Should you strip? Many athletes are doing it. But does it really improve performance?

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, March, 2004 by Neal Pire

Q I'VE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT THOSE NASAL DILATOR STRIPS YOU PLACE OVER YOUR NOSE. DO THEY DO ANYTHING TO IMPROVE YOUR WORKOUTS?

Kiera Clarke, Athens, Ohio

A Nasal dilator strips are plastic splints you tape across the bridge of your nose. They're now a common accessory worn by everyone from marathoners to pro football players when they train and compete, supposedly because these little Band-Aid-like strips expand your nostrils to open up your airway, making it easier for you to breathe. They certainly look cool--especially the ones that come in bright, snappy colors--but do they do anything?

Nasal strips were originally designed to reduce snoring. And indeed, some studies show that they do help cut down snoring--up to 75 percent in some cases--by diminishing the amount of resistance that air encounters when it enters your nose. They also seem to divert air from the mouth to the nose, at least for a short period, thus reducing mouth dryness. This is great news for people who have a tendency to saw logs--and the people who sleep with them.

Some experts also speculate that wearing a nasal strip might offer some advantages if you suffer from exercise-induced asthma. "The inability to breathe entirely through the nostrils forces mouth breathing, which leads to more rapid water loss and heat loss, both of which increase the likelihood of exercise-induced asthma," says Stephen G. Rice, MD, PhD, director of the Jersey Shore Sports Medicine Center in Neptune, N.J. "The more you can breathe through your nose, the less chance there is of encountering the risk factors for exercise-induced bronchospasm."

In other words, because it seems to delay mouth breathing for a short period and helps to keep your airway moist, wearing a nasal strip may delay the onset of an asthma attack. A few small research studies back up this statement.

But if you have no history of respiratory problems, wearing a nasal strip isn't likely to enhance athletic performance. A recent American College of Sports Medicine study found that people engaged in moderate-to-vigorous exercise switch from nose breathing to mouth breathing relatively early in their workouts. Once they do, nasal strips don't offer much, if any, advantage. Subjects were tested for oxygen consumption, work output and perceived exertion during both submaximal and maximal efforts. No significant differences were observed in any of the measured parameters between those who wore a strip and those who didn't. Numerous other studies back these findings.

--Neal Pire, CSCS