Right Under Your Nose: The Forgotten Power of Nitric Oxide and Nasal Breathing

The nose is incredible, and besides the known facts of humidification, warming, immune defense actions, filtering particles, it does so much more! One key role is nitric oxide, which is only created by nose breathing, but there are dozens of vital functions the nose is responsible for - if you put it in charge!

Ready to stick your nose into the hidden powers of nasal breathing?

Optimizing Your Lungs and Oxygen 

Breathing through your nose harnesses nitric oxide to help dilate the blood vessels in your lungs, which significantly improves arterial oxygenation. In fact, nose breathing is far more effective at increasing oxygen uptake in your blood, bumping it up by nearly 10% compared to mouth breathing. It also physically improves the recruitment of your diaphragm, your main breathing muscle, whereas mouth breathing actually reduces this essential movement.

A Calmer Mind and Sharper Focus 

Have you ever noticed brain fog when you have a cold? There is a physiological reason for that. Nasal congestion has been linked with fatigue, poorer daytime performance, and worse cognitive function.

Additionally, because the nasal passages are smaller than the mouth, they create a natural airway resistance. This resistance automatically slows down your breathing rate, which helps to regulate your nervous system and induce relaxation. Nasal breathing has also been shown to lower blood pressure!

Deeper Sleep, Hydration, and Development 

The benefits of nasal breathing don't stop when you go to bed. Proper nasal breathing contributes to deeper, more restful sleep because it can reduce the severity of snoring and sleep apnea. It also helps regulate your body's water balance. When you exhale through your nose, the nasal mucosa captures and recycles moisture, reducing water loss. Contrarily, when you breathe through your mouth all night, you cause your body to lose more water in the form of vapor. That is why waking up with a moist mouth is a great indicator that you successfully breathed through your nose during the night.

This is even critical from a young age. For children, the way they breathe can literally shape their face and I know this is incredible to believe as it was for me at first. However, from dental doctors and craniologists we now know mouth-breathing children are more likely to develop longer facial structures compared to those who breathe through their noses (at the same time swallowing and chewing patterns interfere as well with a healthy development) that can lead to lots of negative downstream effects such as dental problems, increased risk of sleep-disordered breathing and concentration problems.

In my 1:1 coaching and corporate sessions, I see every day how simply switching to nasal breathing can transform a person's focus, health, and performance. If you want to learn how to optimize your breathing beyond nasal breathing for your business, body, or athletic performance, feel free to reach out and book a discovery call with me.

Reference List

Leal, R.B., et al. (2021)

‘Association between mouth breathing and craniofacial disorders: a systematic review’,

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 143, 110631.

McKeown, P. (2024)

‘30 Functions of the nose’, Oxygen Advantage Instructor Materials.

McKeown, P. and Bryan, N. (2025)

Nitric Oxide: The hidden key to optimal health (podcast/interview)

Bartley, J. and Wong, C. (2013) ‘Nasal breathing, nitric oxide, and agitation’, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 106(5), pp. 165–166. doi: 10.1177/0141076813481006.