Depends on which way you need to go. If you are flat, a few bellows breaths (seated, on dry land) bring you up. If you are over-revved, which is more common, exhale-weighted breathing brings you down to the band where fine motor skill lives. The line before the lift is the same in sport and esports: one long exhale, attention low, then go.
The steps
- Soundcheck first. Know which direction you need.
- Over-revved: six breaths a minute for three minutes, then one physiological sigh.
- Flat: thirty seconds of bellows breath, seated, then stop and notice the release. Never near water.
- Last thirty seconds before the start: one long exhale, attention low in the belly, let the bracing drop.
- In the pause between points, plays or rounds: one long exhale, eyes far.
- After: three slow exhales before you look at the score or the chat.
When not to, and when to get help instead
Bellows breath is one of two places in the book with a skip list: not for anyone pregnant, with uncontrolled blood pressure, heart conditions, panic disorder or eye conditions, and never near water, which for swimmers means never on the pool deck either. No hyperventilation before any breath-hold event, ever; that is how fit people drown.
What the research says
The tactical-breathing comparison found prolonged exhalation produced better task performance under pressure than box breathing. HRV biofeedback trials show some of their larger effects on athletic performance. A 2026 trial in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise tested structured breathwork on heart-rate recovery after maximal exercise. Slow breathing after exertion speeds parasympathetic recovery in several small studies.
Other methods people use
Box breathing is popular with shooters and archers for the still moment. Pre-performance routines of any kind have solid sport-psychology evidence. Fast breathing before a sprint is common and mostly harmless on a track; before water it is lethal.
Questions people also ask
Is hyperventilating before a race a good idea?
On land it is a short sympathetic boost that fades fast. In or near water it suppresses the urge to breathe and causes shallow-water blackout. Never before swimming or diving.
What breathing is best between points or rounds?
One long exhale with the eyes on something far. It resets arousal and vision together, which is what you need in the next five seconds.
In the book
Techniques
Rooms
Two rules, no exceptions
Never practice any technique on this site while you are driving, operating machinery, or doing anything that needs your full attention. The slow ones can make you drowsy, faster than you’d expect. And never practice a breath-hold, bellows breath, or any vigorous breathing in or near water. Read Before you begin for the doctor’s list and the rest.
More in “Before you perform”
- How do I breathe before public speaking?
- What helps stage fright in the minute before you go on?
- How do singers breathe to stay calm before a take or a show?
- How should I breathe before a job interview?
Written by Eric Bradley. Last reviewed October 2026. One performer’s craft, offered for general information; not medical advice, mental health treatment, or a substitute for care.