More and More People Are Working Out in Nasal Strips. Doctors Think This May Be Why.

from Women's Health

Nasal strips aren’t just for sleeping anymore. Several athletes, like Madison Keys, several soccer players, and even Hyrox participants have started wearing these strips from brands like Breathe Right, Strippy, Gale, Dream Recovery, and Intake. They supposedly improve airflow to better your workout performance—but do they really work?

In theory, it seems possible. When you breathe through the nose, air flows through your nasal passageways and nasal valve (the curved and most narrow part at the top of the nose), says Gregory Levitin, MD, an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at Mount Sinai hospitals and the founder and medical director of OpenSinus Ear, Nose & Throat in New York.

Nasal strips are typically a bent or flexible adhesive piece of plastic or metal that sits just above the nasal valve to open up the nasal passages by lightly pulling either side of the nose outward. When you place the adhesive just above the nasal valve, the strip lifts the cartilage up and away from the center of the nose, says Dr. Levitin. “You're giving yourself a few more millimeters of space that can suspend the cartilage and keep the nasal passageways open,” he adds, which can “translate to an exponential increase of airflow.”

When it comes to workouts, nasal strips can definitely be beneficial. “It’s a time of increased need for oxygenation of tissues in the body,” says Dr. Payne. When you put on a nasal strip, your airways open further, making way for more oxygen to get to the organs in need, like the lungs, heart, and muscles.

Whether you’re an everyday exerciser or ultra-marathoner, nasal strips can be used by anyone; although if you don’t already have breathing issues, there’s no need to spend the money on an unnecessary gadget. Still, it’s not going to hurt your workout performance either if you really want to give it a try.

Nasal strips can be especially helpful for those who “feel they do not get an adequate breath” or notice that their nose pinches when they inhale through the nose, making it harder to breathe, says Erich P. Voigt, MD, a clinical professor and director of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center.