enough oxygen into system.

This will help you to focus on pushing a bit harder and distract you from the discomfort of these intense efforts.

I have to admit that I don’t pay particular attention to my breathing when pushing hard. I let it come naturally.

I’d probably say that I settle in to that kind of rhythm but I don’t particularly try to. I find at those points, my brain is just focusing on pushing right after that line.

There is a lot of benefits into monitoring breathing rhythm on those easy moderate runs. It can help with pacing and maintaining a consistent effort level.

The changes to your brain could indicate to you that you’ve slowed down or sped up, rather than having to be looking at a watch all the time.

Using this technique in races can help you to keep an even effort as well on hills. It’s difficult to know how much to adjust the pace on a hill unless you know its exact gradient and length.

You can focus on keeping to your breathing rhythm and that might clear into if you’re suddenly working too hard for the hill.

I’d say that I’d take the uncomfortable over getting your breathing rhythm perfect. You don’t want to be forcing anything. I think you might make yourself feel quite funny if you do that.

Much of your breathing rhythm should come secondary to monitoring how you feel. Are comfortable and relaxed? Are you running at the right intensity level for your type of workout?

That was a great question and thanks so much for asking.

For those of you listening and want to have your questions answered by one of the runners connect coaches, head over to runnersconnect.net/daily and click the record button to send your question over.

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Have a great day and be sure to tune in next time.