At the beginning, at the sight of Iga Swiatek swinging in backhand and forehand training with his mouth covered with adhesive tape, a question arose: were we in a contemporary version of “hit the ball and shut up”? ? The triple winner of Roland-Garros not having the reputation of being a masochist without answering, it was necessary to seek an alternative track.
“It’s harder to breathe when you only breathe through your nose and my heart rate increases more easily. I think it has something to do with improving my stamina…”
Ahead of the Canada Open, the 22-year-old Polish gave a start of explanation: “It’s harder to breathe when you’re only breathing through your nose and my heart rate quickens more easily, you know? I think it has something to do with improving my stamina…” A follower of this work technique for some time, the world number 1 admits to relying on the instructions of a physical trainer who has her full confidence.
The Swiatek case would therefore be an extreme variant of the recommendation made by our PE teachers and other gym coaches to breathe in through the nose. In fact, our body is designed to breathe through it. The inspired air is thus warmed and humidified before it enters the lungs.
Another virtue: the hairs of the nose filter dust, allergens and other particles. Expert in well-being active on social networks, Jeffrey Boadi ensures that “nasal breathing allows an increased lactate threshold and limits ENT inflammation thanks to the reduction in the number of white blood cells”.
Such principles inform a recent practice called mouth tapping (or taped mouth, in French) consisting of sleeping with the mouth obstructed by an adhesive tape, a way of optimizing the nocturnal respiratory cycle.
Will Stuart, pillar of the England fifteenth, is a convinced fan of mouth tapping. (Franck Faugère/The Team)
Various actors in the world of sport are convinced followers, such as the pillar of the fifteen of England Will Stuart and the coach of the Boston Celtics Joe Mazzulla: “An NBA season is physically and emotionally demanding. We need to take care of ourselves and our sleep. »
The craze for mouth taping has gone viral on TikTok, where influencers promote the comfort of this or that oral tape without filter. This triggers the cries of alarm from medical specialists, who recall that this technique without scientific foundation cannot be harmless, especially in the event of sleep apnea or respiratory disorders.
Joe Mazzulla, coach of the Boston Celtics, sleeps with his mouth covered with adhesive tape to, according to him, “take care of (his) sleep”. (Jean-Louis Marty/Alamy Stock Photo)
For the time being, Trinidadian Kieron Pollard has not commented on the subject. In 2015, the cricket champion, star of the Indian League, had stuck a plaster on his mouth in reaction to the injunctions of a referee who accused him of vocally provoking an opponent.
