Nose breathing versus mouth breathing

[Patrick Moore]

I seem to recall Grant writing about this in an old RR. At any rate, I stumbled across this by chance.

https://youtu.be/QgD-bUD99gA

Real or hooey? The authority interviewed seems plausible and has a good web presence, and there seems to be a deep body of research.

Thoughts?

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

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[John Rinker]

Hey Patrick, 

I read James Nestor's book Breathe about 3 years ago and switched to nose breathing as a result. Of course, I have no 'scientific' evidence to present (I believe he has already done that), but I can say that it has improved the rate at which I breathe and the recovery time to return to normal breathing. There is a long, steep hill that is the final approach to my home, so all my rides end with an approximate 15-minute climb up this. It took me a good 4-5 months to fully make the transition to breathing solely through my nose from the bottom to the top of this climb, but since I feel my breathing is slower, more even, less strained, and offers quicker recovery at the top. Of course, this is only anecdotal, but I see no compelling reason to switch back to slack-jawed mouth breathing. 

The book is worth a read.

Cheers, John

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks, John, I’ll look for the book. I briefly tried nose-breathing this morning into a modest NW wind but quickly reverted to mouth breathing. Must read up about it and perhaps take the time to habituate myself to it.

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[Chris Halasz]

More anecdotal (and many, many of which, as we all know, do not make a sample): as a nose-breathing convert (even if one is not, it sounds so much better than mouth-breathing, doesn't it?), I go so far as to tape my mouth each evening, with a no-more-than postage-stamp sized piece of Durapore tape, and sleep so well as a result, and have experienced fewer head colds since adopting the practice. Although never a snorer, my wife states I am an even quieter sleeper since taping. 

Patrick: no photos, no way. 

One of these days, going to try running with the small piece of tape. Maybe. 

Nestor's book Deep is also a fun read. 

- Chris 

[Patrick Moore]

John and Chris: Question: when one starts out from habitual mount breathing — I mean as a cyclist, where it seems absolutely necessary to breathe through your mouth to keep up with the oxygenation required by your exertion: how do you make the change from this sort of mouth breathing to nose breathing? This when, if you try to breathe through your nose as you are moderately powering up a hill or against a headwind, you very quickly — within 30 seconds — feel as if you are going to suffocate? I experienced this exact situation this mornin on the way to church, riding NE against a strong NW headwind.

Is the technique for the transition simply to back off and ride at such low levels of exertion (translated into basic English: slowly)  that, in the early stages, you can get by by nose breathing?

On Sat, Mar 14, 2026 at 7:03 PM John Rinker <jwri...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[John Rinker]

Hey Patrick,

Good question! I don't really remember being very regimented in my approach. I'm sure I just breathed through my mouth when I felt I wasn't getting enough oxygen. However, I do remember something about this feeling of suffocation being addressed in Nestor's book. (I think he was talking about experimenting with nose breathing while running.) I'm sure that your reading of the book will make some things clearer. I remember trusting the science about the structure of our nostrils being more conducive to the exchange of oxygen. In this way, I felt I was able to push a little more each time I experienced the feeling of not getting enough oxygen. As I said, it took me some time to adapt, but I'm pleased I persisted. 

There's also a fascinating exploration in Breathe of how our facial structure has changed since the advent of softer foods as a result of the Industrial Revolution, and why breathing through our nostrils no longer seems quite so natural. 

Oh, and Chris, I also experimented with taping my mouth shut during sleep, but invariably I would awake with my tongue taped to my ear!

Cheers, John