let’s talk running cadence and timed respiration!
Cadence is a buzzword around the running community and will be part of any coach’s vocabulary, which can make it somewhat intimidating. Simply put, cadence is the measure of your stride turnover rate in steps per minute (SPM).
In other words, a runner with a cadence of 165 SPM is making impact with the ground 165 times over the span of 1 minute. But why do YOU care? Well…because injuries suck. It is well understood that running form can make or break a runner.
Poor form can potentially lead to serious injury stemming from additional stress on joints or connective tissue and while there are countless little tweaks that can be made during your quest for the perfect form, I firmly believe that finding the sweet spot in your cadence range will correct most errors on its own.
One problem with cadence, however, is that it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what the ideal turnover should be. While 180 works well for me, the perfect cadence will vary from person to person. Based on everything I have read; a healthy range will probably land somewhere between 170 and 190. So, if you find yourself in a lower cadence zone, or suspect you are over-striding, consider setting a target of 5 to 8 steps per minute higher than your current cadence.
Keep in mind that any change to your gait is going to feel uncomfortable so don’t be put off if it initially seems unnatural. Soon enough, it will become your new normal and you can decide if it makes sense to continue to increase further and once you have your cadence dialed in to what works best for you. Roughly 86% of runners breathe at 2 step Is inhale and 2 step exhale pace. When tested at hard work loads, Regardless of whether they had proper training or not their bodies would instinctively adapt this breathing rhythm.
It seems that inexperienced runners have no particular breathing rhythm Due to a large number of factors, more experienced runners will deliberately time their inhales and exhales to their strides whether they're conscious of it or not. This has to do with maximizing a minute volume of air, or the amount of air one can get into and out of their lungs per minute. At a slower pattern for example inhaling for 4 steps rather than 2, runners can breathe deeply, but they aren't breathing as quickly.
This can decrease minute air volume since the runners are taking fewer breath per minute. Conversely, if the runners were to breathe very fast. Perhaps inhaling on 1 step and exhaling on the next step. It would be quite impossible to breathe deeply, as the title volume would be quite low. The runners would be moving air through their anatomical dead spaces such as the nose and trachea which cannot absorb the oxygen, they take in. Research has consistently shown that for the most part when running at a hard pace Experienced runners minute volume of air was at its highest when they were at A 2:2, 2:1 or 1:2 pattern.
It's important to note that this is a hard pace. Inhaling and exhaling for longer durations such as 3 steps or more on each can be useful when you are trying to run slower or a more endurance-based run (For example, during the early stages of a marathon when you want to conserve your energy.) The ability to measure your effort through rhythmic breathing put you directly in touch with your body. Providing immediate feedback and giving you complete control over your effort and pace.
Rhythmic breathing can serve as an Inner speedometer allowing runners to measure their pace and adjust whether too easy or too hard. Meaning if they find a 2:2 or a 3:2 pattern effortless that's an indicator that they can probably run a little bit faster or increase their cadence. If they're struggling to maintain that rhythm, it's a sign that they're probably going too fast of a pace. The solution in this case is to slow down until you're breathing, and footsteps sync backup, you can build a stronger link between your turnover rate and your breathing, which brings me to the second part of this equation…
Breathing! This is probably the point where you roll your eyes and wonder what I could possibly teach you about breathing. I mean, you have literally been practicing since the moment you were born! But…the fact is that many of us don’t breathe effectively. Especially when we run. Although I primarily want to share how I use my breath to “change gears” during training and races, I believe it is imperative to hit on a few breathing fundaments first so that we are on the same page. Firstly, breathe from your belly, if you are sucking wind with rapid, shallow breathing during your runs, you are missing the mark. Learning to breathe from the diaphragm is critical to postponing fatigue and maximizing endurance.
A full exhale will result in a deep inhale. You may instinctively assume that a full breath begins with the inhale, but I have found that it is much more important that you focus on your exhaling cycles when running. Give this a try…take a second to forcefully expel all the air from your lungs and you will notice that as soon as you reduce the pressure to blow air out, they automatically inflate again with little effort. So rather than trying to pull air in and risk a shallow exhale, use your breathing patterns to emphasize the exhale and regulate your oxygen delivery more effectively.
Don’t get me wrong…the inhale is where the magic happens but without a full exhale, you will never be able to maximize the available oxygen in your lungs. Breathing is an essential part of our daily activities, especially when it comes to exercising or running. Proper breathing techniques can help boost our endurance, stamina, and performance. Something as simple as working on your breathing can help you improve your race times. You do it all day, every day. And all night. But how often do you think about it?
