How breathing well influences sports performance

The nose plays an essential role in sports performance. A professional athlete can inhale up to 40,000 liters of air per day, which is four times more than a normal person. Therefore, when practicing sports, it is crucial that the organ is in perfect physiological condition, as this will avoid negative consequences on the athlete’s performance and quality of life.

How the nose works and why it is important

The nose is the gateway to the air we breathe. The nostrils filter, clean, humidify and warm the inspired air so that it reaches the lungs in optimal conditions. They also play an important immunological role, as they act as a barrier to possible infections.

Consequences of nasal obstruction in athletes

When the patient has a nasal obstruction, he/she breathes more through the mouth, thus decreasing cellular oxygenation, increasing the heart rate and increasing the respiratory rate. This has important consequences in people who regularly practice sports:

  • Low sports performance
  • Lack of concentration during sports practice
  • Tiredness the day after practicing sports.
  • Absence in training sessions

In addition, over time these patients may develop other pathologies, such as arterial hypertension and arrhythmias.

Pathologies that can be caused by bad breathing

Poorly filtered air through the nostrils is cold, dirty, dry air, which can cause pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, dysphonia and cough. Also, a nasal obstruction can cause snoring and sleep disturbances, presenting the patient with a poorly restful sleep. This, in turn, can lead to irritability, depression, tiredness, fatigue and even sexual dysfunction. These patients may also suffer from frequent colds that never heal and are often complicated by ear plugging, sinusitis and headaches, with progressive deterioration of the sense of smell being common.

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Nasal fracture in sports: a common but underestimated injury

On the other hand, 40% of facial fractures in sports are nasal fractures, reaching 85% in combat sports. Nasal fractures are often treated with a reduction at the same time, but in 50% of the cases they are not resolved, so the specialist must perform a septoplasty, rhinoplasty or rhinoseptoplasty, for both functional and aesthetic purposes. Many nasal fractures are not diagnosed because patients are not aware of the injury.

In addition, it is common for nasal fractures to be treated only from a functional point of view, without taking into account the psychological impact it can have on athletes.

Therefore, the current situation for many athletes is that the role the nose plays in their health is underestimated. Many athletes are used to breathing badly, without being aware of it. Generally, sports medical check-ups do not include a review of the upper respiratory tract.

From experience, specialists in Otorhinolaryngology always recommend complete check-ups to detect pathologies and bad respiratory habits, which affect sports performance, in order to establish personalized treatments according to the characteristics of each case.