Breathing for Endurance Athletes: Can Better Breathing Improve Performance?

Why It Matters

Optimizing breathing adds a measurable performance edge for endurance athletes, allowing them to sustain higher intensities with less physiological strain.

Key Takeaways

• Breathing mechanics can be trained to boost endurance performance.
• Increase tidal volume and reduce dead‑space improves oxygen delivery.
• Slow, rhythmic breathing aligns with pedal strokes for efficiency.
• Strengthening expiratory muscles raises forced expiratory volume (FEV1).
• Elite cyclists use breath control to delay ventilatory threshold.

Summary

The Fast Talk episode explores whether endurance athletes can improve performance by training their breathing. Host Rob Pickles and guests—exercise physiologist Dr. Steven Chung, coach Steve Neil, and researcher Jared Berg—break down core respiratory concepts and debate the “body knows best” stance of Dr. James Hull. Key insights include the mechanics of breathing frequency, tidal volume, and minute ventilation, as well as the impact of respiratory dead space and forced expiratory volume (FEV1). The trio recommends three practical interventions: strengthening inspiratory and expiratory muscles, deliberately slowing breathing cadence, and training forceful exhalations to clear carbon‑dioxide more efficiently. Real‑world examples feature WorldTour riders Alex House and Keel Rin describing how they synchronize breaths with pedal strokes, and a swimmer’s “Tarzan” technique illustrating uncontrolled airflow. Dr. Chung likens dead‑space to a bank fee, while FEV1 testing provides a measurable gauge of airway resistance. For athletes and coaches, targeted breath work offers a low‑impact lever to raise oxygen uptake, delay the ventilatory threshold, and ultimately shave seconds off race times, making respiratory training a strategic complement to traditional power and heart‑rate programs.

Original Description

In this episode of the Fast Talk Podcast by Fast Talk Labs, we dive into the science of breathing and ask an important question for endurance athletes: can you actually train your breathing to improve performance?

Hosts Rob Pickels and Trevor Connor are joined by Dr. Stephen Cheung and coach Steve Neal for a deep look at respiratory physiology, breathing mechanics, and how breathing patterns may affect endurance performance. They break down key terms like tidal volume, ventilation, respiratory dead space, forced expiratory volume, and ventilatory threshold, then connect those concepts to what athletes experience in training and racing.

🧠 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What breathing frequency, tidal volume, and ventilation actually mean

• Why respiratory dead space matters for endurance performance

• How shallow, rapid breathing can reduce breathing efficiency

• Why exhaling forcefully may be just as important as inhaling deeply

• How breathing affects carbon dioxide clearance and acid buffering

• Whether respiratory muscle training can improve comfort, control, and performance

🎯 This episode helps athletes better understand how breathing works during exercise and how more efficient breathing may support stronger efforts, better control, and improved comfort under pressure.

🎙️ Guest Experts:

• Dr. Stephen Cheung – Exercise physiologist and sports science expert

• Steve Neal – Coach and breathing specialist

• Jared Berg – Coach and physiologist

• Alex Howes – Professional cyclist

• Kiel Reijnen – Professional cyclist

📈 Whether you’re a cyclist, runner, triathlete, or coach, this episode offers practical insight into one of the most overlooked parts of endurance performance: how you breathe when the effort gets hard.

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