I often used to hear people complain: “I’m not tired in my legs when climbing, but I just can’t catch my breath…” In fact, most cyclists aren’t actually out of breath, but rather their breathing doesn’t deliver enough oxygen to meet their muscles’ demands, leading to symptoms like dizziness, dry mouth, and cold sweats during uphill rides. I can’t change your physical stamina here, but I can offer some tips on breathing methods, and I hope you’ll find them useful.
1. The Theory of Healthy Breathing
There’s a lot to the art of breathing. Truly delving into and studying it isn’t easy — different sports have different breathing characteristics. And some good breathing techniques also need to be cultivated. (My respiratory system was a bit messed up not long ago, and now I pay extra attention to its recovery.) Why focus on breathing? This is the point where humans connect with the vital energy of nature. I don’t understand qigong, but without air, nothing else matters. Take two people eating the same meals — why does one get exhausted after running just 10 kilometers while the other keeps going after a hundred? The difference lies here: the efficiency of energy conversion is inseparable from breathing. Simply put, only with sufficient oxygen supply can we ensure the most complete oxidation of substances to release energy. The energy for muscle movement comes from ATP stored in the muscles, but the amount of ATP is quite limited — only enough for about 8 seconds of consumption. Once it’s used up, blood sugar is converted into ATP to supply the muscles again. But here’s the issue: whether there’s enough oxygen. With insufficient oxygen, a large amount of blood sugar will produce only a small amount of ATP (and there are other pathways to ATP production as well). Therefore, a proper breathing method that brings in a lot of oxygen is especially important for us when cycling uphill. Also, the air you inhale can irritate the alveoli. Air pollution, dust, bacteria, and so on can all harm your lungs. A runny nose is also a typical symptom of respiratory infection. When you cycle against the wind, the cold air goes straight into your respiratory tract and lungs, which can cause some reaction. Consider using nasal-assisted breathing. Don’t gasp with your mouth wide open — just a small opening will do. Nose hairs and nasal passages filter the air and can also warm it up. This way, your respiratory tract won’t get irritated.
2. Cycling Breathing Experience
Breathing is equally important in cycling. In the past, I used to like to ride fast right from the start. After cycling a certain distance at high speed, I would often get stomach pain. Later, I realized it was caused by my breathing — some external air mixed with my digestive system. So for a while, I paid special attention to breathing with my diaphragm instead of my chest, and the results were much better. It’s correct to breathe through your mouth while cycling, especially when climbing — sometimes you don’t even have a choice. But this isn’t encouraging you to take big gulps of cold air right after eating. I’m just telling you that if you’re cycling on flat ground and your normal nasal breathing is sufficient, then there’s no need to gasp heavily. Moreover, when I say “breathing through the mouth on flat ground,” it’s under the premise that your mouth and nose are facing downward, avoiding the wind head-on, and your abdomen is naturally contracted. When going uphill, you need to take in a lot of oxygen, so use both your mouth and nose as much as possible (not using them is just wasting potential). If it’s cold, it’s recommended to warm up your body a bit before heading out. Just let your mouth open naturally, and you can slightly curl your tongue upward to help warm the air. Breathing tip: no matter what the situation (even if you’re chanting sutras), the worst thing you can do is breathe irregularly.
3. In some “extreme cycling” scenarios, high-altitude symptoms may disrupt your normal breathing rhythm.
It’s quite normal to experience a sore throat, swollen tonsils, and dizziness when climbing at altitudes of 4,000 meters. The reason is simple: the air is thin, so you need to breathe more to supply oxygen. At such times, with necessary medication adjustments at night, applying a bit of petroleum jelly inside your nasal passages during the day is a very effective method. Winter is coming, so be extra mindful of keeping warm while cycling.