The keys to being a great football player are well understood. Speed, strength, agility, the ability to be a team player. But what if we told you there was a little-known way to give you an edge over your competition? And what if it was as simple as changing how you breathe?

Let's explore how breathing through your nose, instead of your mouth, can boost your performance and endurance on the gridiron.

How Nose Breathing Boosts Performance in Football

It seems out of the question that your nose can improve your athletic performance. In reality, our health and athleticism are directly tied to our airway and breath. Here’s why you should breathe through your nose on the field. 

Benefits of Nose Breathing While Playing Football

Maintain Body Temperature When Playing in the Cold

When you breathe in through the mouth, cold air goes straight to your lungs and bronchial tubes. This is extremely hard on your body and makes it harder to maintain your body temperature. 

The nose, on the other hand, adds humidity and warmth to your breath while also purifying, filtering, and moisturizing the air. 

In turn, any germs and particles in the air are eliminated before they reach your body. Cold air is warmed, helping your body operate in peak fashion. 

This means that your nose can help you play more efficiently come rain, snow, or cold temperatures. And that’s not all. 

You’ll also be able to play with more endurance and less effort. 

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Play With More Endurance and Less Effort

Since football is a contact sport, it’s important to be able to push yourself, run hard, and maneuver your body quickly. Over the course of four quarters, this can be extremely tiring. Luckily, nasal breathing can help you push it harder than ever before on the field with less effort, keeping you fresh all game long.

Enter: the Bohr effect. This scientific process within the body relates to the fact that less oxygen is needed for respiration when nasal breathing versus mouth breathing. 

Since less oxygen is needed, your heart rate, stress level, and blood pressure decrease. Since all of these functions slow down, you can work harder and longer with less effort needed because your body is oxygenated in an efficient manner. 

The best part about nasal breathing? It’s not just a tool to use while you’re playing. Here’s how it can help you off the field. 

Benefits of Nose Breathing During Rest

Reduce Inflammation and Injuries

Football is a dangerous sport, especially during intense games. In fact, you are seven times more likely to get injured while playing in a game in comparison to completing football fitness drills during practice. 

Nasal breathing can help to prevent injuries both on and off the field. On top of that, if you are injured, you’ll recovery quicker from any soreness or pain. 

This is largely because of nitric oxide’s role in nasal breathing. When you breathe through the nose, your nose produces and releases nitric oxide.

This molecule de-activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for stress responses such as “fight or flight” mode. Instead, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us to calm down via “rest and digest” mode. 

Therefore, nasal breathing during rest and sleep can help reduce inflammation and soreness, so that you can recover quickly and prevent future injuries. 

Try this nose breathing exercise before you step out onto the field to take advantage of and maximize the benefits of nasal breathing. 

Try This Nose Breathing Exercise Before Playing Football

You probably don’t think that something as basic as humming could be considered to be a breathing exercise. Surprise! It is. 

Humming boosts nitric oxide in the nasal passages 15-fold, making it the easiest and quickest way to reap the perks of nasal breathing.

Before you step onto the field, breathe normally and slowly in and out through the nose. Then, hum any song or sound for at least five minutes. 

It may annoy your teammates, but the results are undeniable. Plus, humming will also help to protect your immune system against harmful viruses thanks to the nitric oxide boost.   

Take Your Football Performance to the Next Level with SomniFix

Football requires a ton of accessories and gear. Cleats, shoulder pads, a mouth guard, a helmet, and...mouth tape. Yes, mouth tape.

By taping your mouth with our hypoallergenic, medical-grade strips, you’ll be able to nasal breathe during your workouts without having to give it a second thought. 

Better yet, you can also wear SomniFix Strips while you’re asleep so that you’ll sleep better, recovery faster, and always be rested up for any football fitness drill or upcoming game. 

The bottom line? SomniFix Strips are essential gear, whether it’s time for kickoff or time for bed.