For those of us who cherish the exhilaration of movement, the freedom of a good workout, exercise-induced asthma (EIA) can feel like a cruel betrayal by our own bodies. Just as we hit our stride, that familiar tightness in the chest, the wheezing, the breathlessness can bring our workout to a screeching halt.
But what if I told you that the very act of breathing, often overlooked and taken for granted, holds the key to taming this beast?
In this video Sasha Yakovleva explains why asthma never truly goes away and how CO2 levels control symptoms. She shares Dr. Buteyko’s insight on asthmatics’ unique biological advantage in regulating breathing.
What is Exercise-Induced Asthma?
Exercise-induced asthma (EIA), or more accurately, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), is a condition that can make even the most enthusiastic athlete question their love for physical activity.
It’s characterized by the narrowing of the airways in the lungs during or after exercise, leading to a mix of unwelcome symptoms: wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and that dreaded feeling of tightness in the chest.
While it may seem counterintuitive, exercise, which is generally beneficial for lung and overall health, can trigger these symptoms in individuals with sensitive airways.
Think of your airways as delicate passageways for air. In EIA, these passageways become irritated and constricted, making it difficult for air to flow freely. This constriction is often triggered by a combination of factors, with the most prominent being:
- Over-Breathing: When we exercise, our bodies naturally increase their demand for oxygen, leading to an increased breathing rate. However, if we breathe too rapidly or deeply, especially through the mouth, we can disrupt the delicate balance of gases in our lungs, leading to a drop in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. This drop in CO2 can trigger bronchoconstriction, as the body attempts to conserve CO2 and maintain a healthy pH balance.
Additional Factors:
- Dry Air: Breathing in dry air, particularly during intense exercise, can dehydrate the airways, making them more prone to irritation and constriction. This is why EIA is often more pronounced in cold, dry environments or when exercising in indoor spaces with poor air quality.
- Other Irritants: Exposure to allergens, pollutants, chlorine in swimming pools, or even strong fumes in a gym setting can also irritate the airways and contribute to EIA symptoms.
It’s important to distinguish EIA from simply being out of shape. While both can cause shortness of breath, EIA often involves coughing and wheezing, and the symptoms tend to linger for a while, even after exercise has stopped. Nevertheless, according to Dr. Buteyko any breathing difficulties triggered by exercising are caused by hyperventilation, especially mouth-breathing and CO2 deficit in the lungs.
EIA can affect anyone, but it’s more common in people with asthma and elite athletes who push their bodies to the limit. Although medication and inhalers are often the first line of defense, many people seek additional strategies to control and even prevent symptoms. This is where the Buteyko Method comes into play.
Looking at EIA Through the Buteyko Lens
EIA is often viewed as a condition characterized by airway constriction and inflammation, treated primarily with bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids. The Buteyko Method looks at things differently. It recognizes that over-breathing is often the hidden culprit behind those frustrating symptoms.
Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, the brilliant mind behind this method, observed that individuals with asthma tend to breathe more than necessary, disrupting the delicate balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. This over-breathing, he discovered, leads to a cascade of physiological responses that can trigger EIA symptoms.
The CO2 Connection
While we often think of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a mere waste product, it plays a vital role in regulating our breathing and oxygen delivery. When we over-breathe, we exhale more CO2 than our bodies produce, leading to a CO2 deficit in the lungs. This drop in CO2 triggers a series of physiological changes, including constriction of the airways, which can manifest as the symptoms of EIA.
The Buteyko Method, with its emphasis on reducing breathing volume and normalizing CO2 levels in the lungs, offers a unique and effective approach to managing EIA. By learning to breathe less, we can restore balance to our respiratory system and reduce or even eliminate our reliance on medication.
Buteyko Breathing Techniques: Your Toolkit for EIA
The Buteyko Method provides a variety of breathing techniques that can be particularly helpful for those with EIA:
- Nasal Breathing: Breathing through the nose, rather than the mouth, is the foundation of the Buteyko Method. When you breathe through your nose, the air is naturally filtered, warmed, and humidified before reaching your lungs. This helps prevent the dryness and irritation that can trigger bronchoconstriction during exercise.
- Reduced Breathing Exercises: These exercises involve consciously reducing the volume of air we inhale and exhale with each breath. This helps to slow down the breathing rate, increase CO2 levels, and calm the nervous system. By reducing the breath volume and rate, you help maintain a healthier balance of gases. Keep the CO2 higher.
- Measuring CO2 Levels: One of the unique aspects of the Buteyko Method is its emphasis on measuring CO2 levels before and after exercise. This helps you track your progress and ensure that your workouts are actually improving your CO2 tolerance and reducing EIA symptoms. If CO2 is low – expect symptoms, when high – no symptoms.
The Workout That Works with Your Breath
Instead of blindly pushing ourselves to the point of breathlessness, I recommend adopting a more mindful and balanced approach to exercise, guided by the principles of the Buteyko Method. This means choosing workouts that allow you to maintain nasal and silent breathing, ensuring that each workout contributes to increasing your Positive Maximum Pause (PMP), a key indicator of CO2 tolerance and respiratory health.
Start with slower or lower-intensity cardio workouts that allow you to breathe comfortably through your nose without gasping or feeling breathless. As your respiratory strength improves and your PMP increases, you can gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts, always staying within the bounds of comfortable nasal breathing.
Taking a Page Out of Iga Swiatek’s Book
When I see photos of Iga Świątek practicing with tape over her mouth, it really makes me smile. It’s a simple act, yet it speaks volumes about the growing awareness of how breathing can impact athletic performance, especially for those of us with exercise-induced asthma (EIA).
Iga is a remarkable athlete, and she’s been open about her experiences with asthma. Seeing her take this step to prioritize nasal breathing is incredibly encouraging. It shows that even top-tier athletes are recognizing the importance of this often-overlooked aspect of training.
I’m not suggesting that everyone with EIA should start taping their mouths shut during workouts but I believe it would be VERY helpful for everyone with asthma. Iga’s example highlights a vital principle that we emphasize in the Buteyko Method: nasal breathing is the foundation of healthy respiration, especially during exercise.
Conquer EIA with Buteyko Breathing
Exercise-induced asthma doesn’t have to be a barrier between you and your athletic aspirations. The Buteyko Method offers a powerful, natural pathway to manage this condition, improve your respiratory health, and unlock a new level of performance. By understanding the role of CO2, embracing nasal breathing, and practicing Buteyko Breathing techniques, you can transform your relationship with your breath and experience the joy of movement without limitations.
Ready to breathe easier, perform stronger, and reduce your reliance on rescue inhalers, steroids, and other medications? Explore the resources and programs at the Buteyko Breathing Center and start your journey to overcoming exercise-induced asthma.
You can also start by taking the breathing test.
