Sports Performance and Breathing Rate: What Is the Connection? A Narrative Review on Breathing Strategies

Breathing is a natural and necessary process for humans. At the same time, the respiratory
pace and frequency can vary so much, depending on the status of the subject. Specifically, in sports,
breathing can have the effect of limiting performance from a physiological point of view, or, on the
other hand, breathing can regulate the psychological status of the athletes. Therefore, the aim of this
narrative review is to focus on the literature about the physiological and psychological aspects of
breathing pace in sports performance, merging these two aspects because they are usually considered
split, in order to create a new integrated vision of breathing and sports performance. Voluntary
breathing can be divided into a slow or fast pace (VSB and VFB, respectively), and their effects on
both the physiological and psychological parameters are very different. VSB can benefit athletes
in a variety of ways, not just physically but mentally as well. It can help improve cardiovascular
fitness, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve overall health and well-being, allowing athletes to
maintain focus and concentration during training and competition. VFB is normal during physical
training and competition, but away from training, if it is not voluntary, it can cause feelings of
anxiety, panic, dizziness, and lightheadedness and trigger a stress response in the body, affecting the
athlete’s quality of life. In summary, the role of breathing in the performance of athletes should be
considered, although no definitive data are available. The connection between breathing and sports
performance is still unclear, but athletes can obtain benefits in focus and concentration using slow
breathing strategies.