How to Breathe While Running (And Why Your Breathing Probably Isn't the Problem)

"How should I be breathing when I run?"

It's one of the most common questions I hear from newer runners. They finish a run gasping, they read about nasal breathing or 3:2 breathing patterns, and they decide their breathing technique must be the problem.

Here's the honest answer: it almost certainly isn't.

For the vast majority of runners, natural breathing works just fine. If running feels like you can't catch your breath, the issue is usually your pace and your current fitness, not your technique. That might not be what you want to hear, but it's actually good news, because both of those are completely fixable.

That said, a few breathing techniques do have real research behind them, and some can help. Let's break down what works, what's mostly hype, and what I actually do.

Why Running Makes You Feel Out of Breath

When you run easy, your body has no trouble keeping up with the oxygen your muscles need and clearing out the carbon dioxide they produce. Push the pace past a certain point, called the ventilatory threshold, and your breathing has to ramp up sharply to keep up. That's the moment running goes from "comfortable" to "why am I doing this."

Researchers have a simple way to find that line: the talk test. Carl Foster and John Porcari's team at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse found that the point where comfortable talking becomes difficult lines up closely with the ventilatory threshold. Below it, you can speak in full sentences. Right at it, talking gets choppy. Well above it, you can't talk at all.¹

Here's why that matters for beginners: if you're new to running, your easy pace might already sit above that threshold. You're not breathing wrong. You're running too fast for your current fitness. As you get fitter, that threshold moves, and the same pace that used to leave you gasping starts to feel conversational.

No breathing technique can do that for you. Consistent, easy running does.

Fix #1: Slow Down Until You Can Talk

This is the single most effective breathing tip there is, and it's the one with the strongest evidence behind it. If you can't say a full sentence out loud while running, slow down. Walk breaks are completely fine, too.

It feels almost too simple, and it can feel embarrassingly slow at first. But most of your running should feel this easy. If you want to understand why, read why every run shouldn't feel the same, and check out our breakdown of Zone 2 running and why your watch might be lying to you.

If you train by heart rate, our free Zone 2 calculator gives you a target range. Just know that wrist heart rate can read high on runs, so the talk test is often the more reliable check. More on that in our guide to how accurate your watch's heart rate really is.

What I Actually Do

I don't think about my breathing at all. I just breathe naturally.

Funny enough, I breathe out through my mouth when I run, even though I don't do that the rest of the day. It's not intentional. It's just what my body does once I start running.

I've tried some of the popular techniques, like breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. I didn't like it. It felt forced, and it pulled my attention away from the run itself. Even during hard interval workouts, I don't focus on my breathing. I breathe however my body wants to, and it works.

That's not just my opinion, either. Research shows most runners naturally sync their breathing to their steps without trying. In a study of runners on a treadmill, Monica Daley, Dennis Bramble, and David Carrier found that most settled into a rhythm of about two steps per breath, and breathing transitions lined up with specific points in the stride.² Your body already has a system for this. It's been running it your whole life.

Breathing Techniques That Get a Lot of Attention

None of these are required. But if you're curious, here's what the research actually says about each.

Nasal Breathing

Nasal breathing has a dedicated following, and there's some interesting research behind it, mostly from George Dallam, a researcher and triathlon coach.

In one case study, Dallam's team tested a 53-year-old triathlete who had spent years adapting to breathing only through his nose. His VO2 max and top treadmill speed were essentially the same whether he breathed through his nose or his mouth.³ Interestingly, after his mouth-breathing max test, his lung function dropped 17%, enough to qualify as exercise-induced bronchospasm. After the nasal test, it didn't.

Dallam's review of the research concluded that mouth breathing isn't clearly better, and that adapting to nasal breathing can take anywhere from six weeks to six months.⁴

The catch: that case study was one person, not a trial. Nobody has shown nasal breathing makes you faster, and the adaptation period means you'll feel worse before you feel better.

Where it's actually useful for beginners: as a built-in speed limit. If you can't breathe comfortably through your nose, you're probably running harder than an easy run should be. It's basically the talk test without talking.

Rhythmic Breathing (The 3:2 Pattern)

This method was popularized by Budd Coates in his book Running on Air. The idea is to inhale for three steps and exhale for two, so your exhale lands on a different foot each breath. The book claims that spreading out the impact of your exhale between your left and right sides can reduce injury risk.⁵

The part about breathing syncing with your steps is real. As mentioned above, most runners do it naturally.² But I couldn't find research showing that alternating which foot your exhale lands on actually prevents injuries.

If counting steps helps you settle into a run or stay calm during a hard workout, go for it. Just think of it as a focus tool, not an injury-prevention plan. If you're curious about the step side of the equation, our guide to running cadence covers what your step rate actually tells you.

Breathing Trainers (Inspiratory Muscle Training)

These are handheld devices, like the PowerBreathe, that make you inhale against resistance to strengthen your breathing muscles. And they work, at least for that.

A 2026 review of eight studies in runners found that inspiratory muscle training reliably made breathing muscles stronger. But none of those studies actually measured running performance.⁶ An older study of trained distance runners found that four weeks of training improved breathing-muscle endurance, but didn't change VO2 max or how long they could run.⁷

Stronger breathing muscles don't automatically mean faster running. If you're a beginner, that money is better spent elsewhere. Running more will train your breathing muscles anyway.

