I haven’t tried using the turbine (or strips) since. It hasn’t seemed necessary. Maybe it’d get slightly more air, I don’t know. I had trouble getting the strips to stay in place which is why I switched to the turbine.
If I recall a podcast from awhile back mentioned something to the effect of the airflow rate to the lungs isn’t the limiting factor in getting oxygen to the muscles. If I did another ironman (or a really cold dry 40k TT I suppose) I’d consider it so that I could keep my mouth shut more of the time but that’s the only benefit I’d really expect.
As far as airflow improvements, my n=1 results are that I can breath through both nostrils evenly (they both function now as well as my good nostril did prior). My guess is that if you can tell a difference between them then that would be resolved and help with airflow. Also, the septum deviation was only one part of the surgery (I had the turbinates reduced as well as the sinus passages enlarged (on some of the sinuses, not all of them). Apart from breathing I used to get pretty bad sinus infections fairly frequently.
I used to use them when I weighed 60 pounds more than I do now and snoring was a real problem because of that. They did work for me, although part of my problem is due to a deviated septum, so the blockage is right there where the strips can help.
Can’t remember what episode but Chad dived into breathing and oxygen uptake and I think the take away was that we’re limited by our ability to absorb oxygen in our lungs regardless of how much air we have moving in and out. So I’d call bullshit on it doing anything.
cool. Just my own opinion which certainly isn’t scientific is that it’s making a difference to improve my sleeping, which should help my recovery. This is only personal because I have a broken nose so I would probably benefit from something that opened up my nose.
I would agree with the comment about the limiter being oxygen absorption.
I just want them for the bike. I have allergies and try to eat with a closed nose during an effort. I don’t mind breathing through my mouth, but when eating on the bike this is a big deal. Then this would really help. do you know a good brand that sticks even during sweating and blowing your nose?
Are there any better products than Turbine (inside) and Breathe Right (outside) now that we’re 5 years further on than this thread?
I used an internal dilator (Air Max) for the first time this weekend, and I don’t think I’ll ever ride (competitively at least) without one again. As others have said, clearly once you’re pushing on, breathing through the mouth takes over. The key benefit is in drinking/eating. Without some nasal aid, I feel like I’m suffocating every time I try to take a sip, with the Air Max in, things were MUCH better. Only catch with it is it was constanly slipping out, I must have nudged it back in 100 times (no exaggeration) in a 5hr event.
(I’m assuming that’s a problem Turbine doesn’t have.)
Will try both Turbine and Breathe Right strips next, unless anyone has other recommendations?
But the magnets are just stuck on to your nose with the same physical constraint (glue + skin that sweats) as a Breath Right strip aren’t they? I’d have guessed they fail in the same way…
When I first heard “magnets” I wondered if someone had come up with a glue-free option. Two little bits of steel, one inside each nostril, then a spring with a magnet on each end on the outside… I could see the potential of that, but I assume the risk of accidentally snorting a lump of steel into your sinuses would make it a non-starter
