"Shortness of breath is part and parcel of exercise. What’s important is to learn to recognise your normal breathing pattern, to ensure you build up gradually during training sessions, and not to dismiss unusual breathing difficulties or an unusually long recovery time after exercise. Good preparation also means listening to your body and your breathing."
A marathon isn’t just about your legs, it’s also about your breathing
When you’re training for a marathon, you naturally think about kilometres, long runs, running shoes, strength training and nutrition. Yet there’s one thing that accompanies every stride, from the first to the last kilometre: your breathing.
Breathing is often seen as simply a consequence of exertion. You run, so you breathe faster and more heavily. But for a runner, it’s much more than that! It’s an indicator of pace, a tool for regulating effort, a measure of comfort and a warning sign when exertion is becoming uncontrolled.
With just a few months to go until the Alpes-Maritimes Nice-Cannes Marathon, the RespirERA Institute has produced a simple guide to help runners better understand their breathing and incorporate it into their training.
Understand
Why do we get out of breath when we run?
Shortness of breath is a normal bodily reaction to physical exertion. When you run, your muscles work harder. To produce the energy they need, they require more oxygen and produce more carbon dioxide, a gas that the body must eliminate.
Breathing therefore speeds up to meet this dual need: to take in more oxygen and expel more carbon dioxide.
The more intense the exertion, the greater this demand becomes. The heart beats faster to pump oxygen to the muscles, and the lungs work harder to keep up. It is this mechanism that causes the sensation of breathlessness.
In an endurance race such as a marathon, the aim is therefore not to avoid getting out of breath altogether. Rather, the aim is to maintain a controlled, steady breathing pattern that is sustainable for the duration of the effort.
With training, your breathing becomes more efficient. Your heart, muscles and breathing gradually learn to work better together. At the same pace, the effort may then feel easier, your breathing more steady and your recovery quicker. That is why breathing is something you work on over time: session after session, your body adapts.
Impact
Is breathing important when you’re running?
During exercise, the muscles need more oxygen to function. Breathing therefore naturally speeds up to meet this demand. Feeling out of breath during a run or a training session is normal: it’s a sign that the body is adapting to the intensity.
But when your breathing becomes too difficult to control, it can quickly affect your performance.
Poor breathing control can lead to:
- a greater sense of exertion
- a struggle to keep up the pace
- fatigue that sets in earlier
- a more difficult recovery between periods of exertion
- a loss of comfort, particularly on long rides
- a feeling of ‘enduring’ the race rather than managing it
Conversely, learning to listen more closely to your breathing often helps you pace yourself better, run at a more steady pace and avoid setting off too quickly.
Controlled breathing isn’t everything, but it does help you perform at your best.
Advantages
A real boost to your performance
Managing your breathing effectively does not magically transform a runner’s performance level, but it can make a real difference to how you experience the effort. With regular training, your breathing often becomes more steady at the same pace, you feel better, and what seemed difficult at first can become more comfortable as the weeks go by: your body adapts, your endurance improves, and you gradually gain better control over the effort.
A more consistent pace
Your breathing helps you recognise when the intensity becomes too high. It therefore enables you to adjust your pace more quickly before you become too tired.
Greater comfort during exercise
Smoother breathing, combined with a relaxed posture, can make running more enjoyable, particularly on long runs.
Better energy management
By avoiding starting too quickly and accelerating without proper control, the runner conserves more energy for the rest of the race.
An easier recovery
Knowing how to slow down, release tension and breathe more calmly can help you recover better after a climb, a sprint or a difficult section.
Listening more closely to your body
Breathing is a valuable indicator. It helps to distinguish between normal exertion and unusual discomfort that warrants attention.
Landmark
Your breathing: your best indicator of pace
One of the most common mistakes in running is setting off too quickly. At first, your legs feel good, the atmosphere is motivating, and the pace seems comfortable. Then, gradually, your breathing becomes laboured, you start to feel worse, and the effort becomes harder to sustain.
Breathing can actually help you avoid this pitfall.
Can you still speak?
Whilst you’re out running, you should generally be able to speak in short sentences.
If you can no longer speak for a few moments without having to catch your breath, it is often because the intensity is too high for a prolonged effort.
This tip is simple, but very useful:
You can speak easily
A comfortable pace, probably suitable for an endurance ride.
