Can Breathing Really Make You Faster?

A recent narrative review explored how breathing impacts sports performance, emphasising psychological over physiological benefits.

Voluntary slow breathing (around 6 breaths per minute) activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress and improving mental focus—potentially enhancing cycling performance indirectly. However, the direct physiological impact of breathing alone on performance remains unclear and scientifically unsupported.

Still, controlled breathing techniques aren’t pointless. Practising slow-paced breathing regularly or during warm-ups can significantly reduce anxiety, improve heart-rate variability, and enhance mental clarity.

To incorporate this practically: practise diaphragmatic breathing (inhale deeply through the nose, exhale slowly through the mouth) for a few minutes before intervals or after hard efforts. It’s not magic, but it could help keep your head clear when it counts.

Reference:

Migliaccio et al., 2023 - Sports Performance and Breathing Rate

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On my mindAccept Change or Leave

Here's something that resonated with me this week:

In any situation, we've really only got three choices—change it, accept it, or leave it. It's tempting to get stuck in wishing things were different without doing anything about it, or not fully accepting where we are. This indecision is usually the real source of frustration. The thought that's helped me the most lately is to simply "accept." Not in a passive way, but as a deliberate act. Accepting reality fully frees us to decide clearly: am I willing to change this or leave it, or is it genuinely something I can live with? Real acceptance clears the noise and lets us move forward without dragging around unnecessary tension.

Damian.