Mouth Breathing in Teen Athletes: When It's Worth a Look

The Open Mouth at the Finish Line, and the One at the Dinner Table

It's the middle of fall sports season. Your teen crosses the line at a cross country meet, mouth wide open and gulping air, and that looks exactly like every other runner in the chute. Then, later that night, you notice the same open mouth while they scroll on the couch, and again when you check on them asleep. That's when parents start searching for answers about mouth breathing in teen athletes.

Here's the short version: breathing through the mouth during a hard effort is normal. What's worth a closer look is a teen whose mouth is open at rest, in class, and through the night, especially alongside snoring, congestion, daytime tiredness, or slow recovery between practices.

At Austin Sleep & Airway Health, Dr. Culotta evaluates breathing, sleep, and airway patterns in teens. This guide covers what's normal during sports, which patterns are worth noticing, what to track this season, and when an evaluation makes sense.

Why Does My Teen Breathe Through Their Mouth When Running?

Because their body is asking for more air than the nose alone can comfortably move. The nose filters, warms, and humidifies air, but it also adds resistance. As effort climbs, research on healthy adults has found that people shift from nose-only breathing to breathing through both the nose and mouth, at a point that varies from person to person.

A small 2025 study in PLOS ONE found that breathing only through the nose limited peak performance during maximal exercise testing, while it had only minor effects at easier efforts. In other words, the open mouth during a final sprint, a two-minute drill, or a long volleyball rally is the body doing its job.

So Is Nose Breathing Better for Young Athletes?

During warmups, easy runs, and recovery, many coaches encourage nose breathing, and there are reasonable physiological reasons for that. During all-out efforts, though, mouth breathing is expected. We don't give training prescriptions; your teen's coach and pediatrician are the right people for that. Our interest is what happens when the workout ends.

When Mouth Breathing in Teen Athletes Is Worth a Closer Look

The pattern that matters is mouth breathing that continues after the effort is over. A teen who can breathe comfortably through the nose while sitting, reading, or sleeping is usually fine. A teen who can't, or who defaults to an open mouth all day, may have something making nasal breathing harder.

Common reasons include nasal congestion from allergies or colds, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, a deviated septum, or swollen tissue inside the nose. Tongue posture and oral habits can play a part too. Research published in Scientific Reports in 2024 found that adolescents who mouth breathe tended to have lower lip-closing force and tongue pressure than nasal breathers. A 2011 study in Jornal de Pediatria found that mouth-breathing children and adolescents had more nasal obstruction, allergic rhinitis, and postural differences than nose breathers.

Signs Worth Noticing

• Mouth open at rest during class, homework, screen time, or car rides
• Snoring, noisy breathing, or restless sleep most nights
• Waking with a dry mouth or sore throat
• Frequent stuffiness, especially during Central Texas allergy seasons
• Daytime tiredness that sleep and rest days don't seem to fix
• Slower recovery between practices than teammates on the same schedule

None of these confirms anything on its own. Together, they're worth mentioning to your pediatrician and worth a look. Our post on sleep and athletic recovery explains why the overnight hours matter so much for a busy athlete.

Can Mouth Breathing Affect Sleep and Recovery?

It can be part of the picture. A teen who breathes through the mouth at night may snore or sleep less soundly, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that clinicians ask whether children and adolescents snore at routine checkups. The AAP guideline notes that broken-up sleep from breathing problems may contribute to daytime sleepiness in older children and adolescents.

That doesn't mean a mouth-breathing athlete has a sleep disorder. Early practices, late homework, and growth can all wear a teen out. If your teen is tired no matter how much they sleep, our guide on why a teenager is always tired walks through the common causes. Only a physician can diagnose sleep apnea, through a sleep study, and we can help coordinate that step when it's appropriate.

Mouth Breathing, Allergies, and Breathing Trouble During Exercise

For athletes with allergies or asthma, how they breathe during exercise can matter. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology explains that the nose warms and humidifies air, and that breathing more through the mouth during demanding activity lets cooler, drier air reach the lower airways. That can be a trigger for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in people who are prone to it.

