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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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* There are several situations where your breathing could become unusually stressed
** If you are [[Running in the Heat| overheating]] then this can increase your breathing as your body attempts to cool itself through panting.
** If your [[Glycogen| carbohydrate stores]] run low, your body will start to burn more fat, and fat requires more oxygen per calorie of energy. This not only requires more oxygen, the amount of oxygen extracted from each breath is lower<ref name="KyrPullinen2000"/>.
** Because there is less air at altitude, breathing becomes increased. The lack of oxygen confuses the body, as breathing is generally driven by the need to remove CO<sub>2</sub> rather than the need to acquire O<sub>2</sub>. So when the level of CO<sub>2</sub> is right, your body does not get enough O<sub>2</sub>. This tends to cause a feeling of suffocation and trigger conscious breathing to get more O<sub>2</sub>, which in turn causes the level of CO<sub>2</sub> to go too low. When CO<sub>2</sub> levels go low, it changes the blood acidity and that messes up the body causing Altitude Sickness, a dangerous and potentially lethal situation. [[Altitude Training]] can help prepare for higher altitudes, though it will never compensate completely.
** Obviously asthma can cause breathing problems and it's possible that [[Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure]] may [[The Science of Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure| help]].
In summary, do not force or attempt to modify your breathing, but do what comes naturally. Here's a quote from Essentials of Exercise Physiology<ref name="physiology-302"/>: <br/><br/>
''Conscious attempts to modify breathing during running and other general physical activities do not benefit exercise performance. In most instances, conscious manipulation of breathing detracts from the exquisitely regulated ventilator adjustments to exercise. ''<br/><br/>
[[File:Breathing.png|none|thumb|700px|A simplified graph representing the change in breathing as exercise intensity increases. Note that the increased breath volume comes from both greater inhalation and greater exhalation<ref name="physiology-301"/>.]]
=References=
<references>
<ref name="KyrPullinen2000">H. Kyröläinen, T. Pullinen, R. Candau, J. Avela, P. Huttunen, P. V. Komi, Effects of marathon running on running economy and kinematics, European Journal of Applied Physiology, volume 82, issue 4, 2000, pages 297–304, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/1439-6319 1439-6319], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s004210000219 10.1007/s004210000219]</ref>
<ref name="physiology-302"> William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch, Essentials of exercise physiology, date 2006, publisher Lippincott Williams Wilkins, location Baltimore, MD, isbn 0-7817-4991-3, pages 302</ref>
<ref name="physiology-301"> William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch, Essentials of exercise physiology, date 2006, publisher Lippincott Williams Wilkins, location Baltimore, MD, isbn 0-7817-4991-3, pages 301</ref>
<ref name="Shephard-1966">Shephard, R. J. "The oxygen cost of breathing during vigorous exercise." Experimental Physiology 51.4 (1966): 336-350.</ref>
</references>
