During the preparations for the start of the tournament in Montreal, Iga Swiatek came out on the court with tape over her mouth. The Polish woman did the entire training session like this. Why does Iga Swiatek train with her mouth taped? We know the answer.
Iga Swiatek went to one of her training sessions in Montreal with her mouth taped shut and peeled off the tape only after the end of the exercise session. Why does she train with tape over her mouth? Journalists asked, Swiatek answered.
-To be honest, I don’t quite understand it. It has something to do with the capacity of my body and my lungs, but I’m not an expert to explain it well. I do what my team advises me – said Iga Swiatek in an interview with the media.
The tape on the mouth forces Swiatek to breathe through her nose. This, in turn, makes training more intense without having to run fast. This also helps Swiatek learn to breathe only through her nose while playing, which is crucial for her endurance, because the way we breathe has a significant impact on our well-being and performance. Katarzyna Straczy, a former tennis player, currently a tennis commentator and trainer, told TVN 24 about the specific advantages of this procedure for athletes.
-This method may not be so common, but it is known among athletes. The nose is able to filter out toxins, helps to balance oxygen and carbon dioxide, which results in better oxygen flow to the muscles, which is what we are all about. When it comes to endurance, there are different training methods. One thing is high-altitude – we go where there is a shortage of oxygen, although now it has been replaced with high-altitude training. A good example here is Novak Djokovic, who sleeps in a tent where there is a lack of oxygen, so the body gets used to such extreme conditions. Andy Murray uses measurements he can transfer to training, while Rafael Nadal plays a video of his match on the treadmill and adapts training to the match. So when there are breaks, he rests, and when he has to run fast, he runs – explained Straczy.
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