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With the exception probably the only one of pearl gatherers, who dive without any autonomous equipment, breathing counts in all sports as well as in fitness. Each sport branch has imposed its own breathing style according to efficiency, effort timing, meteorological conditions etc.

If we take breathing as a taxonomic criterion, sports can be divided in two big groups:

1. The first one includes all the sports that use the technique of respiratory stop or blocking. The most typical among these are force sports such as athletic weight throwing, weightlifting, body building, gymnastics etc. In short, we might say that here the anaerobic extreme is concerned the one which imposes apnea (blocking the thorax and respiration). The main advantage of diaphragm blocking is the rising, for the moment, of the explosive force of the sportsman. A rise in execution speed for maximum force efforts has also been observed. The classic example is the snatch of weightlifting in which force and speed are simultaneously implied on the basis of respiratory blocking.

This respiratory blocking, inevitable in the above-mentioned sports, has also some disadvantages. Among these we could mention high pressure values in the thorax, abdomen and skull, high pressure on blood vessels with low feed-back through the veins etc. Thus, due to the rising of pressure inside the eyes the aggravation of previous short-sightedness is possible. Also, in the inferior limbs, varicose veins can either appear or worsen. Effort in exclusively anaerobic conditions increases rigidity both in the blood vessels and in the muscles.

2. The second big group is the one of sports that do not use respiratory stop. Here we enter the realm of purely aerobic effort. The typical examples are running races, swimming, cycling etc. – generally efforts on long and very long distances. In these events the muscular force implied is little – medium at most – the stress affecting the cardiovascular component and leading to increased cardiac frequency and pulmonary ventilation.

There is also a third category – mixed sports, both aerobic and anaerobic, in which the two techniques alternate. This is the case of sports games, contact sports, rhythm breaking in medium distance running races, etc. In the case of fitness, as both types of effort – aerobic and anaerobic – are present, apnea, as well as effort without respiratory blockage, is used. As far as correct respiration is concerned, there is a general rule stating that one should breath out during the most difficult part of the movement (the positive or concentric course) and breath in during come-back (the negative or eccentric course). Within these courses, we can have or not have a respiratory stop/ blockage. If we have it, it will occur at the critical point of the course.

Another breathing rule is the one that takes into consideration the dilatation of the thorax. In this case, breathing in is done on the course which allows thorax expansion, and breathing out on the movement that contracts it. In both cases, breathing in is done through the nose – in order to filter and warm up the air flow and breathing out is done through the mouth in order to be faster and more efficient.

What are these Conditions?

Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are characterized by chronically blocked breathing passages. Collectively, asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis or any combination are called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Usually, more than one of these underlying conditions coexist; most often, bronchitis and emphysema occur together.

The most common chronic lung diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases affect an estimated 17 million Americans, and their incidence is rising. They’re more common in men than women, probably because, until recently, men were more likely to smoke heavily. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema don’t always produce symptoms and cause only slight disability in many people. However, these diseases tend to worsen over time.

What causes them?

Predisposing factors include cigarette smoking, recurrent or chronic respiratory infections, air pollution, and allergies. Smoking is by far the most important of these factors. Smoking increases mucus production but impairs its removal from the airways, impedes the function of airway cells that digest disease-causing organisms, causes airway inflammation, destroys air sacs in the lungs, and leads to abnormal fibrous tissue growth in the bronchial tree. Early inflammatory changes may reverse themselves if the person stops smoking before lung destruction is extensive. Family and hereditary factors may also predispose a person to chronic bronchitis or emphysema.

What are the Symptoms?

The typical person with chronic bronchitis or emphysema is a longterm cigarette smoker who has no symptoms until middle age, when his or her ability to exercise or do strenuous work starts to decline and a productive cough begins. Subtle at first, these problems worsen with age and as the disease progresses. Eventually, they cause difficulty breathing on minimal exertion, frequent respiratory infections, oxygen deficiency in the blood, and abnormalities in pulmonary function. When advanced, chronic bronchitis and emphysema may cause chest deformities, overwhelming disability, heart enlargement, severe respiratory failure, and death.

How are they Diagnosed?

A history of cigarette smoking plus the results of blood and pulmonary function studies help confirm these diseases.

How are they Treated?

Treatment aims to relieve symptoms and prevent complications. Because most people with chronic bronchitis or emphysema receive outpatient treatment, they get comprehensive teaching to help them comply with therapy and understand the nature of these progressive diseases. If programs in pulmonary rehabilitation are available, they should consider enrolling.

What can a person with chronic bronchitis or emphysema do?

Stop smoking and avoid other respiratory irritants.

Install an air conditioner with an air filter in your home.

If you’re taking antibiotics to treat a respiratory infection, be sure to complete the entire prescribed course of therapy.

Practice good oral hygiene to help prevent infection, and learn how to recognize early symptoms of infection. Avoid people with respiratory infections. Get Pneumovax (pneumococcal vaccine) and annual flu shots.

To help remove secretions, learn how to cough effectively. If you have abundant, tenacious secretions, have a family member perform postural drainage (repositioning to drain fluids) and chest physical therapy. (Ask your doctor for instructions on these techniques.) If your secretions are thick, drink at least 6 eight ounce glasses of fluid a day. A humidifier may aid secretion removal, especially in the winter.

To strengthen your breathing muscles, take slow, deep breaths and exhale through pursed lips.

If you’re receiving home oxygen therapy, make sure you or a family member knows how to use the equipment correctly. Don’t increase the oxygen flow or concentration above what the doctor prescribes because too much oxygen may eliminate your respiratory drive and cause confusion and drowsiness. You probably won’t need more than 2 to 3 liters per minute .

Eat a balanced diet. Because you may tire easily when eating, eat frequent, small meals and consider using oxygen, delivered by a nasal cannula, during meals.

Schedule rest periods throughout the day and exercise daily as directed by your doctor.

The body’s breathing system is known as the respiratory system and is most likely the most vital system within the body. When operating correctly it provides us with the oxygen we must have to survive and removes the carbon dioxide we simply do not need.

The human body can go without any food for weeks, without water for days – but without any oxygen from the air we breathe we cannot last more than a couple of minutes.

Of all the muscles in the body, the muscles we use to breathe are the only ones over which we have dual management; that is, they can work both automatically and voluntarily.

When enough air has been inhaled successfully the muscles and diaphragm rest and the air is exhaled as the lungs tighten. Then the diaphragm contracts once more and the cycle starts again.

When the air passes through the nose it enters the trachea and also the bronchi, Which are small airways that run through every lung.These bronchi turn smaller and smaller, eventually taking the shape of bronchioles, which finish as small air sacs known as alveoli. The alveoli are connected to blood capillaries, which switch over oxygen and carbon dioxide at a really fast rate.

On average we take about twelve breaths per minute, and that rate is controlled by the body consistent with its desires at a particular purpose in time. If there is too much carbon dioxide and very little oxygen, the rate of breathing will increase and the body can gulp or gasp for air.

This could, as an example, occur during strenuous exercise, an asthma attack, or in fright. When the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide come back to normal, breathing returns to its normal rate. Breathing problems are very serious and it is imperative to treat them as soon as possible.