How to Improve Running Endurance

Why Proper Breathing While Running is Important

If you're interested in finding out how to build running endurance, the first thing you need to learn is how to control breathing while running. When you run using improper breathing techniques, you may end up with increased cortisol and lactic acid production — two things you specifically want to avoid. Both can impact your performance.

However simple it sounds, it can actually be challenging to learn to breathe again. Your body's got muscle memory, so it's easy to slip back into bad habits. And this can happen even if you're actively trying to keep your posture in mind!

The Relationship Between Cortisol and Proper Breathing While Running

At CustMbite, we knew there was a better way to breathe, so we set out to solve the problem on how to control breathing while running. The AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece is designed to encourage proper breathing while running by opening your airway properly without having to think about it at all, keeping cortisol production low — and your performance high.

Increased cortisol production can cause a variety of problems, beginning with making it harder to recover after vigorous or endurance running workouts. This puts you at a disadvantage right from the start, as your body needs recovery in order to build running endurance. And doing too much isn't just counterproductive — it can be dangerous too, with slips and stumbles caused by overworked muscles.

There are other downsides to increased cortisol as well. Excess cortisol can break down tissue, reduce protein synthesis, and convert protein to glucose, all of which can act to increase abdominal fat and decrease musculature. You want to keep your body lean and strong if you are an endurance runner, and using proper breathing while running can reduce cortisol production.

Lactic Acid and Running Recovery

In addition to cortisol, lactic acid production increases when you're taking part in intense activities like endurance running. Because the body is less able to obtain the level of oxygen it needs when performing physically challenging exercises like trail, endurance, or adventure running, it relies on the glycolytic pathway to produce energy. This pathway is where excess lactate is produced.

When more lactate is produced than can be cleared by the body, the result is fatigue. This is because your body breaks down the excess lactate into two ions: lactate and hydrogen. Hydrogen ions are the culprit when it comes to fatigue. Just like excess cortisol, a surplus of lactic acid gets you off on the wrong foot right away. Working out on tired muscles is discouraging, and what's more, it opens the door to all types of injuries.

If you want to know more about how to increase running endurance, it begins with limiting the production of cortisol and lactic acid by learning how to control breathing while running. Fatigue reduction is just one of the reasons why the AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece can be so valuable to runners. Read on for more on how to build endurance for running.

What Goes Into a Device Focused on Proper Breathing While Running?

The AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece was designed over the course of 15 years of research and development that kept the needs of high-intensity endurance sports in mind. We knew that our mouthpiece had to stand up to the rigorous demands of elite athletes, so we made a point of making the AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece comfortable, durable, and effective.

The AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece is made of our patented VistaMaxx material, which was engineered with the assistance of dental professionals to enhance both comfort and usability. It is tough enough to withstand use day after day but thin enough to wear comfortably every time you run.

A Customized Fit Supports Running Endurance Training

A key feature of AIRWAAV's VistaMaxx material is that you can easily mold it to your teeth. Once you receive your AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece, you can set up your mouthpiece and hop on the road in no time. All you need is a microwave, a bowl of cold water, and a couple of minutes to form it to your teeth so it will stay put during strenuous exercise. This simple process provides you with a custom-fit mouthpiece that gets even better — over the next 24 hours, your AIRWAAV will shrink a little more to give you the snuggest, most secure, and comfortable fit for you.

How Was the AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece engineered?

The AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece was developed through 15 years of research and development trials with elite athletes and cadets at the Citadel in South Carolina — and the lessons of our forebears. Throughout history, soldiers in battle and women in labor have been given leather straps or wooden sticks to bite down in order to alleviate and endure the physical distress of pain. Oral history places these practices in the area of prehistoric times. In these ancient times, there was no science to explain why biting down helped increase these individuals' already-incredible endurance.

Now, there are scientific studies that demonstrate the benefits gained by biting down on the bite plate combined with the preferable tongue placement. While protective sports mouthguards have been available for a long time and have been successfully used to reduce the chances of dental trauma, they don't provide the same benefits as the AIRWAAV.

While the AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece doesn't offer specific protective qualities, its material provides protection to your teeth if you tend to clench your teeth to temporarily relieve physical stress. The AIRWAAV's specialized bite plate is made to be even stronger than traditional sports mouthguards.

How Does an AIRWAAV Performance Mouthpiece Work?

Both types of AIRWAAV Performance Mouthpieces consist of a bite plate and an intake bar. The bite plate fits over your lower molars. As you run, you'll bite down on it lightly. If you tend to clench your teeth during especially vigorous exercise, the bite plate absorbs the pressure. Our durable, comfortable VistaMaxx material will not warp or allow your teeth to grind through. While running, the intake bar is placed against your lower front teeth and your tongue is positioned under the bar.

When using the AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece, you'll enjoy immediate benefits. The combination of biting down gently and tongue guidance moves your tongue down and forward, which increases your airway opening by 8 to 9 percent. That may not seem like a lot, but it's significant enough to result in an immediate respiratory rate reduction of nearly 30 percent.

AIRWAAV doesn't stop working after you're done running — it can help your recovery too. Wearing the AIRWAAV Performance Mouthpiece can cause your cortisol and lactic acid rates to drop by more than 50 percent, allowing you to recover faster while you work toward building your endurance to its fullest capacity.

Proper Breathing While Running Made Possible by AIRWAAV

There's a lot that goes into learning how to control your breathing while running. There are several techniques recommended for those seeking to improve their breathing:

1. Belly Breathing: Helps to maximize your oxygen intake and stave off fatigue for longer.
2. Inhale and Exhale Through Your Nose AND Mouth Simultaneously: Helps to keep your breathing rate steady and expel carbon dioxide more efficiently.
3. Time Your Breathing With Your Steps: A 2:1 breathing pattern (inhale for 2 counts, exhale for 1) helps to increase your core stability and keep you injury-free.
4. Warm Up Your Pipes: Warming up your respiratory system by taking a few big belly breaths prepares your lungs for exertion.

Each of these methods may be effective for some, but combining one (or more) with an AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece is optimal. If you've never run with a mouthpiece, the idea may seem a bit foreign to you. But the additional airflow genuinely makes a difference, particularly to endurance athletes. Instead of struggling with learning how to control breathing while running, pick up an AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece and reap the benefits instantly.

Where can I get an AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece?

It's designed to help you develop more endurance, increased strength, and faster recovery times. If you're a hardcore runner, the AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece is designed for athletes just like you. With its immediate positive effect on your respiratory system, you may notice an improvement in your performance and recovery after just one use.

At AIRWAAV, we're dedicated to supporting both endurance and high-intensity athletes in the quest for personal achievement. Our performance mouthpieces are effective, customized, and proven to work. Order the performance mouthpiece that can help you with proper breathing while running today and see what a difference an AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece can make!