Breathe Better, Train Better

Think you’ve perfected your training routine? From sleep hacks to hydration strategies, elite athletes obsess over every detail, but one simple factor is often overlooked: how you breathe. Nasal breathing isn’t just a wellness trend, it can improve comfort, endurance and recovery, especially when paired with simple aids such as nasal strips. Whether you’re a runner, cyclist, or triathlete chasing marginal gains, understanding and optimising your breathing could be the game‑changer you’ve been missing.

Table of Contents

• The Breath You’re Missing

• Nasal Breathing vs Mouth Breathing: What the Science Says

• The Role of Nasal Strips for Athletes

• Integrating Tools Into Training

• Choose the Right Strips

• Conclusion: Breath as the Ultimate Performance Foundation

The Breath You’re Missing

• Elite athletes focus on every detail; sleep, hydration, nutrition and biomechanics, yet often overlook breathing mechanics.

• Proper nasal breathing can improve comfort, efficiency and endurance during training and competition.

• Lightweight tools like nasal strips can help make it easier.

• Developing a consistent breathing strategy can help athletes maximise training adaptations and reduce fatigue.

Nasal Breathing vs Mouth Breathing: What the Science Says

• Nasal breathing warms, filters, and humidifies air and increases nitric oxide (NO), which may enhance blood flow, oxygen delivery, and respiratory comfort¹.

• Mouth breathing bypasses the natural conditioning of air that the nose provides, which can make breathing feel more effortful during prolonged training².

• Studies find no clear advantage of nasal over mouth breathing for peak power output in short, high‑intensity tests, but nasal breathing may help perceived effort and recovery post‑exercise³.

• At submaximal intensities, nasal breathing can be more efficient, lowering respiratory rate and ventilation for the same work output, even if performance outcomes are mixed⁴.

• For athletes chasing marginal gains, improvements in breathing efficiency and comfort, even without large changes in measurable performance, can support training quality and endurance adaptatio⁵.

The Role of Nasal Strips for Athletes

• Nasal strips gently open the nasal passages by reducing nasal resistance, which can support easier airflow during exertion and rest⁶.

• Some research suggests nasal strips may help athletes maintain nasal breathing longer during exercise, improving subjective comfort and airflow perception⁷.

• Nasal strips are also used during rest or sleep to support recovery by making nasal breathing easier, which may contribute to greater comfort and perceived sleep quality⁸.

Integrating Tools Into Training

• Low to moderate intensity exercise → Wearing nasal strips can help maintain nasal breathing longer, which may improve perceived effort and comfort during endurance sessions⁴,⁷,⁹.

• High‑intensity sessions → mouth breathing is often inevitable at very high intensities, but nasal strips can still reduce the sensation of resistance and support a steady breathing rhythm²,³,⁷.

• Sleep and recovery → Consider strips during warm-up or cool-down to ease breathing and support recovery. minimise congestion and encourage deeper, more restful sleep, an underrated recovery tool¹,⁸.

Choose the Right Strips

• On The Nose and Switch nasal strips & mouth tape are a high-quality option designed specifically for athletes.

• On The Nose strips and tape are made with a hypoallergenic material making them suitable for those with sensitive skin.

• Secure adhesive ensures long-lasting use, staying in place for 8-12 hours during training, competition, or sleep.

• Product options for different needs:
  → Nose Strips or Sleep Mouth Tape 2 pack: Ideal for athletes using nasal strips regularly in training⁷,⁹.
  → Nose Strips & Sleep Mouth Tape Pack: Provides combined airway support for both rest and exercise, supporting comfort and nasal airflow⁷⁻⁹.

• Practical, not magical → Nose or mouth strips are not performance enhancers, but evidence shows they can reduce nasal resistance, support consistent nasal breathing and improve comfort during exercise and rest, helping athletes maintain airflow throughout training cycles.

Conclusion: Breath as the Ultimate Performance Foundation

While nasal strips aren’t a silver bullet, they are a simple, low-risk, drug-free tool that can help athletes focus on one of the most fundamental aspects of performance, how they breathe. By supporting comfortable nasal airflow during training and sleep, they may contribute to improved breathing efficiency, training comfort and recovery over time.

Choosing the right tools can make this easier. On The Nose and Switch nasal trips and mouth tape are high-quality options for athletes, making them suitable for both training sessions and overnight recovery.

Ash Miller
Dietitian and Nutritionist (Masters)
Bachelor of Physical and Health Education
Instagram: @ashthomo_nutrition

References

1. Kimberly B, Nejadnik B, Giraud GD, Holden WE. Nasal contribution to exhaled nitric oxide at rest and during breathholding in humans. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1996 Feb;153(2):829-36. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.153.2.8564139. PMID: 8564139.

2. Lörinczi F, Vanderka M, Lörincziová D, Kushkestani M, et al. Nose vs. mouth breathing– acute effect of different breathing regimens on muscular endurance. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2024;16:42. doi:10.1186/s13102-024-00840-6.

3. Lévénez, M.; Lévêque, C.; Lafère, C.; Guerrero, F.; Balestra, C.; Lafère, P. Effect of Oral Versus Nasal Breathing on Muscular Performance, Muscle Oxygenation, and Post-Exercise Recovery. Sports 2025, 13, 368. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13100368

4. LaComb CO, Tandy RD, Lee SP, Young JC, Navalta JW. Oral versus Nasal Breathing during Moderate to High Intensity Submaximal Aerobic Exercise. Int J Kinesiol Sports Sci. 2017;5(1):8–16. doi:10.7575/aiac.ijkss.v.5n.1p.8. 

5. Lévénez, M.; Lévêque, C.; Lafère, C.; Guerrero, F.; Balestra, C.; Lafère, P. Effect of Oral Versus Nasal Breathing on Muscular Performance, Muscle Oxygenation, and Post-Exercise Recovery. Sports 2025, 13, 368. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13100368

6. Wong LS, Johnson AT. Decrease of resistance to air flow with nasal strips as measured with the airflow perturbation device. Biomed Eng Online. 2004 Oct 22;3(1):38. doi: 10.1186/1475-925X-3-38. PMID: 15500689; PMCID: PMC529298.

7. Ottaviano G, Ermolao A, Nardello E, Muci F, Favero V, Zaccaria M, Favero L. Breathing parameters associated to two different external nasal dilator strips in endurance athletes. Auris Nasus Larynx. 2017 Dec;44(6):713-718. doi: 10.1016/j.anl.2017.01.006. Epub 2017 Jan 30. PMID: 28153693.

8. Schenkel EJ, Ciesla R, Shanga GM. Effects of nasal dilator strips on subjective measures of sleep in subjects with chronic nocturnal nasal congestion: a randomized, placebo‑controlled trial. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2018;14:34. doi:10.1186/s13223‑018‑0258‑5.

9. Wong LS, Johnson AT. Decrease of resistance to air flow with nasal strips as measured with the airflow perturbation device. Biomed Eng Online. 2004 Oct 22;3(1):38. doi: 10.1186/1475-925X-3-38. PMID: 15500689; PMCID: PMC529298.

Disclaimer:

The content in this blog is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always speak with your doctor or allied health team before changing your diet, exercise, or taking supplements, especially if you have a health condition or take medication. Please use this information as a guide only. Aid Station doesn't take responsibility for individual outcomes.