You speak in short sentences
A sustained effort, but still under control.
You can no longer speak
High intensity, difficult to sustain for long.
When preparing for a marathon, this test can be an excellent tool. It helps you stay within an intensity range suitable for the duration of the race, particularly during long runs.
A practical guide
Learning to breathe better
Start your sessions gradually
Your breathing needs time to adjust. Starting too quickly forces your body to react abruptly: your heart rate rises rapidly and your breathing quickens. This can make the first few minutes uncomfortable and may even affect the rest of your run.
Before a session, start with a few minutes at an easy pace. The aim is not to save time, but to allow your body to ease into the exercise gradually.
The first 10 minutes should be deliberately easy. If you feel you could go faster, that’s probably a good sign: keep that energy in reserve.
Use your breathing to control your pace
In a marathon, the aim isn’t just to run fast. Above all, it’s to keep running for a long time. Your breathing can help you maintain that steady pace.
If you find yourself getting out of breath very quickly right at the start of a long run, it may be that you’re running too fast. Conversely, a more steady breathing pattern often indicates that you’re managing the effort better.
During your training sessions, ask yourself regularly: ‘Am I still in control of my breathing, or am I letting it get the better of me?’ This simple question can help you avoid many pace-related mistakes.
Don’t worry about breathing perfectly
We often hear that we should breathe solely through the nose, or follow a specific rhythm such as ‘two steps to breathe in, two steps to breathe out’. In reality, there is no single way of breathing that suits all runners in all situations.
At low intensity, some runners breathe naturally through their nose. As soon as the effort increases, breathing through the mouth as well becomes normal, as the body needs to take in more air.
The key, therefore, is not to force a particular technique. The aim is rather to find your own breathing pattern: smooth, comfortable and suited to the intensity of the effort.
Don’t hold your breath. Try to breathe smoothly, naturally and steadily.
Remember to breathe out
When exercise becomes strenuous, we often think of "taking a breath". But exhaling is just as important. If you exhale too briefly or too tensely, it can make your breathing feel shallow and strained, and therefore less comfortable.
During easier phases or moments of recovery, breathing out a little more slowly can help you regain your composure and release tension.
Sur une portion calme, inspirez naturellement, puis essayez d’expirer un peu plus longuement pendant quelques cycles respiratoires. Le but n’est pas de forcer, mais de retrouver une respiration plus posée.
Relax your upper body
Breathing does not depend solely on the lungs. Posture, the shoulders, the arms and tension in the upper body can all affect how comfortably you breathe.
A more relaxed body makes breathing more comfortable.
Tense shoulders, arms held too high or a clenched jaw can make the effort feel harder. Over long distances, these small tensions can build up.
During your walks, regularly give your upper body a quick "scan":
- Shoulders down
- Arms relaxed
- Supple hands
- Relaxed jaw
- Look far ahead
The race
3 key moments when a breath can change everything
At the start
The start is a risky moment. The energy of the group, the music, the atmosphere and the desire to do well can cause you to speed up without realising it.
However, setting off too quickly can prove costly later on. If you’re already finding it hard to breathe in the first few kilometres, this is often a sign that your pace may be too ambitious.
ObjectiveStart off with controlled breathing: it feels almost too easy at first.
During climbs or accelerations
Even a slight incline can significantly increase the intensity of the effort. Trying to maintain exactly the same pace can cause you to become breathless.
At times like these, it’s best to accept that you need to adjust your pace. Slowing down slightly can help you stay in control and avoid using up too much energy.
ObjectiveManage the intensity rather than defending the pace at all costs.
In the final kilometres
When fatigue sets in, your breathing may become shallower, higher-pitched and more irregular. It is often at this point that your mind starts to take over.
Getting back in touch with your breathing can help you refocus: a breath in, a breath out, a few strides...
ObjectiveUse your breathing as a simple guide to stay on track.
When should you be on your guard?
It is normal to feel out of breath during exercise. However, certain signs should not be ignored.
It is best to slow down, stop exercising and seek medical advice if you experience:
- sudden or unusual shortness of breath
- chest pain or tightness
- feeling unwell, dizzy or very weak
- unusual wheezing
- a persistent or troublesome cough on exertion
- difficulty recovering long after stopping
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