Road Cycling - Breathing pattern?

I've noticed I've fallen into a pattern of breathing in time with my cadence. i.e., inhale for 4 revolutions, exhale for 4 on a light workout or commute. If i'm peaking i'll inhale on the left stroke, exhale on the right, real quicklike. Normally I'll stay between 2-3 revolutions for each inhale or exhale.


Anyone else do this? Good idea, bad idea, not a big deal? Any other breathing habits?



Cheers...


Matt

Very good idea- it's highly recommended to find a breathing pattern to help control heart rate while riding.

There are several yoga breathing patterns you can also use for this. I've taken a few yoga breathing classes for cycling seminars, and they are always enlightening. At first, I didn't believe it, but when I began taking the classes and doing the recommended breathing patterns in classes and corresponding it to my heart rate monitor, I could see that it definitely does work. Breathing patterns help the rider to focus, to visualize the movement, to coordinate leg speed, to control heart rate, and to help the rider relax the muscles of the upper body and torso also.

Koffee

Excellent! I'm glad to see there's actually something to it.


I've never used a HR monitor, but I'll use my breathing to similar effect... never go above x revolutions/breath on a recovery ride, not below x revolutions/breath when I'm pushing myself, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if my own little "zones" matched up roughly with lactate threshold and such. Me own lil biofeedback barometer thing.


If that makes sense. = )


cheers...

Matt

Yeah, it makes sense. If you're interested, when I get the time, I can check into some good yoga breathing exercises for you and send you a PM.... let me know.

Koffee