DISORDERED BREATHING
Research suggests that sufferers of many respiratory disorders such as asthma have adopted breathing patterns which causes them to release more CO2 from their body than they produce. To prevent the CO2 levels dropping to fatal concentrations, the body constricts the bronchial airways and increases mucus production.
In the case of asthma, only when incorrect breathing patters are present will an attack be triggered by factors such as allergies. The trigger factors are secondary components and the primary trigger for respiratory problems is incorrect breathing patterns.
Commonly this is the consequence of faulty posture of the spinal column (back rounding out), a deformation of the thorax and absence of nose breathing. As seen from the outside, breathing movements are vertical in disordered breathing and the neck muscles work more opposing the function of the diaphragm. This posture is commonly observed in sport where technique is not ideal, particularly in cycling where bike setup impacts posture.
Over time the tension of the diaphragm decreases, mobility reduces and becomes limited and eventually the diaphragm becomes passive. In the course of time the physiological breathing muscles (diaphragm and intercostals) are replaced in function by the auxiliary breathing muscles of the shoulder girdle and neck.
During exercise, higher flow rates and the absence of nasal breathing results in large quantities of dry air in the lungs which further adds to constriction of the lungs.
The consequences are an uneven and insufficient ventilation of the lungs, an increased amount of effort for breathing, poor efficiency, chronic irritation of the airways and narrowing of the bronchi. Initially this breathing pattern is still sufficient to maintain sufficient gas exchange for sedentary living, however when the load on the body is increased, the airways resistance increases and causes breathlessness.
This leads to an expiratory narrowing effect (valve stenosis) increasing the resistance to flow and pressure difference between the alveoli and the bronchioloi which increasing breathing effort. Expiration involves a substantial pressure in order to overcome the stenosis (narrowing) and the higher speeds and flow collapse the airways, creating low oxygen tension and reducing the oxygen saturation in the blood. To compensate the central control increases the breathing rate, however during exercise this will result in hyperventilation, further increasing the problem.
Poor respiratory function during sport will result in faster perhipheral fatigue and a faster onset of anaerobic threshold. A recommended step forward is to address your technique of breathing and sporting technique.
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