Preferred breathing climbing long hills

blkhotrod said:

long being 5+ miles........

1. Inhale via mouth + exhale via nose?
2. Inhale via mouth + exhale via mouth?
3. Inhale via nose + exhale via nose?
4. Inhale via nose + exhale via mouth?
5. Inhale via mouth + exhale via both mouth and nose?
6. Inhale via nose + exhale via both mouth and nose?
7. None of the above (this can be for frenchgye since he blows it out his rear)

Whatever feels most comfortable for you, at your current intensity, and allows you to get into the best rhythm.

Sometimes I use #1, sometimes #2, and so on...except for the last one. Watch for the guys who use #7 - keep them behind you! [img]cyclingforums.combiggrin.gifOpen ↗[/img]

You left out "suck through any available port of entry" rather than pass out.

Anytime I need to breathe effieicntly, I go for #6, it just seems the most natural to me. I breathe in deeply through my mouth, and when I breathe out, I just let if some out naturally, which, in my case, comes out both my nose and mouth.

As far as what's the best way of breathing, as long as it's in through your mouth (or boh your mouth and nose, if you can), how it comes out generally isn't important. You just want to avoid restricting youself to your nose (which your body will give you all the right cues for, the only time you NEED to think very much about your breathing is if you ever come close to hyperventilating, besides tht, you should breath just fine how it feels most natural).

blkhotrod said:

long being 5+ miles........

1. Inhale via mouth + exhale via nose?
2. Inhale via mouth + exhale via mouth?
3. Inhale via nose + exhale via nose?
4. Inhale via nose + exhale via mouth?
5. Inhale via mouth + exhale via both mouth and nose?
6. Inhale via nose + exhale via both mouth and nose?
7. None of the above (this can be for frenchgye since he blows it out his rear)

Whatever works best at the time but remember dont breath faster breath deeper...

jhuskey said:

You left out "suck through any available port of entry" rather than pass out.

I've tried this one, but is there any way to get the smoke to only go out through my ears? Most of the time I go nose in and mouth out. It seems to keep my throat from getting too dry.

Arathald said:

Anytime I need to breathe effieicntly, I go for #6, it just seems the most natural to me. I breathe in deeply through my mouth, and when I breathe out, I just let if some out naturally, which, in my case, comes out both my nose and mouth.

As far as what's the best way of breathing, as long as it's in through your mouth (or boh your mouth and nose, if you can), how it comes out generally isn't important. You just want to avoid restricting youself to your nose (which your body will give you all the right cues for, the only time you NEED to think very much about your breathing is if you ever come close to hyperventilating, besides tht, you should breath just fine how it feels most natural).

this sounds like #5 not #6??

blkhotrod said:

this sounds like #5 not #6??

Hmm.... you're right. I think I would pass out if I tried #6 for too long.

bomber said:

Whatever works best at the time but remember dont breath faster breath deeper...

The way I see it, panting quickly seems to be an instinctive way to breathe when the going gets really tough, but deep breathing which fills the lungs thus forcing air into the far reaches to allow greater oxygen / carbon dioxide transfer is better. In other words, the kind of breathing which would cause hyperventilation if you were not exercising, but HV won't happen when you're hammering up a hill & looking for all the O2 you can get. As I said, that is my reasoning why deep breathing works.

Yes, I suggest you breathe. 😉

Thanks to all who responsed, very good information. I'm amazed at deadheads like spunout and jhusky who have nothing better to do then make stupid comments. Have they recently fallen off their bikes while not wearing a helmet?

Spunout said:

Yes, I suggest you breathe. 😉

Nah, breath holding intervals are the new thing, didn't you know?

whoawhoa said:

Nah, breath holding intervals are the new thing, didn't you know?

We do those in the pool..........real lung busters. I glad to hear your doing them on the bike.......don't fall off🙂

blkhotrod said:

We do those in the pool..........real lung busters. I glad to hear your doing them on the bike.......don't fall off🙂

Yep I have done them in the pool too. You have a choice....either pass out in the pool and sink or crash your bike. Either way you have to breath sometime or it will hurt!:eek:

bomber said:

Whatever works best at the time but remember dont breath faster breath deeper...

I agree-labored, quick breathing is not good, even when you think your going to fall off you bike and your still staring at 500' more till the top, controlling the hard quick breaths and making them smooth deep breaths with full exhales seems to calm you down and that alone helps the mind deal with the rest of the climb.