Alex Bolowich is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, founder of Elite Mental Performance, and Co-Founder of Ibex Tactics. Alex is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, where he specializes in working with athletes and teams to help them perform in the most intense situations, building practices for sustained excellence at elite levels like the NCAA, NFL, MLS, NBA, and Olympics. If you are interested in any of his signature programs, use the link here! Enjoy the article below!

Breathing Techniques for Athletes: 3 Science-Backed Methods to Control Pre-Game Nerves

The higher the ladder athletes climb, and the longer they stay in the game, the stakes get higher, often causing them to overthink, develop mental blocks, and experience performance anxiety. They try motivating themselves and using positive self-talk or even visualization. But most of these techniques fall short because they are what are referred to as "top-down" processes. These often do not hold much power or impact when it comes to controlling nerves. Bottom-up processes like breathing have a much greater effect.

Most elite-level athletes used to brush off breathing techniques, passing them off as "woo-woo" or it's about being calm (when athletes are trained for intensity). But in the last two decades, research on the efficacy of breathing techniques has skyrocketed, and the best athletes in the world, as well as military personnel, use them, from Cristiano Ronaldo to the Navy Seals, and Novak Djokovic.

The question is no longer whether you should practice them, but it's which breathing practice to do, and how to do it. Whether you're looking to reduce performance anxiety, recenter and refocus, or maintain consistency in your game, this blog has it for you!

How Breathing Exercises Improve Athletic Performance (Better Than Positive Self-Talk)

Here's a question that'll expose the gap in your mental game: When you're standing at the free-throw line with seconds left, heart pounding, palms sweating, mind racing with "don't miss" thoughts, do you really think you can think your way to calm?

You can't.

Your body is screaming. Your nervous system is flooded. And no amount of "positive self-talk" is going to override the fact that your physiology is running the show.

Here's what elite performers know that you might not: Your body doesn't follow your mind. Your mind follows your body. Change your breathing, and your brain has no choice but to follow.

This isn't motivational fluff. This is neuroscience. And it's the difference between athletes who crumble under pressure and those who thrive in it.

Why Athletes Struggle With Performance Anxiety: You're Fighting Biology

You've probably been told to "stay positive," "focus on the process," or "visualize success." All good advice. But here's the problem:

When your heart rate is jacked, your breathing is shallow, and your muscles are tight, your brain interprets that as THREAT.

It doesn't matter what you're telling yourself. Your body is sending a clear message: Danger. React. Survive.

And survival mode doesn't produce clutch performances. It produces:

• Rushed decisions

• Tense muscles

• Tunnel vision

• Overthinking

• Choking

You know this feeling. You've been there.

But what if instead of fighting against your body with mental gymnastics, you worked WITH your body to shift your state?

That's where breathing comes in. Not as some hippie relaxation trick, as a direct intervention into your nervous system that gives you back control.

Sports Psychology Research: How Breathing Patterns Affect Athletic Performance

Stanford researchers recently discovered something critical: Specific breathing patterns can reduce anxiety and improve mood faster and more effectively than meditation.

Here's what they found:

Cyclic Sighing: The Best Breathing Technique for Stress Reduction

• Double inhale (nose) + extended exhale (mouth)

• Practiced for just 5 minutes daily

• Reduced anxiety more than any other technique tested

• Worked better than mindfulness meditation for immediate stress relief

Why it works: That extended exhale activates your vagus nerve, the biological "calm down" switch that tells your brain, "We're safe. Stand down."

Systematic Review of Breathing Exercises for Athletes

A massive analysis of 58 studies and 72 breathing interventions revealed the framework that actually works:

What to avoid:

• Fast-only breathing (increases sympathetic activation = more stress)

• One-and-done sessions (your nervous system needs repetition to adapt)

What to do:

• Slow breathing with extended exhales

• Practice for at least 5 minutes

• Do it multiple times (ideally daily)

• Commit long-term (6+ sessions over 1+ week minimum)

The result: Lower stress, better focus, improved mood, enhanced performance.

What Sport Psychology Consultants Use: Mental Skills Training That Actually Works

Here's something most athletes don't know: The best sport psychology consultants practice these skills on themselves.

A study of elite mental performance coaches (CMPCs) revealed they use:

• Deep breathing techniques before sessions to stay calm and focused

• Mental imagery to rehearse client workshops and prepare mentally

• Self-reflection to debrief and improve their service delivery

• Mindfulness practices to stay present (because presence beats perfect strategy)

They do this because they know it works. They've felt it. They rely on it.

So here's your filter when choosing a sports psychologist or CMPC: Do they practice what they preach?

If your mental performance coach is telling you to do breathwork but isn't using it themselves before high-pressure situations, that should tell you something.

The best practitioners don't just teach these skills. They live them. They model them. They prove they work by using them in their own performance arena.

Ask them: "What psychological skills do you use on yourself?" If they can't answer that question with specifics, keep looking.

