Whether you’re just getting into a fitness routine or you’re competing at an elite level, your physical performance is most likely being limited by your lungs. Not by muscular endurance or mental fortitude, but by how efficiently you use the oxygen in your body.

This stems from the fact that, as a society, we are chronic overbreathers. Modern day environmental factors like stress, diet and sedentary lifestyle have altered our respiratory response. In turn, we are constantly inhaling and exhaling2-3 times as much air as we actually need. While this may not sound like a big problem, it has serious ramifications when it comes to physical performance.

Chronic overbreathing limits performance because it makes us less efficient at absorbing oxygen. Even though we are inhaling more oxygen when overbreathing, we are actually absorbing less of it because we are expelling too much Carbon Dioxide (C02).

Thought of mostly as a useless byproduct of respiration, C02 is actually the key to efficient oxygen absorption by our muscles. When there is a C02 deficiency in the body - as a result of overbreathing - our red blood cells deliver less oxygen. This increases breathlessness and decreases muscle performance during physical exertion, limiting our output.

What’s important to understand is that how we breathe during daily life determines our ability to absorb oxygen during physical exertion. You see, overbreathing during rest leads to the narrowing of airways and the constriction of blood vessels, making it more difficult to oxygenate your muscles during activity.

By teaching ourselves to breathe optimally while resting and while sleeping, we can reverse the effects of overbreathing and even simulate Altitude Training. By optimizing your breathing you will improve oxygen delivery, reduce lactic acid buildup, and lower your risk of inflammation or injury.

The good news is that there is a simple solution to fixing overbreathing, leading to improved athletic performance, increased fitness, and longer athletic careers. The solution? Breathe through your nose. That’s it! Nose breathing regulates airflow much better than mouth breathing, helping to maintain sufficient C02 levels in the body and therefore optimize oxygen exchange.

While awake, make a conscious effort to keep your mouth closed and focus on nose breathing. While sleeping, count on SomniFix Strips to keep your mouth closed and induce nose breathing all night long. The result? Drastic improvements in oxygen exchange during physical performance translating into new personal bests in the gym, on the track, and during competition.