Most runners think getting better means running more or training harder, but one of the biggest performance limiters is how you breathe. If your legs feel fine but you are gasping for air, that is not a fitness problem. It is a breathing efficiency problem. Your muscles can only work as well as the oxygen they receive.
Shallow, fast breathing makes running feel harder than it should by limiting how much oxygen gets into your lungs. Slowing your breathing and taking deeper breaths, especially when matched to your stride, helps keep oxygen levels higher and fatigue lower. Running with good posture and a relaxed upper body also gives your lungs more room to expand and makes each breath easier.
This is also why so many athletes have started using inhaler sticks like Vicks before training or competition. They are not using them for illness. They use them because menthol and peppermint based vapours create a sensation of clearer airways and easier airflow, which makes breathing feel smoother and less restricted during hard efforts. While these inhalers do not add oxygen, they can change how the brain and airways perceive airflow, which often makes athletes feel like they can breathe deeper and more comfortably when intensity rises.
Peppermint oil has become especially popular in this space because it delivers that same cooling, airway opening sensation but in a more natural and targeted way. Some research has even suggested that peppermint can influence breathing comfort and exercise performance by reducing airway resistance and improving perceived airflow. That is one of the reasons so many endurance athletes, runners, and team sport players now carry peppermint inhalers or sprays in their kit.
At Saikyō, this is exactly the principle behind our Respiratory Performance Formula. Athletes tell us that when they use it, breathing feels lighter and less restricted, which makes it easier to hold pace and recover between efforts. It is not about stimulation. It is about making each breath feel more open so your lungs can do their job more efficiently.
Running is not just about strong legs. It is about how efficiently you can fuel those legs with oxygen. Sometimes the biggest performance upgrade is simply learning how to breathe better and giving your airways the support they need.