Are You Optimizing Your Breathing?

Are You Optimizing Your Breathing?

You optimize your runs, your meals, and your sleep—but are you optimizing your breathing?

Picture this: you're tracking VO₂ max, fine‑tuning macros, and swiping right on sleep supplements—all in pursuit of performance. But when was the last time you asked: “Am I breathing the right way?”

At +OXGN, we believe mastering nasal breathing is the low-key titan of recovery, sleep, and athletic output. It’s biology, not a gimmick—and yet, we’ve all been defaulting to mouth-breathing.

Nasal airflow isn’t just air—it’s filtration, humidity, temperature regulation, and a steady pulse of nitric oxide (NO), a vasodilator that turbocharges oxygen transport. 1 Science over hype: it’s efficient, foundational, and often overlooked.

The Problem We’re All Breathing Through

Here’s the thing: chronic mouth breathing is a stress signal, not a neutral habit. Your body reads it as “something’s wrong.” And it skips the systems designed to keep you oxygenated, rested, and calm.

Let’s break it down:

  • Reduced oxygen absorption – no nitric oxide = less O₂ delivered to your cells
    → You’re breathing more, but getting less. 2

  • Dry, inflamed airways – your mouth doesn’t filter or humidify
    → Think raw throat, irritated lungs, stuffy mornings. 3

  • Spiked cortisol and stress load – activates sympathetic nervous system
    → Stress. Anxiety. That wired-but-tired feeling. 4

  • More snoring, less REM – disrupted sleep architecture
    → Shoutout to your WHOOP score for exposing the chaos. 5

  • Facial structure changes over time – tongue posture affects jaw and airway
    → Yes, mouth breathing can actually shape your face. See: “mewing,” but real. 6

Nasal Breathing Isn’t Just Better—It’s Built In

Your nose is designed to breathe for performance. Once you retrain it, your whole system starts working better—from lungs to brain to bedtime.

1. You absorb more oxygen

Every nasal breath carries nitric oxide, which opens blood vessels and improves oxygen efficiency. Studies show it can boost oxygen uptake by 10–20%. 2

2. You breathe less, but get more

Slower, deeper nasal breathing improves breathing economy. Less effort, more effect. 7

3. You build core strength, literally

Breathing through your nose adds resistance that engages your diaphragm and supports posture. This stabilizes your core, even under load. 8

4. You switch on recovery mode

Nasal breathing cues the parasympathetic nervous system—your body’s built-in recovery gear. It lowers your heart rate, improves HRV, and helps you sleep deeper. 4

5. You filter the bad stuff out

Your nose traps pathogens and allergens while humidifying and warming the air—protecting your lungs and reducing inflammation. 3

At +OXGN, We Design for the Breath Behind Everything

Deep sleep. Tempo runs. Clearer recovery days. We’ve built our nasal strips to work with your body—wherever your breath needs backup. From REM to reps, this is low-profile support with high-impact science.

No fluff. Just better airflow—so the rest of your systems can do their thing.

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Footnotes

  1. Lundberg, J. O., et al. (1995). Nitric oxide and the human nasal airway. The European Respiratory Journal. ↩

  2. Dallam, G. M., et al. (2018). Effect of Nasal vs. Oral Breathing on VO₂ Max and Running Economy. Int J Exerc Sci. ↩ ↩2

  3. Proctor, D. F. (1977). The upper airway. Am Rev Respir Dis. ↩ ↩2

  4. Huberman, A. (2021). Science of stress and breathing. Huberman Lab Podcast. ↩ ↩2

  5. Stanford Medicine. Impact of breathing on sleep quality and disorders. ↩

  6. Palmer, S. (2019). Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic. ↩

  7. McKeown, P. (2021). The Oxygen Advantage. ↩

  8. Kolar, P., et al. (2012). Diaphragm function and postural control. J Bodyw Mov Ther. ↩

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