Samenvatting

Background: Nasal breathing is a commonly used technique among runners. However, the scientific research available on the topic is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nasal breathing on runners' posture, perceived exertion and the effect of practice.

Method: The participants, healthy amateur runners, performed two measured 20 minute treadmill runs, four weeks apart. During the four weeks, participants practiced nasal breathing during their runs. The average cervical lordosis and average thoracic kyphosis were measured with Codamotion-system: 3D gait analysis. The perceived exertion was measured on a 15-point Borg-scale. The heart rate was measured by the use of Oxiometer. Measurements were conducted after the first and the nineteenth minute of the treadmill run. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire half-way and at the end of the experiment regarding their experience with nasal breathing. The data was analyzed in SPSS 17.0 by conducting a paired-sample t-test (p<0.05).

Results: The measured average cervical lordosis was statistically significantly greater during oronasal breathing than during nose breathing both at the measurement after one minute (Moronasal=-35.96o, Mnasal=-28.97o sig=0.038) and also at minute nineteen (Moronasal=-39.5o, Mnasal=-30.37, sig=0.033). No statistically significant results were observed with regards to thoracic kyphosis, heart rate or perceived exertion. A significant increase was observed in the self-reported length of time the runners were able to maintain nasal breathing during their trainings in the course of the experiment.

Conclusion: The posture of the neck remained in a position closer to vertical or neutral during nose breathing. Nasal breathing did not decrease the perceived exertion of the runners. Participants commonly mentioned that they experienced a relaxation effect during nose breathing, which might be a result of increased breathing control. One's ability to breathe through the nose during physical exertion seems to be subject of improvement with practice.