Posture and Respiratory Performance in Cycling

Of all of the requirements to produce energy for cycling nothing is of greater importance than oxygen. Our ability to take in optimal amounts from the air and use this through respiratory exchange essentially provides the gas that runs our cycling engine. Whilst we are all familiar with different training methods to improve our oxygen uptake whether this be through varying levels of steady state work or anaerobic intervals we often do not necessarily look at how we can improve the mechanics of respiration.

Our breathing patterns are closely linked to movement.  As we inhale we naturally get taller and as we exhale we move very slightly towards the foetal position. One of the issues with this is that if we maintain a seated posture all day at work where we slump forwards, the muscles that enable us to get to an upright and extended position get lazy and the muscles that hold us there get short and tight.  This means it is difficult to get back to a proper upright posture the rest of the time.  If our sport happens to be cycling then this problem is compounded by the forward position necessary for riding many bikes.

As a simple test for how posture affects respiration take a slumped position with the head forwards and upper back rounded then take a deep breath in, then repeat the same breathe sitting as tall as you can. The difference you will find is often remarkable in terms of the volume of air that you can take in.

There are several tests that we can take to measure the effectiveness of your respiratory mechanics. These include

• Thoracic curve or how rounded the upper back is
• Thoracic extension or how much this curve moves
• Rib cage expansion or how well the ribs move laterally
• Forward head carriage or how far forward your head sits on your shoulders

Once these measurements have been taken it is possible to estimate how much improving respiratory mechanics may influence your performance. Simple exercise and stretches can then help to optimise the relationships and get your breathing back to where it should be on the bike.

This can be combined with ensuring you are breathing correctly with your gym programme to train the respiratory system to perform at 100 percent capacity.

Authors Jon Bowskill BA (Hons), CHEK IV