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[I187]Improve Your Running Speed

by Dave Elger, Dav

According to the text Physiology of Sport and Exercise by Wilmore and Costill the need to breathe increases in direct proportion to the intensity of work. A mild workload such as brisk walking prompts expansion of the lungs and deeper breathing. As the work becomes more difficult, the rate of breathing also increases.

With the exception of conditions such as asthma, breathing should not limit your ability to run or perform exercise, even at hard efforts. The volume of air entering the lungs is not the problem; it is the bodys inability to extract and use enough oxygen to meet the increased demand that causes you to be out of breath (inspired air contains roughly 20 percent oxygen while expired air has about 16 percent).

Many beginning runners have been misled to believe that the proper way to breathe is to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. While it is true that air is dryer and cooler when inhaled through the mouth, this should not pose a problem unless you are prone to exercise induced asthma.

I call this nose breathing technique self-induced asthma, since inhaling through the nose severely limits the volume of air that can be delivered to the lungs. I suspect breathing this way has a negative impact on running performance similar to asthma, particularly as speed increases.

Runners should be inhaling and exhaling through both nose AND mouth to a set pattern or rhythm. According to Jack Daniels, a well-respected coach and author of Daniels Running Formula, most elite runners breathe to a 2-2 rhythm. They breathe in while taking 2 steps and out while taking 2 steps. At an easy pace they may switch to a 3-3 rhythm.

2-2 breathing rhythm

Left foot- begin exhale
Right foot- continue exhale
Left foot- begin inhale
Right foot- continue inhale

One problem with this approach is the habit of always inhaling or exhaling on the same footfall, which some experts and coaches believe could lead to side stitches. If you are one of those unfortunate runners prone to side aches, try periodically switching which footfall you exhale on, or even change your breathing rhythm to exhale on alternating right and left footfalls. That gets a little tricky since you will have to adapt an uneven 3-2 or 4-3 breathing pattern (breathing out for more counts than breathing in).

3-2 breathing rhythm

Left foot- begin inhale
Right foot- continue inhale
Left foot- begin exhale
Right foot- continue exhale
Left foot - continue exhale
Right foot- begin inhale

According to DePaul University Track Coach Bill Leach, uneven breathing cycles are effective because pressure in the lung is lower than the atmosphere, causing air to rush in quickly. Take a little extra time to exhale, since leaving residual carbon dioxide in the lungs can impede the delivery of oxygen on the next inhale.

It will help if you practice your breathing pattern while walking before you start running. Carry the technique over to easy jogging and finally during hard race pace running.

Before long your new breathing pattern will become second nature during races and hard training sessions.

Metabolic Profiling for runners ? Run faster- recover quicker
Over the years improvements in technology have brought many benefits, one such benefit that was previously only available to the elite athletes and runners of the world is now readily available to all. That is Metabolic Profiling, assessing your metabolic rate at rest and also while running gives you the data that you need to improve your running and lower your times. The assessment requires you to wear a comfortable face mask which in turn is connected to an analyser which measures the oxygen you breathe in and the Carbon dioxide you breathe out at rest and while running, in turn this is connected to a Laptop computer so the software can use the data gathered to pinpoint accurately the calories you are burning and more importantly the fuel source being used, either stored fats, or glycogen.

A Metabolic Assessment can give you information about your resting metabolism and how many calories you require each day. Weather that is to fuel up for your training or to lose a few unwanted pounds. It will tell you about your exercise metabolism, how efficient you are while running and at what heart rate zone you best perform in. It will tell you where your Anaerobic Threshold currently is so not to over train.
Many runners start a race at to quick a pace working anaerobicly, knowing your threshold and having a efficient aerobic base allows you to run at a sustainable pace and prevents fatigue in the latter stages of the race or training session.

If too much of your training is spent at or above your threshold you may find your fitness level plateau's or may even decrease, the metabolic assessment will help you prevent the negative effects of over training.
You will know your heart rates for your base training sessions, the intensities you need to train at for your speed work, interval sessions, and where to train on your recovery days.

The assessment will tell you the heart rate where you reach your anaerobic threshold. It will tell you all about your Aerobic base, how wide your base is and how aerobically efficient you are. The exact amount of calories you need to consume to fuel up for your training and event.
With this valuable information and correct training regime your body will make adaptations which will improve your aerobic capacity and efficiency, help move your anaerobic threshold higher, train your body to burn fat as a preferred fuel.

As your heart rate training zones move higher you will notice how your times improve, how much stronger you feel, how training becomes less stressful & challenging, how your body composition improves.
If too much of your training is spent at or above your threshold you may find your fitness level plateau's or may even decrease, the metabolic assessment will help you prevent the negative effects of over training.
You will know your heart rates for your base training sessions, the intensities you need to train at for your speed work, interval sessions, and where to train on your recovery days.

Metabolic Profiling similar to the old VO2 Max tests but with some valuable additional information which can be gained without the necessity for you to work to exhaustion, something that can worry individuals just starting running and even those more experienced runners. It is becoming more readily available as the Health and Fitness Industry has realised it's huge potential not just for fitness levels but also for weight management, for more information and to find out how having your profile assessed will benefit you even if you are a beginner a fun runner, athlete or an Elite athlete or call Andy Loughray 020 8543 5288 to find out more or by email on andy@humanlabsports.com

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Both Dave Elger & Humanlab are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Dave Elger has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Food and Drink and Puppies Dogs. Dave Elger is a well respected authority within the running community having written hundreds of articles on the topics of running and wellness. You can contact him at