I experimented with nose breathing on my Z2 rides. I target a specific HR for these and had no problem keeping up with the breathing, but my power was down about 30W for the same HR.
It’s a stark difference so I’m wondering if that’s expected and does it matter? By that I mean should I train with an open mouth sometimes to push more power through my legs, or will I get same or greater benefit through the nose at lower power?
What aerobic adaptation/ benefit do you think you are getting from nose breathing?
Nose breathing doesn’t give you any direct benefit. It is used as a method of finding your endurance rpe. If you feel a need to breathe more than the nose allows, you’re going too hard for endurance rpe. If your HR is higher than otherwise, you’re probably going too hard for endurance rpe.
I was expecting some immediate benefits: faster recovery, reduced throat soreness, reduced loss of fluid.
Unsure about adaptations: strengthen diaphragm, but unconvinced this is super helpful.