Allen, C., Brooks, K., & Brooks, W. (2009). Breathe Right® external nasal dilator strips as an ergogenic aid to exercise. ACSM 56th Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington. Presentation number 2546.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Breathe Right® external nasal dilator strip on exercise performance at 80% of an individual’s VO2max. Ss (N = 18) signed an informed consent, PAR-Q, additional questionnaire, and rated their ease of breathing through their nose on a 1 to 10 scale prior to testing. Ss' VO2max was measured on a treadmill ergometer. On two separate occasions, Ss returned to the laboratory for a treadmill run at 80% VO2max; once with the nasal dilator strip and once with a placebo. Heart rate, Borg’s Rating of Perceived Exertion, and time to exhaustion were measured.

A significant difference was found in the time to exhaustion between runs with the Breathe Right® strip vs. runs with the placebo strip. No significant difference in heart rate or rating of perceived exertion was found between the runs.

Implication. Breath Right® strips may have an ergogenic effect on aerobic exercise performance.

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