Running with a Deviated Septum | Breathing Difficulty Overcome

Last updated on November 18th, 2022 at 04:33 pm

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For most runners, the main concern is limiting fatigue and muscle soreness from increased distances or speeds. But for those of us with a deviated septum, easy breathing and getting oxygen is difficult. In this post, we discuss the ins and outs of running with a deviated septum.

While we provide more information on deviated septum’s further below, here is the basic outline:

Having a deviated septum will not directly impact your running, as long as you can use your mouth for breathing.
Breathing with your mouth will provide a greater volume of oxygen and reduce any negative affects experienced when nostril breathing with a deviated septum.

Breathing through your mouth is a way to get around the problem, without fixing it. This is because it would require surgery to “fix” a deviated septum. We cover the surgery dilemma, how to breath through nostrils with a deviated septum, and more below.

What is a Deviated Septum

Simply put, a deviated septum is when the center-divider of your nostrils (called the nasal septum) is dramatically off-center. And as a result your left or right nostril may be constricted which prevents easy breathing and oxygen uptake.

While the nasal septum is supposed to be perfectly centered, 80% of people have some form of deviation. Less often, however, the nasal septum is off-center enough to dramatically impact airflow through the nostrils (Source: Harvard Health Publication).

Will a Deviated Septum Hurt my Running?

The real answer is yes, and no.

This isn’t the answer you want to hear. But there are so many variables that impact running performance that a cut-and-dry yes or no would be disingenuous.

The Actual Running is Manageable

Firstly, a deviated septum should not hurt your running performance. This would assume you have the ability to breath through your mouth on runs as well, of course.

If it’s difficult to breathe through your nostrils, focus on mouth breathing to bypass your deviated septum.

Sleep Issues May Cause the Biggest Impact

As stated above, the issues caused by a deviated septum during a run can be solved pretty simply.

Just breathe through your mouth and you will be fine. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work as easily when sleeping.

During sleep hours, our deviated septum’s may alter air intake. Sleep apnea, reduced oxygen uptake, and sleep disturbances in this way hurt athletic performance.

In fact, a deviated septum can be the root cause of sleep apnea, which can impact your oxygen uptake, blood pressure, rate of fatigue, and generally have a negative impact on pulmonary health (source: Harvard Health).

So, if your deviated septum is causing sleep issues your performance may be impacted.

Can a Deviated Septum Get Worse?

While everyone has different experiences it is not uncommon for nasal passageways to change over time. It is also possible that many with a deviated septum will never experience any symptoms at all (source: Cleveland Clinic)

As our bodies age so do our most intricate passageways, and our nostrils and nasal cavities are no exception.

Our nasal cavities will change over time, however, it is extremely unlikely any changes will happen quickly.

If you are experiencing any changes to your breathing passageways consult a physician immediately.

Is a Deviated Septum Worth Treating?

If you are a competitive runner you likely don’t want anything negatively impacting your splits. This goes for your own body as well.

That said, having a deviated septum doesn’t necessarily mean you are experiencing anything negative because of it.

While we recommend consulting a physician, it is unlikely your condition requires treatment. Especially if you aren’t experiencing any negative effects from your deviated septum.

Since treating a deviated septum successfully may require surgery, the risks of complication from surgery might not be worth taking.

Using Nasal Strips to Help During Runs

While wearing nasal strips may not improve your mile pace they have proven to improve aspects of your physiology that may help with your deviated septum. More specifically, nasal strips have shown to improve airflow and reduce nasal restriction (source: University of Illinois College of Medicine).

If you enjoy breathing through your nose when running it may be time to invest in a pack of nasal strips. I have tested these during runs, and can say that I felt they helped me breath easier. I also found they didn’t come off from my sweating, which was nice.

Keep Running Even with a Deviated Septum

You should definitely consult a physician if you have any worries about breathing. The health of your airways, or anything else related to your pulmonary functions are very important.

That said, if you are simply worried whether a deviated septum will negatively impact your running, it is very unlikely.

Simply put, breathing through your mouth is likely all you need to do to get over your deviated septum.

Regardless of mouth breathing on your run, we hope you find a way to continue hitting the trails.

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