{"id":1227,"date":"2022-10-13T22:39:31","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T22:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecharlotteathlete.com\/?p=1227"},"modified":"2022-10-13T22:39:31","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T22:39:31","slug":"how-breathing-affects-crossfit-performance-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecharlotteathlete.com\/how-breathing-affects-crossfit-performance-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"How Breathing Affects CrossFit Performance \u2013 Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Other than bracing for a heavy lift, most CrossFit athletes don\u2019t pay much attention to the way they’re breathing<\/strong>\u2014inside or outside the gym. How many times a day do you think we breathe? Typically over 20,000 times! <\/strong>Breathing is a foundational movement that plays a critical role in not only oxygen in and carbon dioxide out, but..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. trunk control<\/li>
  2. muscle recovery<\/li>
  3. and many important processes within the body.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"Picture\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \u200bShallow breathing<\/strong>, which is using the chest and not the diaphragm, is a very common dysfunctional breathing pattern that doesn’t allow you to get as much oxygen as you otherwise would<\/strong> \u2014 it mimics the type of breathing common during stressful situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You see this all the time in athletes. <\/strong>They will perform a tough workout, and they will partially hinge over, hands on their knees, and drop their head down and try to catch their breath. And you will see their shoulders are up by their ears. I\u2019m guilty of this at times as well \u2013 over the past few months as I\u2019ve revisited these concepts I\u2019ve been able to adjust my ability to recover through proper breathing, and it\u2019s made a HUGE difference. There’s nothing worse than being dead out of breathe during these workouts without muscle fatigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Okay so what exactly is going on here? Well, dysfunctional breathing can have many negative consequences on respiratory chemistry which can have a huge effect on a wide range of system functions<\/strong>\u2026.. respiratory chemistry meaning the balance of chemicals in your lungs and breathing systems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1). <\/strong>Chest breathing causes an increased amount of CO2 <\/strong>in your body, which increases the acidity of your blood. The more acidic your blood becomes, the more inefficient your muscles will be, and overall performance will suffer.
    2.<\/strong>) Elevated CO2 levels also put your body in what’s called a \u201cfight or flight\u201d state — which is a stress response <\/strong>that occurs in your body during a threatening situation.  This can increase HR, increase anxiety, increase stress, impair reflexes, and impair focus.<\/strong>
    3.) <\/strong>Speaking of focus<\/strong> \u2013 How many of you have pile-drived through a workout and midway through suddenly can\u2019t remember what round you\u2019re on or what your rep count is? Breathing affects this as<\/strong>well<\/strong>. Being focused on the task at hand is just as important as performing the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Focusing on breathing correctly (think quality vs quantity<\/strong>) will create:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. more efficient work output<\/li>
    2. more precise responses from our central nervous system<\/li>
    3. and without a doubt boost overall performance.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \"Picture\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      \u200bNow, we talked a bit about performance, but what about injury? Dysfunctional breathing patterns have been shown to play a significant role in posture, technique, and movement control associated with back, neck, hip, and shoulder pain. <\/strong>Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The spine is one of the most frequently injured body regions in CrossFit. There are a few things happening here with excessive chest breathers (these are related to non-acute injuries):<\/p>\n\n\n\n