Body & Senses
Why do we breathe faster when running?
Puschel needs a break after running. The Wusels explore breathing and working muscles.
The short answer
Running makes your muscles work harder and need more oxygen from the air. You usually breathe faster and deeper as a result. Oxygen passes through the lungs into the blood, which carries it to the muscles.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Puschel stops at the bench after running and notices his quick breaths. Flauschi sits beside him; they do not turn counting into a competition. After resting, Puschel compares: his breathing is calmer again. Next time he plans a break into the game.
Try explaining it
Why does breathing usually speed up when you run?
Choose a), b) or c), then explain your choice.
- a)The working muscles need more oxygen.
- b)During running the muscles replace oxygen with movement itself.
- c)Faster breathing keeps oxygen in the lungs instead of passing it into the blood.
Show the explanation
Correct: a): The working muscles need more oxygen.
Running makes your muscles work harder and need more oxygen from the air. You usually breathe faster and deeper as a result. Oxygen passes through the lungs into the blood, which carries it to the muscles.
Word help
- oxygen
- A gas in air that our bodies take in through breathing and need for their work.
- carbon dioxide
- A gas produced, among other ways, by working body cells and breathed out.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Understand step by step
How it works – simply explained
Muscles work harder
Running muscles need more energy. The body needs more oxygen to help supply it and produces more carbon dioxide.
Lungs and heart help
Breathing often becomes faster and deeper, exchanging more air. Blood delivers oxygen to muscles and carries carbon dioxide away.
You may slow down
Rest reduces the workload and breathing usually calms. Timing differs. Tell an adult immediately about unusual breathing difficulty.
References for this explanation: [1]
The key points again
Discovery 1
Working muscles need more oxygen during activity.
Source: [1]
Discovery 2
Breathing usually becomes faster and deeper. The lungs bring oxygen into the blood and release carbon dioxide.
Source: [1]
Discovery 3
Breathing rates vary with activity and the person. You may pause at any time.
Source: [1]