Many Tour de France cyclists now work with breathing coaches.

It’s a smart idea: we breathe 17,000 to 29,000 times a day and oxygen fuels our exercise, yet our breathing is so instinctive we rarely consider good technique and use only a small volume of our lungs’ capacity.

“Mastering one of the most powerful mechanisms in your body can have a huge impact on your cycling,” says breathing coach Thomas Hague.

“If we can breathe better, we can go harder, for longer, with less perceived effort.”

Read on to find out some essential cycling breathing techniques and how to take in more oxygen.

1. Practise long, slow, deep breaths

Start sharpening your breathing technique by practising long, slow, deep breaths through your nose.

“Aim to breathe deep into the belly, where the diaphragm (the key breathing muscle) is located, so you pull the maximum amount of oxygen deep into the lungs,” says Hague.

“When you breathe through your nose, the diaphragm contracts and pulls air deeper into the lungs, where there is the maximum amount of blood and alveoli – the little air sacs that diffuse oxygen into the bloodstream.”

2. Build better breathing habits

How you breathe in everyday life will affect how you breathe on the bike, so build good habits.

“Look at how you breathe while driving the car or walking the dog,” says Hague.

“Check your posture is upright and neutral. Aim to lower your respiratory rate by focusing on light, slow, deep breathing. And don’t use your mouth: the only reason would be to get more air in during high training zones, but it shouldn’t be the norm.”

3. Practise bike-specific breathing

Once you’re breathing better in normal life, work on breathing better on the bike.

“Leaning forward on the bike compromises the diaphragm – the primary breathing muscle,” says Hague.

“So, do some lower-intensity training focusing on nose breathing only.” This will improve oxygen delivery in that cycling-specific posture.

4. Breathe like a child

The yoga Child’s Pose can also enhance your bike-specific breathing.

“When bent over a bike, we breathe into the back of our heads, towards our ears, but then we need to draw air deep down into the diaphragm,” explains Hague.

To practise this, do the Child’s Pose. Kneel down, with your buttocks on your heels, then reach your arms out in front, with your forehead on the floor.

“Practise breathing in that compromised position,” says Hague. “Then put a small weight, like a book, on your back, so you feel your back rising on the inhale and sinking on the exhale.”

5. Strengthen your diaphragm

You can strengthen your diaphragm with any mobility work, such as postural or core exercises.

“The moves will also increase your lung capacity and the movement of the intercostal muscles in the diaphragm,” says Hague.

6. Boost your CO₂ tolerance

The better you can handle carbon dioxide, the more effective your breathing will be.

“With good CO₂ tolerance, you’ll enjoy greater oxygen delivery to the cells, which creates more energy, so you can go harder for longer,” says Hague.

To test your CO₂ tolerance, find your BOLT score – a measure of how long you can hold your breath after an exhale.

“Just hold your breath on an exhale until you reach the first definite desire to breathe,” says Hague.

“The time in seconds is your BOLT score. Over time, we want to get it above 25, and hopefully above 40. Improve it with breath holds while walking. Inhale, exhale, then hold your breath for 10-15 paces. See if you can build up to 30-100 paces.”

7. Beat race-day nerves

The same method can also help to suppress pre-race nerves. “People with performance anxiety breathe quicker and their mouth opens,” says Hague.

“So, slow your breathing and activate the ‘rest and digest’ state with gentle breath holds: hold your breath on the exhale for 10-15 walking paces to calm down your breathing.”

8. Find your flow

When riding on the flat, zone into your optimal breathing ‘flow state’ on the bike, when you feel at your best.

“Find your best flow of pedal revolutions and tie that into your breathing,” says Hague.

“So, if you’re breathing in over six revolutions, and out over six revolutions, tune into that steady flow of rhythmical breathing as you ride.”

9. Speed up your recovery

Controlling your breathing will also enhance your recovery after a training session. “Our breathing is directly related to our heart rate – a process called respiratory sinus arrhythmia,” explains Hague.

“As we breathe in, our heart rate rises, but as we breathe out, our heart rate drops, which moves us into the ‘rest and digest’ state.”

By lowering your breath rate, and extending your exhale, you can therefore lower your heart rate and enter an optimal rest state for recovery.

“The best way to do that is simply by reducing your breathing, focusing on light, slow and deep breathing, and by extending the exhales. This’ll dampen your heart rate and promote recovery. You should down-regulate like this for at least 10 minutes after each workout.”

10. Bounce back in races

“When you’re catching your breath at the top of a hill, it’s because of the heightened CO₂ in your lungs and blood, which is the primary driver to breathe,” explains Hague.

“So, take a big inhale through the nose and then exhale strongly all the way out, until your obliques tighten. Do that two to three times and your breathing will soon return to a steady state.”