Is nasal breathing better for running? David 'Jacko' Jackson, former professional rugby player forced to retire in 2013 due to traumatic brain injury, recently ran up & down Mount Snowdon 6 times in 24 hours. He also ran a 216km Ultra Marathon, breathing just through his nose. In this episode of Runchatlive Podcast, he discusses how efficient functional breathing using the nose instead of the mouth can be key in not just recovery from brain injury but also improving athletic performance. With 316 appearances for Nottingham RFC, and 102 tries across a career of 13 years, David 'Jacko' Jackson was forced to retire in 2013 due to ‘TBI’ - Traumatic Brain Injury. Re–training as a Strength & Conditioning Coach, David co-founded the School of Calisthenics, became a Master Instructor with the Oxygen Advantage, and founded ProBreathwork.com. In this episode, originally recorded for the Sports Therapy Association Podcast, Jacko talks to us about his incredible journey.

Topics discussed (with time stamps):

• 0:00 Intro
• 4:30 Welcome David 'Jacko' Jackson
• 5:55 History of Jacko's concussions & eventual need to retire.
• 12:00 The lack of understanding in treatment of brain trauma
• 13:25 How breathwork can improve brain health
• 20:15 Many people don't understand the basics of breathing
• 23:18 Nasal breathing & the diaphragm
• 29:50 Free Course: 'Foundation of Breathing'
• 34:36 Difference between The Oxygen Advantage and The Wim Hof Method
• 38:00 Understanding the role of CO2 in breathing
• 45:40 Why does nasal breathing improve our sensitivity to CO2?
• 51:30 Not just about nose vs mouth
• 59:00 Running up Snowdon six times in 24 hours and 216km Ultra Marathon
• 1:05:00 How to Follow Jacko & details of courses
• 1:06:55 Rooted Life Website (Includes Lucy Williamson's Gut Health Course) & Details of October Retreat.

Useful Links

• Website: https://www.probreathwork.com/
• Free Course: 'Foundation of Breathing'
• Free Coiurse: 'Stress & Anxiety Management'
• Instagram: @jacko.david.jackson
• Twitter: @JackoHumanFlag
• YouTube: @jacko-breathwork
• The Oxygen Advantage Website
• Details of October Retreat

Our sincere thanks to David 'Jacko' Jackson for giving up his time to be a guest on the show! Want to join the live recordings? If you are a soft tissue therapist who works with runners, we recommend you check out the Sports Therapy Association Podcast (also hosted by Matt Phillips). It is recorded live every TUESDAY at 8pm on the Sports Therapy Association YOUTUBE CHANNEL. Everyone is welcome - you do not have to be an STA member. If you cannot join live, be sure to subscribe to the 'Sports Therapy Association Podcast' on all popular podcast apps to be notified when new episodes are available. Please Support Our Podcast! If you appreciate what we do on Runchatlive Podcast, please take a couple of minutes to leave us a rating & review on Apple Podcasts. It really does make all the difference in helping us reach out to a larger audience. iPhone users you can do this from your phone, Android users you will need to do it from iTunes. Questions? Email: matt@runchatlive.com