Well, you might when you are three quarters of the way through a 5K, or the end of a sprint, the middle of your cardio session, ect. not a good time. You should be training and mindful of your breath always, so you never run out of gas. The amount of oxygen in your blood directly relates to the fatigue you feel in a run. When those supplies start to dwindle, you start breathing hard.
Athletes work to build up their VO2 max, the maximum rate of oxygen consumption during exercise, to run faster, longer. Proper running breathwork improves performance and keeps you from running out of breath. When you breathe well, you increase your VO2 max. It’s the maximum amount of oxygen you can take in at any time. It measures energy efficiency and overall fitness. You can affect our heart rate with your breath, both physically and emotionally. The heart pumps in response to breath.
when we inhale, the heart slows down, and the body registers an increased level of carbon dioxide. This causes the nervous system to call for an uptick in breath rate to clear carbon dioxide. Then an exhale breath occurs. This is the natural speeding up and slowing down the heart rate in response to oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Rhythmic breathing involves matching steps to breath. It’s a mindful running skill and a running breathing technique. There are many kinds of running and breathing rhythms.
Ultimately, the best rhythm is the one that feels natural and sustainable to you. When I say breathing rhythm, I am referring to how many steps you take during the inhale compared to how many you take during the exhale. So, for example, if you take 2 steps whilst breathing in and then 2 steps whilst breathing out, your breathing rhythm is 2:2.
If this concept still seems a little strange to you, stand up now and have a little jog to see what your natural rhythm is.
The relationship of performance and rhythmic breathing is described as how mammals synchronize body movement with breathing patterns to ensure sufficient respiratory flow, a process referred to as Locomotor-Respiratory Coupling or (LRC). Quadrupedal species were observed to synchronize the locomotor and respiratory cycles at a constant ratio of 1:1 in both the trot and gallop. Human runners, on the other hand, have been observed using various rhythms, ‘although a 2:1 coupling ratio appears to be favored’.
It seems that this may be due to a reduction in mechanical constraints on respiration as a result of the evolution of bipedal gait, allowing greater flexibility in breathing pattern. Or ability to shift gears more on that later. Now top marathon runners utilize a cadence of 190 and greater. Yet when you watch them, they look like they are not running very fast, when they are churning away at a five minute per mile pace for the entire race. This more rapid pace keeps them from over-striding and keeps there running form in check. Basically, there is less wasted motion and energy in a rapid running cadence. It is all about efficiency of movement. Now for myself when I’m establishing my cadence, I pay attention to my breath the most.
For each inhale, I count three footsteps.
Then then two for each exhale. Now in my head I’m counting 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, etc.
At A 180-190 cadence, I am comfortably getting my lungs full and expelled in a rhythmic pattern. The deep inhale comes all the way from my belly, or diaphragm.
The quick exhale clears out all the carbon dioxide, making room for the next deep breath. Diaphragmatic breathing is more efficient because it allows more oxygen into the lower lobes of the lungs. This is where the greatest amount of blood flow occurs thus more oxygen and better delivery of nutrients to the tissues. Rapid, shallow, chest breathing results in less oxygen. This also creates a stressful state. This can lead to quicker fatigue, cramps, and muscle aches, particularly in the neck and shoulders.
I recommend my clients practice diaphragmatic breathing at home. A simple test is to put one hand on your diaphragm and the other on your chest.
The hand on the diaphragm should move more than the one on the chest with each breath. If it is not practice moving the lower hand with your breath. One of the most effective ways to incorporate breath-timing into your running or exercise routine is by using a common meditation technique which of course is to pay attention to your breath, and to repeat a mantra, or repeated words or phrases, to help you do it.
Using a mantra can also help you find a groove that connects your breathing with your foot strikes in alternating fashion and even heighten the meditative effect of using the breathing pattern. If your running at seven footfalls per breath cycle, you can use a mantra to help to know when to breathe in and when to breathe out.
(Inhale) Now I breathe in (exhale) Now breathe out.
That’s four syllables in the first line, matching up with four footfalls, and three syllables in the second line, matching up with three footfalls.
Then immediately start on the first line again for your next footfall. You could use this or, if you’re running at five footfalls rather than seven per breath cycle, try this one:
(Inhale) Now breathe in (exhale) Now out.
Three footfalls per breath cycle could be:
(Inhale) breathe in (exhale) out.
You can also make up your own breathing mantras with things that matter to you. Next time you go for a run, try out different phrases and share ones you like in the comments. Don’t be frustrated if you initially begin to feel out of breath. If it becomes too much, drop back to your default breathing pattern for a few minutes and then give it another shot. It may feel awkward at first but before long it will become second nature. The key will be figuring out what pattern works best for you.