Yudu - sportEX dynamics - 1999-2010

BREATHING PERFORMANCE

BY HUMPHREY BACCHUS, CLINICAL MASSEUR AND NEUROMUSCULAR THERAPIST

INTRODUCTION Athletes, like all mere mortals, take their breath for granted. Little attention is paid to it. The rise and fall of the ribs and movements of the diaphragm sustain life from the moment we are born to the day we take our last breath. Without breath, we have no oxygen for our brain, nervous system or muscles. In fact, we have no life!

Athletes often find themselves gasping for more air in times of extreme physical exertion. Sometimes they are like fish out of water, struggling for survival, forcing inspiration to obtain the life-force energy. Every breath must count with an athlete, which is why it is paramount for athletes to focus on the quality of their breath. Breath control is something that all athletes can – and have to – master, whether it’s used during a time trial, a triathlon or a tennis match. The breath is vital for feeding not only the physical body but also the psychological state of mind. However, athletes seem to pay little attention to their breath, even though breathing and the function of the diaphragm are critically important in athletes, especially because the breath governs our homeostatic balance. The key physiological and structural factors that we should consider as a matter of routine when we work with athletes are described below. They enable us to give our clients a foundation on which to perform at maximum capacity, and with clear mental focus.

FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY We perform the cycle of breathing in and breathing out some 20,000 times every day. It is probably the most important movement in the body, and it feeds all our life systems. It does not function alone, however, being influenced by rhythms of the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, the craniosacral pulse and the motility of the internal organs (1). Each of these is a driving force in the function and

BREATHWORK AND SPORTS PERFORMANCE

Breath awareness gives athletes a foundation on which to perform at their maximum capacity. The diaphragm is the central muscle involved in breathing, with various other muscles contributing too, and many metabolic functions of the body are related to breathing. Disorders of breathing and breath restriction can cause particular problems to the athletes in your care, so routine assessment to identify and treat these is highly advisable – not least because the rewards for your clients can literally be breath-taking! This article describes the underlying anatomy and physiology of normal breathing and breathing disorders, and gives you a basis on which to start incorporating this aspect of care into your practice.

movement of every person, but none has the inherent importance of the respiratory movement.

The diaphragm

The diaphragm is the central muscle of the breathing apparatus (Figure 1). This parachute-shaped sheet of muscle sits above the viscera of the abdomen, and is attached to the bodies of the L1/L2 vertebrae, the xiphoid process and the lower six ribs and costal cartilages. Above it is the thoracic cavity

formed by the ribs and the sternum, the clavicle and the cervical spine, and containing the lungs and heart. Below it are various organs of digestion in the abdominal cavity, and the pelvis and the pelvic diaphragm (pelvic floor). These two cavities – the thorax and the abdomen – make up the torso of the body. Breathing relies on the interdependent support and communication between the upper and lower torso as the diaphragm moves and contracts. The diaphragm

PARAMOUNT FOR ATHLETES TO FOCUS ON THE QUALITY OF THEIR BREATH

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EVERY BREATH MUST COUNT WITH AN ATHLETE, WHICH IS WHY IT IS

Figure 1: The diaphragm stretching across the lower ribs, between the thoracic and abdominal cavities

muscle is essential not only to our ability to breathe effectively but also for sustaining a relationship between our internal organs (that sustain delicate metabolic processes) and our breath. The normal functioning of the

diaphragm depends on the strength and length of the muscle’s contraction. Any excessive (or limitation in)

movement reduces the effectiveness of both inspiration and expiration (2). Breathing in causes the diaphragm to contract and descends downwards, exerting pressure on the viscera

beneath it. This increases volume in the lower part of the chest cavity during inhalation (3), which creates a negative pressure in the lungs and therefore air is drawn in (Figure 2a). At the same time the viscera and abdominal cavity limit how far down the diaphragm can