Recently a Veteran who has always been physically and socially fit — admired for never stopping in the fight for the Underdog, and winning many battles on their behalf — made my day by asking for advice. The patient was experiencing more fatigue than usual and productivity was down. Previously the Veteran had been supremely fit, having learned how to be so for combat readiness, motivated by the most compelling expectation of all: self-preservation. While there were now a few health issues in the background, the reduction in energy seemed greater than these alone could explain.
After key tests and vital signs came back normal, two common problems were identified — problems that affect most of us. The patient was breathing Apically rather than Diaphragmatically, and the training programme in use was, at best, Ad Hoc — absent rather than Mission Focused.
Diaphragmatic breathing, colloquially known as Belly Breathing, differs from Apical or Collarbone Breathing, where the shoulders hunch up and down as the body struggles to draw enough oxygen into the bloodstream. Without adequate oxygen, fatigue sets in rapidly as waste product is left in situ — and it must be cleared before affected cells can reignite.
Even at the top level of sport, few athletes are formally trained to breathe diaphragmatically. During intense training or competition there is some natural learning by necessity, but otherwise there is a striking dearth of formal education on the subject. And lack of knowledge is lack of power — literally. Little wonder, then, that as we age, become more sedentary, or even mildly unwell, we involuntarily revert to apical breathing. It feels like the easy option, but easy can become inefficient and exhausting.
Diaphragmatic breathing is vastly more efficient than apical (chest) breathing. It requires significantly less metabolic effort while moving a much larger volume of air, making it the body's natural, default method of respiration. The primary differences in biomechanics and efficiency include:
Muscle Usage: Diaphragmatic breathing utilises the dome-shaped diaphragm, a large muscle designed explicitly for respiration. Apical breathing relies on accessory muscles in the neck and shoulders — the scalenes and sternocleidomastoid — to lift the ribcage. These smaller muscles fatigue rapidly and produce shallower breaths.
Oxygen Demand: Because it relies on the large, fatigue-resistant diaphragm, diaphragmatic breathing consumes less of the body's total oxygen supply. Apical breathing demands more mechanical effort, increasing respiratory rate and overall oxygen demand.
Lung Volume: The largest part of the lungs resides at the base. Diaphragmatic breathing allows the lungs to expand fully downward, maximising the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Apical breathing uses only the upper lobes, moving less air and producing shallow, rapid breaths.
Nervous System Response: Diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, activating the parasympathetic nervous system — the body's "rest and digest" response — slowing the heart rate and reducing stress. Apical breathing can mimic a stress or "fight-or-flight" reflex, increasing tension in the neck and shoulders.
Core Stability: The diaphragm functions as the roof of the core. Proper diaphragmatic breathing helps stabilise the spine, pelvis, and ribcage, reducing the risk of injury.
When watching team sport, it is intriguing to observe the different breathing styles of the team that has just scored and the team that has just conceded. While no formal evidence exists, my observations suggest a meaningful difference.
The scoring team retreats to the halfway line, embraces in a circle, and breathes deeply in. The conceding team circles behind the goal, seldom embraces, and individually bends forward, breathing out. You be the judge — but it appears the scoring team is breathing apically and the conceding team diaphragmatically.
The Team That Has Scored
Play to Expand: The team with the lead holds a mental advantage but can fall into the trap of playing "not to lose." Teams breathe easier and win more consistently when they stay aggressive and push to stretch the lead.
Energy Management: The pressure to maintain or defend can create tension. Teams that focus on controlling their actions rather than the scoreboard maintain better composure.
The Team That Has Conceded
Reduced Expectations: Falling behind can sometimes relieve the pressure of perfection. The stress of protecting a lead evaporates, and athletes may find a freer mindset.
Play to Catch Up: They are pushed into an attacking rhythm, relying on grit. But urgency can easily tip into overthinking, leading to panicked, sloppy play.
Whether winning or losing on the scoreboard of life, diaphragmatic breathing is the winning choice.
The second part of the Veteran's requirement was establishing a programme that achieves peak performance. Optimum performance can only be sustained for roughly three months of the year — a quarter of the time one invests in training. Within that template, the window of absolute peak is narrower still. Occasionally mental fortitude can stretch this from 25% to around 30%, but the body will eventually fatigue regardless. Like the Veteran, we need to choose our battles. Tiredness is normal; the task is simply working out when we want top performance, and planning our top exertion accordingly. As we age, recovery does not come as swiftly as in youth — but designing a careful fitness programme is a valuable exercise in itself, rewarded with available energy and fewer errors made.
Three months of peak performance may sound brief, but several mini-peaks through the year can serve as an alternative. Absolute power, however, is always transient — as history consistently shows, often with significant consequences for those who pursue it without limit. At that point, whether one breathes apically or diaphragmatically becomes the least of one's concerns. The absence of breathing is absolute powerlessness.