Testimonials

In March of last year (2024), I started my MTB season full of hope. I kicked off the season with a race in Germany, which unfortunately didn’t go as I had hoped. The start went well, but after about five minutes, I began to experience intense pain in the back of my head. I tried to keep going for another 15 minutes, hoping the pain would subside, but it didn’t. After just over 20 minutes, I had to abandon the race.

Since I had never experienced such intense headaches during a race, I immediately contacted my sports doctor. I also consulted a neurologist. Because I continued to suffer from severe headaches during races throughout March and April—even when taking painkillers before the start—I decided in early May to end my season and look for the root cause of the headaches.

Through my coach, I was referred to Filip Pyl. Filip explained to me that the headaches might be caused by breathing pattern disorder during races. Together, we began working on a series of breathing exercises to prevent this hyperventilation. Quite quickly, I began to notice changes in my breathing. I felt that my breathing became calmer at night in bed, and I also noticed that I could control my breathing better during stressful moments. I practiced breathing exercises on a daily basis. With the breath-hold exercises, I noticed that I was able to hold my breath for longer and longer. In the beginning, I also experienced tingling sensations throughout my body, but these gradually diminished over time. With the Powerbreathe, I was able to breathe with increasingly more power. At first, I sometimes felt a bit dizzy during the exercises, but that improved the more I practiced. During the on-bike exercises, I still experienced some headaches at the start of the intervals, but that also disappeared as I kept doing the exercises consistently.

Since everything indicated that my breathing was improving, I scheduled two road races at the end of August, both of which I was able to complete without any headaches. Before my first cyclocross race on September 16, 2024, I was still a bit worried that the headaches might return—but again, I had no issues during the race. Since working with Filip, I only experienced a headache once during a cyclocross race—on December 15. I believe the headache that day was mainly caused by stress, which led me to start breathing incorrectly again after the start. For races nowadays, I always make sure my breathing is calm and that I minimize stress in the days leading up to the event. For that, I primarily rely on the 5-5-5-5 box breathing technique. I’m very happy that I got to work with Filip, as he helped me perform again at a high level.

In the beginning, we were in contact almost daily so we could quickly adjust if needed. I never doubted Filip’s analysis and trusted his assessment that my headaches were caused by hyperventilation. I’m very grateful to him for his guidance.

Before starting respiratory physiotherapy, I had a lot of difficulty with my breathing, especially during physical exertion. It was a major challenge, and I often found myself panicking when I experienced breathing problems. This situation negatively affected not only my athletic performance but also my self-confidence. I didn’t really know how to deal with it and often felt insecure and stressed whenever my breathing wasn’t right.

That’s when I started respiratory physiotherapy. They taught me various techniques to better control my breathing. One of the most important things I learned is how to consciously direct my breathing and relax, even in difficult moments. By breathing in deeply, holding my breath for a moment, and exhaling in a controlled way, I can now prevent panic and keep my breathing under control. I also learned how to consciously relax my body, which helps me stay calm both during exertion and in stressful situations.

This progress has not only reduced my breathing issues but also helped me mentally. Where I used to feel stress and uncertainty, I now feel much calmer and more in control, which has significantly improved my performance as an athlete. The therapy has helped me grow not just as an athlete, but also as a person—becoming stronger and more confident. It was a long process, but the evolution I’ve gone through is clear, and I now feel much more balanced and prepared to deal with breathing challenges and visualizations.

As a cyclist, I struggled in recent years with health issues during the winter training period. I often got sick or focused too much on minor symptoms, which ironically made me fall ill. With Filip’s help, I started doing breathing exercises. Exercises with the Powerbreathe, ‘the BOX’ via an app on your phone, exercises with breath holds, etc. I didn’t always do the exercises correctly, but during the periods when I practiced them consistently and properly, I truly noticed a difference.

I sometimes had trouble with the Powerbreathe because my vocal cords would occasionally tighten or I would feel mucus in my throat. But after doing the exercises daily for a while, it got better, and you can gradually increase the resistance on the Powerbreathe, which makes you better and stronger. I find the ‘BOX’ exercise very calming, and it reduces the urge to gasp for air. You can go longer without oxygen, which is very beneficial for my sport.

By doing all these exercises, I felt that my endurance and breathing rhythm on the bike improved. It also helped me enhance my overall health. I get sick less often now and am fully convinced and motivated to continue maintaining these exercises properly. I believe that integrating these techniques into actual cycling training could be very beneficial as well, and I look forward to experimenting with that.