Mouth Taping During Training: Breathing for Athletic Performance and Recovery

Elite athletes, trainers, and even weekend warriors are turning their attention to something simple but powerful: how they breathe during workouts. Mouth taping during training, while once considered niche, is now a growing trend for boosting endurance, improving oxygenation, and optimizing recovery.

At BreatheWorks, we help patients understand the physiological science of breath and how airway-focused therapies like myofunctional therapy can enhance performance from the inside out. Mouth taping, when done safely, is one technique in a broader strategy to train the respiratory system for better outcomes.

Why Mouth Breathing Can Hold You Back

Breathing through the mouth during exercise is common but not ideal. It’s associated with:

• Increased respiratory rate and shallow breathing

• Reduced CO₂ tolerance and oxygen delivery

• Dry mouth, jaw tension, and bruxism (teeth grinding)

• Excessive chest breathing and postural compensation

• Fatigue, dizziness, or breathlessness

Mouth breathing also increases shortness of breath and can activate a stress-based nervous system response especially in high-intensity workouts.

The Benefits of Nasal Breathing During Training

Nasal breathing offers advantages for both performance and recovery:

• Greater oxygen uptake due to nitric oxide production

• Lower respiratory rate and more efficient gas exchange

• Better diaphragmatic engagement and core stability

• Reduced post-exercise fatigue

• Lower heart rate at given intensity levels

Studies show that even brief nasal breathing retraining improves athletic performance, especially in endurance-based sports like running, cycling, and rowing.

How Mouth Taping Helps

Mouth taping during workouts helps:

• Retrain the body to nasal breathe under stress

• Reduce dependency on open-mouth breathing during low to moderate intensity activity

• Enhance awareness of tongue posture and lip seal

• Strengthen orofacial and core postural systems

It also supports myofunctional therapy goals, reinforcing the nasal breathing habits practiced in clinical therapy.

How to Start Mouth Taping During Exercise

1. Start Slow

Begin with light exercise like walking, stretching, or cycling at conversational pace.

2. Use Safe Tape

Choose hypoallergenic, breathable options like 3M Micropore™, Hostage Tape™, or SomniFix®.

3. Use Vertical Taping for Comfort

Place a small vertical strip at the center of your lips to allow limited airflow if needed.

4. Monitor Intensity

You should be able to maintain nasal breathing without dizziness or panic. If you feel lightheaded, stop and remove the tape.

5. Pair with Breathwork and Therapy

Mouth taping works best when combined with structured breath retraining. Our speech therapy Portland team uses tools from speech and language pathology, sports science, and airway health.

When to Avoid Mouth Taping

Do not tape your mouth during training if you:

• Cannot nasal breathe comfortably at rest

• Have untreated asthma, sinus blockage, or anxiety

• Experience headaches, chest pain, or fainting

• Are recovering from surgery or illness

• Have been advised against it by a medical provider

If you suspect deeper airway issues, a speech-language pathologist near you can evaluate your readiness for this practice.

Final Thoughts: Breathing Should Work With You, Not Against You

Mouth taping during training isn’t just a trend—it’s a gateway to understanding your body’s most foundational function. When paired with myofunctional therapy, nasal retraining, and postural awareness, it can unlock endurance, clarity, and recovery.

At BreatheWorks, we guide patients to better performance by building a foundation of functional breath and airway support.

Sources

• Journal of Sports Science and Medicine: Nasal Breathing and Exercise Performance

• Patrick McKeown, The Oxygen Advantage

• ASHA.org: Myofunctional Therapy for Adult and Athletic Populations

• BreatheWorks.com: Athletic Breathing Strategies and Speech Therapy Support