What About Side Stitches?

If you've ever had a sharp pain under your ribs halfway through a run, you're in good company. A review by Darren Morton and Robin Callister reported that roughly 70% of runners had a stitch at some point in the previous year.⁸

A lot of runners blame side stitches on bad breathing, but researchers still haven't pinned down exactly what causes them. Theories include reduced blood flow to abdominal organs, irritation of the abdominal lining, and spasms in the breathing muscles.⁹ The old idea that a stitch is simply a diaphragm cramp has never been firmly established.

What does seem to help:

• Don't eat a big meal or drink sugary drinks right before running. This is one of the more consistent recommendations.⁹ Our guide to fueling long runs and races covers timing.
• Strengthen your core. Stronger abdominal and back muscles appear to reduce how often stitches happen.⁹ Here's what the research says about strength training for runners.
• Get fitter. Stitches are more common in younger and less experienced athletes.⁹ They tend to show up less as your fitness improves.

When one hits mid-run, slow down, press firmly on the spot, and try bending forward slightly. Those are the most commonly recommended ways to get relief.⁹ If the pain is severe, keeps coming back, or doesn't fade when you stop, get it checked out rather than writing it off as a stitch.

How to Breathe at Different Intensities

You don't need a different technique for every workout, but your expectations should change with the effort.

Easy runs: Keep it simple. Run at a pace where you can talk in full sentences, and breathe through your nose, mouth, or both, whatever feels natural. If you can't hold that effort while jogging, mix in walk breaks.

Tempo runs and intervals: Hard efforts are supposed to make you breathe hard. Not being able to talk during a tough rep is normal. This is the worst time to force nasal breathing or a step-counting pattern, so let your breathing match the effort and focus on the workout. On recovery jogs, ease up until your breathing settles enough to start the next rep under control.

Long runs and race day: Starting too fast is the most common reason breathing feels hard early in a long effort. Heat, humidity, hills, and fatigue all add to it, too. If your breathing gets ragged sooner than expected, check your pace before you blame your technique. Our guide to running in the heat covers how to adjust when conditions are working against you.

When It's Not Your Fitness

Sometimes breathing trouble isn't about pace or fitness. Talk to a doctor if you notice:

• Wheezing during or after runs
• A cough that shows up after running
• A tight chest
• Breathing that feels much harder than your fitness level should explain

These can be signs of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, where the airways narrow during or after exercise. It can affect people with or without an asthma diagnosis, and it's very treatable. No breathing technique will fix it, but the right treatment can make a huge difference.

Know when to stop: If you ever have sudden or severe trouble breathing, chest pain, or feel faint, stop running and get medical care right away.

Cold air can also make breathing feel rough, especially in winter. If your airways get irritated on cold runs, a face covering helps warm the air before you breathe it in. We cover that in our guide to dressing for running in the cold.

The Bottom Line

If running leaves you gasping, your breathing technique isn't the problem. Your pace is.

Slow down until you can talk in full sentences, run consistently, and give your body a few weeks to adapt. Your breathing will take care of itself. That's what I do, and it's what the research supports.

If you want to try nasal breathing or a rhythmic pattern, go ahead. Just think of them as tools to keep you relaxed and honest about your pace, not magic fixes.

Ready to build fitness the right way? Our free Training Plan Generator builds your schedule around your current fitness, with easy runs set at a pace you can actually breathe at.

---

References

1. Foster, C., Porcari, J. P., Anderson, J., et al. (2008). The talk test as a marker of exercise training intensity. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention, 28(1), 24–30.
2. Daley, M. A., Bramble, D. M., & Carrier, D. R. (2013). Impact loading and locomotor-respiratory coordination significantly influence breathing dynamics in running humans. PLoS ONE, 8(8), e70752.
3. Hostetter, K., McClaran, S. R., Cox, D. G., & Dallam, G. (2016). Triathlete adapts to breathing restricted to the nasal passage without loss in VO2max or vVO2max. Journal of Sport and Human Performance, 4(1), 1–7.
4. Dallam, G., & Kies, B. (2020). The effect of nasal breathing versus oral and oronasal breathing during exercise: A review. Journal of Sports Research, 7(1), 1–10.
5. Coates, B., & Kowalchik, C. (2013). Running on Air: The Revolutionary Way to Run Better by Breathing Smarter. Rodale Books.
6. Lopes, L. B., Melin, V. R., & Ferreira, L. L. (2026). Effect of inspiratory muscle training in runners: An integrative review. Caderno de Educação Física e Esporte, 24, e36520.
7. Wongathikun, J., Williams, J. S., Boon, S. M., & Acevedo, E. O. (2001). Resistive inspiratory muscle training does not improve running performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33(5 Suppl), Abstract 335.
8. Morton, D., & Callister, R. (2015). Exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP). Sports Medicine, 45(1), 23–35.
9. Shephard, R. J. The endurance athlete's "stitch": Etiology and management of exercise-related transient abdominal pain. Health & Fitness Journal of Canada.

---

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. If you have trouble breathing during exercise, talk to your doctor.