By Jannes Vercaemst

At The Green Athlete we believe that top performance is achieved not only through physical training and a healthy diet, but also as a result of sufficient attention for one of the fundamentals of human functioning: breathing.  Breathing is much more than just an automatic reflex: it is a direct gateway to focus, recovery and optimal performance.

Why is conscious breathing so crucial?

Your breathing is a powerful instrument to directly and positively influence your mental, physical and emotional state. Experts like Kasper van der Meulen and Dan Brulé regard breathing as the ultimate biohack. Or to put it another way: the remote control for your nervous system. By adopting the right breathing pattern, you can reduce acute stress, activate your relaxation mechanisms and sharpen your focus. Breathing brings you back to the here and now, to the place where a state of flow and top performance can be realised.

The most important benefits and applications

1. Stress regulation and mental resilience

  • Conscious breathing reduces the level of stress hormones in the body and helps to control anxiety.
  • Regular breathing exercises increase your mental resilience during training and competition.

2. Improved focus and flow

  • Correct breathing can induce a state of increased awareness and concentration.
  • Targeted breathing exercises can help you to more quickly achieve a state of flow, which is essential for top performance.

3. Optimal physical performance

  • Efficient breathing increases your oxygen intake and supports energy management during power and endurance activities.
  • You also have better muscle control and coordination, thanks to an optimised nervous system.

4. Faster recovery

  • Slow, deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system and accelerates physical recovery after intensive periods of effort.

TGA’s favourite breathing exercises

Physiological sigh

This exercise consists of two short and deep inhalations of air through the nose. The first breath is normal and the second is a shorter continuation, followed immediately by long and complete exhalation through the mouth. This technique, which is recommended by neuroscientists like Dr. Andrew Huberman, quickly reduces the level of cortisol in the blood. As a result, this kind of physiological sigh can calm your nervous system in less than a minute. It is therefore ideal for use during moments of stress, between blocks of work, or immediately after a heavy training session.

 

NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest)

NSDR refers to a state in which you remain awake, while your body simultaneously experiences a feeling of deep rest. This is achieved through controlled breathing, often in combination with visualisations or body scans. One of the most common basic protocols involves breathing in for 4 seconds and breathing out for 6 seconds during a period of 10 to 20 minutes. Studies have shown that NSDR replicates the brain functions of sleep and boosts the supply of dopamine, resulting in increased motivation, sharper focus and more rapid physical recovery. As such, it is ideal for integrating into your post-training schedule or as a means of quick recovery during busy days.

 

Visualisation and breathing

Visualisation is the practicing in your mind of desirable situations, in combination with deep and calm breathing. By repeatedly imagining yourself as being successful, powerful or grateful, the neurological pathways in your brain are strengthened. This makes it possible to call up these emotions more quickly and automatically when you need them. For athletes, this results in better performance under pressure, increased motivation and greater self-esteem. Begin with 5 minutes of practice each day: breathe calmly in and out, close your eyes and imagine as intensely as you can that you will achieve your objectives, as though these imaginings were already reality.

In much the same way, you can also consciously cultivate a feeling of gratitude. Imagine that every day you devote a few minutes to thinking deeply in a spirit of pure gratitude, not about anything exceptional or remarkable, but simply about the richness of life and how good it is to be alive. The more frequently you repeat this exercise, the more it strengthens key neurological pathways in your brain. Over time, what started as a conscious exercise gradually becomes a natural state of being. How wonderful must it be to live each day in an unconscious mood of deep and genuine gratitude! This is perhaps the greatest success that you can ever achieve.

 

Nasal breathing versus oral breathing

In his book Breath, James Nestor describes a striking experiment that revealed the impact of breathing habits on our general health. Working with a group of researchers, Nestor allowed his nose to be blocked with silicon and tape for a full ten days, so that he was obliged to breathe through his mouth. The resulting consequences were dramatic: he began almost immediately to snore and developed sleep apnoea, whilst his blood pressure also rose significantly and his energy levels fell alarmingly. His sporting performance declined and it was visibly evident that his general well-being was negatively influenced.

After this trial period, he unblocked his nose and spent the next ten days consciously and exclusively breathing through it. During the night, he applied tape to his mouth to prevent him from unconsciously resorting to oral breathing. Once again, the results were dramatic. Within a few days, his snoring and sleep apnoea had completely disappeared, his blood pressure was normalised, his sleep quality improved and his energy levels were restored.

Nestor’s message is clear: nasal breathing is essential for optimal health and performance. The nose filters, humidifies and warms the inhaled air, increases the production of nitrogen monoxide (important for widening blood vessels and increasing oxygen intake) and helps to keep the airways open.

Practical advice

If you want to experience the benefits of nasal breathing for yourself, you can tape over your mouth each night with special tape. This will prevent you from slipping back into oral breathing while you sleep. During the day, you can consciously practice keeping your mouth closed, especially during light exercise activities like walking or cycling.

With minor adjustments of this kind, you can achieve a major improvement in your quality of sleep, recovery capacity and general health.

Conclusion: integrate conscious breathing into your daily routine

Proper breathing is an essential and powerful aid for anyone who wish to raise his or her performance to a higher level. This makes it possible to regulate stress, maximise focus, speed up recovery and optimise performance. Best of all, this most powerful of tools is freely available to everyone at all times and in all places, without the need for any extra effort! At The Green Athlete we support you every breath of the way on your road to superlative performance.