Breathing Difficulties (sort of)

Cee-Jay-Cee · 05-09-2013 1:11am #1

I have perfectly clear sinuses, I dont smoke and I have no respiratory problems that i'm aware of but I simply cannot breathe through my nose when cycling. It makes no real difference in warmer weather but a killer in winter. I was out yesterday and it was around18/19 degrees and I was cycling on the level at around 30kmph and in no rush, not out of breath or tired yet I couldnt get a proper breath inhaling through my nose. As a result I have to cycle with my mouth open all the time, which like I said above is a killer in winter as my lungs take the hit and it takes longer to get warned up properly.

I'm not looking for medical advice, just wondering is it something others experience or am I unique.

Squidgy Black · 05-09-2013 1:20am

I know what you mean, I sometimes find it hard to catch my breath when breathing through my nose and find myself gasping for air.

Canis Lupus · 05-09-2013 2:04am

I think there's a thing called exercise induced asthm which shows up more in cold weather.

Exercising in cold weather is always more difficult but if you find winter particularly tough it mightn't hurt to have a doctor visit just to rule it out.

biketard · 05-09-2013 3:57am

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I think there's a thing called exercise induced asthm which shows up more in cold weather.

Exercising in cold weather is always more difficult but if you find winter particularly tough it mightn't hurt to have a doctor visit just to rule it out.

I've suffered a bit from this in the past too. Luckily I live in Taiwan now where it's hot and humid.

I seem to remember discovering that the fact that the air is so DRY has a lot to do with it.

Never did find a solution unfortunately.

12 sprocket · 05-09-2013 6:58am

CJC999 wrote: »

I have perfectly clear sinuses, I dont smoke and I have no respiratory problems that i'm aware of but I simply cannot breathe through my nose when cycling. It makes no real difference in warmer weather but a killer in winter. I was out yesterday and it was around18/19 degrees and I was cycling on the level at around 30kmph and in no rush, not out of breath or tired yet I couldnt get a proper breath inhaling through my nose. As a result I have to cycle with my mouth open all the time, which like I said above is a killer in winter as my lungs take the hit and it takes longer to get warned up properly.

I'm bit looking for medical advice, just wondering is it something others experience or am I unique.

at 30kph your body probably requires more oxygen than can be received by just breathing through your nose, just do what feels natural which is breath through your mouth.

Lumen · 05-09-2013 7:15am

I'm a bit of a mouth-breather, particularly on the bike. I wouldn't worry about it.

I doubt it makes any difference to warming up in winter. The mass of air gets into your lungs and out again, and will take a certain amount of heat with it. Routing it through your nose might make your throat/lungs feel more comfortable, but I can't see how it would result in less overall heat transfer.

If you don't feel cold for the first five or ten minutes you're overdressed.

Zorba · 05-09-2013 8:02am

Could try a neti pot, great for clearing sinuses even if it is a bit unpleasant to use at first.

smacl · 05-09-2013 8:29am

12 sprocket wrote: »

at 30kph your body probably requires more oxygen than can be received by just breathing through your nose, just do what feels natural which is breath through your mouth.

Pretty much what I was thinking, though it does get a bit dodgy with lots of bugs in the air. You can teach yourself to breathe more efficiently through your nose, which is a necessity in some other sports such as boxing and martial arts. I've tried and still need more air than I can get through my nose when climbing, so compromise by trying to inhale through pursed lips and closed teeth when bugs abound. I'm still regularly gulping down all the air I can suck in towards the end of a long climb. Keeping your heart rate lower would also work, but that involves slowing down, or managing to be much more efficient for the same power output.

rollingscone · 05-09-2013 8:29am

You can train yourself to breathe through your nose which can be helpful for asthmatics in winter in particular.

The lazier winter solution is to wear a buff over your mouth and drool on yourself.

TheBlaaMan · 05-09-2013 9:05am

I'll sound like a moderator here......., but this really is something that you could run past your GP. You may just have narrow nasal passages, but perhaps an inhaler or some mild medication could bring benefits. No sense in suffering if there's a relatively easy solution

DaithiMC · 05-09-2013 9:12am

If it is stress induced asthma over the winter months you should ask your doc about an inhaler. I also find albas oil or vicks opens up the airways and that chewing gum, airwaves, has menthol/eucalyptus in so it can do the job for a while too and having something in your mouth also causes your salivation to be continuous so you don't get a dry mouth which can also lead to irritation breathing through the mouth. If you are at a proper exertion rate you will probably have to breath through both mouth and nose.

I found in the past that when I got back into swimming the discipline of breathing improved better for other sports too.

djfattony2000 · 05-09-2013 9:21am

Did you ever try these?

http://mccabespharmacy.com/shop/breathe-right-nasal-strips.html

I used them before, it like having two mouths!

BailMeOut · 05-09-2013 10:09am

I have the same issue. Google "Exercise Induced Asthma" and read the symptoms and causes to see if they match what you experience. Some posters saying to contact your GP but do not let your GP treat you as they will not know what to to. You will probably pass all asthma tests they do just fine so just ask (tell!) your GP to refer you to a proper respiratory specialist and ideally one who deals with sports. I ended up seeing a consultant who changed my cycling life and can now cycle all year, before I saw him I could only go out in warm days.

When I cycle and especially if the weather is chilly I need to take an inhaler about 30 mins before I head out and then take it slow for first 5 or 10 mins breathing in through my nose while I warm up. I also always wear a long sleeved under armour shirt under my normal cycling shirt as keeping warm is essential. After that I can usually cycle with no breathing issues. The trick is to not let your lungs get cold as they will inflame and cause discomfort.

Good luck!

codie · 05-09-2013 10:45am

Try olbas oil,about €5 or €6 local health store shop.Put a drop on some nostril plugs 10 mins before you go out and put a few drops on your glove near your thumb to inhale while your out.Works for me.I have being using it now for a while.I haven't told any of my cycling mates about it but I notice they are doing a lot of looking at me .They know I'm sniffing something.

thesimpsons · 05-09-2013 11:02am

used to have same problem on climbs, found my legs were fine but I had no air. I was constantly breathing through the mouth and getting lots of bugs too. now when hitting the lower parts of the climb I do lot of deep nose inhaling, and then breathing out slowing through mouth. also have a sniff of either Eucalyptus oil or Tea Tree oil (probably the same as olbas oil) before I go out and that clears up the nasal passages. practise the breathing through nose on less ardous cycles and see if you can get it to work for you.

goose06 · 05-09-2013 11:06am

Try a bit of Vaseline around the edge of your nostrils it'll help keep your nostril's lubed so to speak. I find it great for opening up the airways and useful against sinus pain as well but regular use of a sinus rinse is probably best.

Breathing Difficulties (sort of)

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