3 Breathing Exercises for Athletes: Your Performance Playbook

Breathing Technique #1: Pre-Game Breathing for Nerves (Cyclic Sighing Method)

The Pattern: Cyclic Sighing

• Inhale deeply through your nose (fill your lungs about 80%)

• Inhale again through your nose (top off your lungs completely, this second breath is short)

• Slowly exhale ALL your breath through your mouth (like air falling out of a balloon)

• Repeat for 5 minutes

When to use it:

• 30-60 minutes before competition

• In the locker room before you take the field/court

• During warm-ups when you notice tension building

What it does: Signals your nervous system to shift from "fight or flight" to "rest and perform." Your heart rate drops. Your muscles relax. Your mind clears.

Breathing Technique #2: Box Breathing for Athletes (Mid-Competition Reset)

The Pattern: Box Breathing

• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds

• Hold your breath for 4 seconds

• Exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds

• Hold empty for 4 seconds

• Repeat 3-5 cycles

When to use it:

• After a bad play, missed shot, or costly error

• During timeouts or breaks in action

• When you feel yourself spiraling mentally

What it does: Breaks the stress cycle. Gives you something concrete to focus on (counting) instead of ruminating on the mistake. Resets your physiology so you can refocus on the next play.

Breathing Technique #3: Daily Breathing Practice for Mental Toughness

The Pattern: 5-Minute Slow Breathing

• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds

• Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds (or longer)

• Focus on making your exhale longer than your inhale

• Practice for 5-10 minutes

When to use it:

• Every morning before you start your day

• After training sessions

• Before bed to improve sleep quality

What it does: Trains your nervous system to recover faster. Builds your baseline resilience to stress. Creates a daily habit that compounds over weeks and months into legitimate competitive advantage.

The Mind-Body Connection in Sports: Why Physiology Beats Positive Thinking

Most athletes think mental training means "controlling your thoughts." So they try to positive-talk their way through stress. Fight against their nerves. Override their anxiety with sheer willpower.

That's exhausting. And it doesn't work.

Here's the truth: Your thoughts don't create your emotional state. Your physiology does.

When your breathing is shallow and rapid, your brain interprets that as stress, regardless of what you're thinking. When your muscles are tense, your nervous system stays in threat mode, even if you're "thinking positive."

But flip it around: Control your breathing, and your brain has no choice but to follow.

Slow, deep breathing with extended exhales sends a clear biological signal: We're safe. We're in control. We can perform.

Your brain believes your body. Not your thoughts.

So stop trying to think your way into the right state. Breathe your way there.

4-Week Breathing Training Program for Athletes

Week 1: Establish Your Baseline

• Practice cyclic sighing for 5 minutes every morning

• Notice how you feel before and after

• Journal it: What changed? Energy? Mood? Focus?

Week 2: Pre-Performance Protocol

• Use cyclic sighing 30-60 minutes before every practice/competition

• Track your performance: Did you feel more composed? Less anxious?

Week 3: In-Competition Reset

• Add box breathing during timeouts or after mistakes

• Notice: How fast can you shift your state?

Week 4: Daily Resilience

• Keep the morning practice

• Add 5 minutes of slow breathing after training

• Assess: Are you recovering faster? Sleeping better? Feeling more in control?

Mental Performance Training: The Real Competitive Advantage

Here's what separates good athletes from great ones: Great athletes don't fight their biology. They work with it.

They don't try to "stay calm" through positive thinking. They USE their breath to create calm.

They don't hope they'll be focused when it matters. They TRAIN their nervous system to shift on command.

They don't leave their mental state to chance. They have a system.

And now, so do you.

Five minutes. Three patterns. Four weeks.

That's all it takes to prove to yourself that you don't need to fight your body to control your mind. You just need to breathe correctly.

How to Choose a Sports Psychologist or CMPC: Questions to Ask

If you decide to work with a mental performance coach or CMPC, ask them this:

"What psychological skills do you practice on yourself?"

The best practitioners don't just teach this stuff. They live it. They use deep breathing before their own high-pressure sessions. They practice imagery to prepare. They self-reflect to improve.

If they can't give you specific examples of how they use these skills in their own life, that's a red flag.

You want someone who's been in the arena. Someone who knows these techniques work because they've used them under pressure.

Don't just take advice from someone who read about it in a textbook. Work with someone who proves it works by doing it themselves.

Your move: Pick one breathing pattern. Practice it for 5 minutes today. Notice what changes. Then do it again tomorrow.

Because elite mental performance isn't about controlling your thoughts. It's about controlling your physiology.

And that starts with your breath.

References:

Balban, M. Y., Neri, E., Kogon, M. M., Weed, L., Nouriani, B., Jo, B., Holl, G., Zeitzer, J. M., Spiegel, D., & Huberman, A. D. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal.Cell reports. Medicine,4(1), 100895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895

Filion, S., Munroe-Chandler, K., & Loughead, T. (2019). Psychological Skills Used by Sport Psychology Consultants to Improve Their Consulting.Journal of Applied Sport Psychology,33(2), 173–191. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2019.1647475

Mesagno, C., & Mullane-Grant, T. (2010). A Comparison of Different Pre-Performance Routines as Possible Choking Interventions.Journal of Applied Sport Psychology,22(3), 343–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2010.491780

Migliaccio, G. M., Russo, L., Maric, M., & Padulo, J. (2023). Sports Performance and Breathing Rate: What Is the Connection? A Narrative Review on Breathing Strategies.Sports (Basel, Switzerland),11(5), 103. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11050103