You always see professional athletes in other sports wearing the nose strips. Since they allow more air to be enhaled, I am curious why you never see triathletes wearing them? Even if you aren’t breathing at exhausted levels, the strips would still allow more oxygen into your system. Any comments?
Last I heard, they do nothing. They look cool with the eyeblack though.
Maybe I’ll wear eye black in my next race. Cuts down on the glare. Just in case I want to shag some flies when I’m out on the run.
I use them, they help keep my nostrils clear.
I always figured they were a gimmick with any “benefit” being due to the placebo effect more than anything else. I played varsity lacrosse with a dude who swore by them, but he was one fast-ass mofo and would have whipped any of us with cotton balls shoved up his nose.
I doubt if you’d still see that many pro baseball/football/whatever players with them these days.
Hunter Kempner comes to mind. Am I crazy or haven’t I seen him wear them?
Obviously none of you have deviated septums.
Very timely post. On an impulse I bought some 2 nights ago while filling my wife’s prescription at Walgreens. While I was waiting for it to get filled I had some time to kill. I bought the clear ones, went to bed and waited for my wife to notice. She didn’t! But I sure slept better.
A friend of mine was sponsored by them and he gave me a few to try. To mimic using them in a race, I swam with it. Don’t swim with them! The lowered resistance of the nasal passages with them caused me to suck water up my nose much easier. I had to meter my air intake to keep the nose water free. On the bike and run, I could breathe easier, but I don’t think it made any difference.
Removing them does a nice job of clearing the pores, though.
Actually,
I seem to remember Peter Reid wearing one in 2003 IMH where he had a well documented head cold… Maybe a little placebo effect for him… But then again, he did win that race.
Obviously none of you have deviated septums.
It’s entirely possible that there is a legitimate medical purpose for such a device, but for the general population I still believe that they are a matter of placebo - and possibly a mild intimidation factor over one’s opponents.
I use them, they help keep my nostrils clear.
That’s what god gave us index fingers for
From that I have read they do nothing. The amount of air that you can get into your body is never the limiting factor in endurance sports performance.
Fleck
Love the strips…i always have sinus issues, seems to keep em clear during long training and racing. Side effect fo me, the snot just flows down the face instead of having to do the farmers BLOW! But they work to keep me clear!
t~
I attended the American College of Sports Medicine Conference a few years ago and sat in on a talk that reviewed the Breath Right strips. The study showed no improvement in respiratory or cardiac function; to summarize, any ergogenic improvement gained by an athlete using them would have to be considered “placebo”. But if they make you feel better and breath better then what the heck.
Dave from VA
I guess I would say if you have no issues such as deviated septum, allergies, etc. then they are placebo. If you do have a problem. like me (Allergies, deviated septum), you can breath much easier. They also reduce snoring.
I would think that by far the bulk of the O2 you get while exercising is through your open mouth anyway. Opening your nose fractionally wider isn’t going to make a bit of difference except perhaps in comfort.
**You always see professional athletes in other sports wearing the nose strips. **
Now when you say, “always” what exactly do you mean?
I think the Bull might be wearing a brown one, if you look real close.
I’ve never given the strips much thought because I breathe through my mouth when exercising.
I’ve read they do nothing but…
Paula Radcliff wears them. She’s not too slow.
They have unlimited value…
But not for working out- for sleeping. I had a deviated septum and a slightly caved in nose. For a very long time, I couldn’t sleep very well because I couldn’t breathe. I also just assumed I was cardio deficient.
Last year, I had surgery. The doctor took cartilage out of my ear lobe and basically installed a permanent breathe right strip. He also fixed my deviated septum. I had to wear a nose cast for a week, but I was back on my bike 3 days after surgery.
Now, I am actually a better athlete, mostly because I can BREATHE regularly.
I think they work, but only if you didn’t breathe so great without them.
I can’t see how they help in performance. If your HR is up your more than likely breathing through your mouth or your a mans man.
I have used them to sleep better from time to time. I have broken my nose 5 times, mostly through sports and a couple from stupidity. They do help when your at your resting HR. Other wise any pro you see wearing them is a poser or has an endorsment.
Just my 2 cents,