The Nose Knows

Maximize whatever nasal breathing capacity you have while accommodating your body's needs.

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Transcript

In the 1990s, Dr. John Douillard made a remarkable discovery while working with elite athletes, including tennis star Billie Jean King and members of the New Jersey Nets. Suspecting that mouth breathing might be holding his clients back, he designed an experiment with professional cyclists to prove his theory.

The cyclists, equipped with sensors to monitor their heart and breathing rates, were put through their paces on stationary bikes. During the first trial, breathing only through their mouths, the athletes struggled as the resistance increased. By the time they reached the most challenging stage at 200 watts of power, they were panting heavily. Their breathing rates soaring.

The results of the second trial, however, were astonishing. When the same athletes breathed only through their noses, their breathing rates actually decreased as the exercise intensity increased. One cyclist's breathing rate dropped dramatically from 47 to just 14 breaths per minute at peak exertion, while maintaining his initial heart rate—despite a tenfold increase in exercise intensity. The athletes felt energized rather than exhausted. And all of them vowed never to mouth-breathe during exercise again.

This small scientific experiment validated what the Yogis have known for centuries. That our bodies are the work of a mighty intelligence. One that designed the nose for breathing and the mouth for eating. The nose is a sophisticated filtration system. Its narrow, twisting channels are lined with tiny hairs and warm mucous membranes that filter out impurities and warm the incoming air, protecting our delicate respiratory organs.

In contrast, mouth breathing offers no such protection. It's like leaving a direct highway for dust and contaminants straight to your lungs. The nose is optimally designed for breathing, but I understand firsthand the challenges some people face with nasal breathing. After two surgeries, my own nose doesn't function optimally. But I've trained myself to breathe through it as much as possible. Sometimes I can't—and that's okay—but most of the time I can.

The goal is doing your best with what you have, not achieving perfection. To maximize whatever nasal breathing capacity you have while accommodating your body's needs. Those who habitually breathe through their mouth not only miss out on their body's natural filtration system but also risk respiratory issues and decreased athletic performance.

Dr. Douillard's experiment shows that by simply returning to your body's natural design—breathing through the nose—you can cut your exertion in half and significantly boost your vitality. Sometimes the most advanced scientific findings simply confirm what ancient wisdom has always known.