Charlie, I read in Speed Trap that Ben took a deep breath inward whilst being commanded to the ‘set’ position. When he exhaled and flicked the lead hand how many times did he/would he have breathed in and out? Would it have just been that one massive exhale or would it have been that exhale followed by more inhaling and exhaling? How important is it to inhale during the ‘set’ command and exhaling upon the ‘b’ of the bang? Does this make the start more explosive? I’m interested to know this because a training partner of mine doesn’t inhale/exhale at the start yet he is a very powerful,explosive and fast from the blocks. Finally does inhaling through the nostrils play any part in the breathing in a 100m race (start to finish) or is it just the mouth?
Charlie talks about Ben’s breathing a little more in depth in CFTS(http://www.charliefrancis.com/store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=15). Whether breathing was ever somthing Ben consciously did or not is another question. And how can it rehearsed so that it is effective is yet another quesiton.
I have always found it nice to take in a good breath on the set command and on the bang I start exhaing slow slow. I mean I get so much compression on my lungs that my breath wants to leave but I hold it and allow very slight release. Sometimes it comes with a very little sound all the way. But then it really nice. It just makes me feel perfect. And may be thats just for me. But then I don’t really worry my self about the rest of the race breath wise!!
Thanks Herb…I have the CFTS on ebook as well…I don’t think I’ve come to part on breathing yet! :o
I better get reading again 
Its interesting to hear other peoples views on breathing during sprints. Others have told me to hold my breath for the entire race! I’ve tried executing this in training and this tends to make me tighten up in the shoulders rather than stay relaxed and flow. While watching some footage that I have of Mo Greene, I see that he inhales on the ‘set’ command,exhales on the B of Bang then inhales and exhales 5 times while driving before coming up into his erect sprint position. Is this something that should be practiced? Or is this a way of telling yourself how far you’ve driven? It was also interesting to read about the movement of the arm that Charlie spoke about in Speed Trap in ‘Starts’. (‘splayed elbow’) I’m trying to picture what he means but unsucessfully! 
Is this action forced or is it relaxed? Would a good drill be to practice flicking the lead hand over the head while in a set position while breathing out? Questions…questions
Hello Jason,
The technique you are talking about relates to ins and outs also known as acceleration cone drills. CF honed this with Ben, Kevn O’Donnel and L Seagrave also use this technique and as you have correctly observed, J Smith teaches his athletes to do so. The read “Speed Trap” for a description of how to train this race strategy. Basically by holding your breath you intiate the valsalva maneouvre where you cause intra abdominal pressure to increase making the multifidi rigid along with the pelvic floor, you create a pillar along which you exert more force. When you hold your breath you are supposed to accelerate when you breath out you maintain, breath in accelerate breath out maintain. This is done over ten meter segments of ins and outs. If I remember correctly, I read that Ben said he “blew it out” at 30m meaning I assume his breath holding and his conscious intent to accelerate to top speed.
Heh Martin…So what you are saying is that during the 100m there is a ‘constant’ in and out breathing process? Or would you only do the in’s and out during the acceleration phase and hold breath from 40-100m?
Sounds to me like you do the in and out during acceleration to provide a better platform for force transmission, then during the rest of the race just stay relaxed and breathe normally. This is a very interesting topic, I had never really payed attention to this. So, when does one perform these breathing pattern in and outs, during acc. dev.? How many reps? At what intensities during each segment?
Always draw in a breath at the set command and hold it till the gun. At the gun, blow out slowly under pressure. This is called the valsalva manouver, which raises temporal blood pressure and allows more force to be delivered, just like with weight training. That breath will probably continue to be released over the first 20 to 30 meters,depending on the individual.
Charlie would I be correct in thinking that its NOT one quick blow out followed by another, Its actually one continous blow out done while driving to 30m? What would be the next thing you’d do? Would you then take another deep breath and hold this during the acceleration phase and release when u get to top end speed? It hard to see what Linford did but it actually looks like he held his breath for the whole of the race…this would explain the vasculary and eyeballs out look he had while running. Bernard Williams is another sprinter who also does this.
Jason Gardener seems to hold his breath, also. Does he close his eyes too? It looks like it sometimes…
One continuous blow slowly released under pressure.
Charlie,
Does this one continuous blow dictate how long you should drive for? What would be the pattern of breathing after this blow?
Not really, because most people have expended the air by about 30, but accel can continue for the top people for much longer. With Ben, and prob most others, there was a drop in accel between 30 and 40 during inspiration, then a rise during exhalation all the way to 70m, drop during inspiration 70 to 80, then a re-accel from 80 home, unless he shut down as in Seoul.
Charlie…So the recommended breathing pattern for the 100m is as follows:
In blocks: breathing lightly
On Set: Inhale - (how large a breath is this? Small or really suck in that air?)
On B of Bang: Exhale slowly - one continous blow out to around 20-25m.
30-40m: Inhale and hold?
40-70m: Exhale
70-80: Inhale
80-100: Hold inhaled breath through to the line.
Would you suggest practicing this during training sessions?
Am I correct in thinking that holding the breath causes more urgency with the arms? If so why is this?
Beyond the initial breath-hold on set and exhalation under pressure at the start, I wouldn’t set any pattern. It should be individual.