The research here is nuanced. A 2016 study in children with allergic asthma and rhinitis found that the effect of mouth breathing on lung function after running varied with how congested the children usually were. Nemours also points out that breathing trouble during sports isn't always asthma; some high-performing teens have vocal cord dysfunction instead.

If your teen wheezes, coughs, feels chest or throat tightness, or struggles to catch their breath during sports, start with their pediatrician or an allergist. We're glad to work alongside that care.

What You Can Track This Season

A few weeks of simple notes can make an evaluation far more useful. Try to notice:

At rest. Check a few times a day whether your teen's lips are together while reading, gaming, or riding in the car. A quick photo or two can help.

At night. Record 30 to 60 seconds of audio or video while they sleep, a few nights apart. Note snoring, pauses, gasps, or an open mouth.

Mornings and energy. Jot down dry mouth, headaches, or how hard it is to wake up, plus any dozing in class.

Nose and allergies. Track stuffy days, colds, and allergy flare-ups, and whether they line up with tougher practices.

Recovery. Note how your teen feels the day after hard workouts, compared with what their coach expects.

If the tonsils or adenoids have ever been mentioned, our post on enlarged tonsils and adenoids in kids explains how they can affect breathing. Many patterns that show up in teens started in childhood, which we cover in why a child sleeps with their mouth open.

How Austin Sleep & Airway Health Helps With Mouth Breathing in Teens

Dr. Culotta's airway-focused exam looks at nasal versus mouth breathing, tongue mobility and resting posture, oral ties, palate width, bite, jaw joints, tonsil size, and signs of clenching or grinding, along with a detailed sleep and health history. She brings over a decade of experience as a family dentist and lactation counselor focused on myofunctional health.

When it's helpful, our in-house 3D CBCT airway imaging gives a low-dose, roughly 45-second snapshot of airway shape and volume, nasal passages, tonsils, adenoids, and jaw position. It's an awake, upright view, not a sleep study, and it doesn't diagnose sleep apnea.

Often the most useful outcome is a clear plan and the right referral. We collaborate with pediatricians, ENTs, sleep physicians, orthodontists, and myofunctional therapists. Independent therapists work on-site in our Myofunctional Collaborative Space, and your teen can also work with an outside therapist. As Dr. Culotta says, "Positive change is possible at any age. Awareness is the first step."

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal for athletes to breathe through their mouth during exercise?

Yes, switching to mouth breathing during hard efforts is a normal response to the body needing more air than the nose alone can move. The pattern worth noticing is an open mouth at rest and during sleep.

Is nose breathing better for teen athletes?

Nose breathing filters, warms, and humidifies air, so many coaches encourage it during easier efforts and recovery. During maximal efforts, research suggests nose-only breathing can limit performance, so mouth breathing then is expected.

Should my teen athlete try mouth taping at night?

We don't recommend mouth taping for kids or teens, especially without an evaluation, because congestion or an airway concern may be part of the picture. Our post on mouth taping for sleep explains why we'd look at the cause first.

Can a teenager learn to breathe through their nose?

Many teens can build better nasal breathing habits, but it helps to first understand why the mouth is open, whether that's congestion, tonsils, or tongue posture. Our guide comparing mewing and myofunctional therapy covers the difference between online trends and guided therapy.

Does mouth breathing at night affect athletic performance?

Mouth breathing at night may be linked with snoring and less restful sleep, which can affect how rested a teen feels. Sleep supports recovery, so nighttime breathing is worth tracking alongside training.

Where can my teen get a mouth breathing evaluation in Austin?

Your teen can be evaluated at Austin Sleep & Airway Health in Austin's Mueller neighborhood, at 1701 Simond Ave, Suite 107A. You can call (512) 900-9715 or email hello@austinsleephealth.com to ask questions.

A Calm Next Step for Your Athlete

If your teen's mouth is open well after the whistle blows, you don't have to guess what it means. Start with our free educational sleep and airway screening for ages 13 to 18, then bring your notes, photos, and recordings to a consultation so Dr. Culotta can look at the whole picture with you and your teen's care team.