The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcarazthird in the ATP ranking, emerged victorious from their match last Wednesday against Andrey Rublev despite dragging a strong cold. The Murcian jumped onto the center court of the Inalpi Arena in Turin with a left nasalreturning to using a remedy that already became fashionable, at the end of the 90s, many athletes like the athlete Abel Anton or the footballers Cristiano Ronaldo o Neymar.
These flexible strips, which promised dilate the nasal passagesincreasing the valve area and improving oxygenation, were easily detached and the results were questionable, so they stopped being used.
The results of a study, carried out in 1998 by researchers at the University of Buffalo with professional athletes, were not very positive.
The researchers, led by Professor of Exercise Sciences, Dr. Frank Cernyafter measuring air flow, nasal ventilation and nasal resistance to the passage of air, they concluded that the plasters could facilitate the entry of air into the nasal passages in exercises of low and moderate intensitybut they did not increase performance in high-intensity sports activities.
Along these lines, doctors in Physical Education, Alfonso Blanco Nespereira e Ignacio Polo Martínez, confirmed this conclusion in the study Influence of nasal band aids on sport performance published in 2003 in the magazine Notes Physical Education and Sports.
The results of the research analyzed indicated that “the use of the nasal plaster does not represent improvements at the level of oxygen consumption, ventilation, carbon dioxide production and the rate of perceived effort during sports activity” and added: “Only at the level of the anaerobic threshold and recovery speed After the effort it seems that the athlete can benefit from the use of the band-aid. Regarding heart rate and respiratory resistance, the results obtained are disparate: sometimes favorable and other times calling into question the benefits of its use.
The experts conclude that “fundamentally, the nasal plaster can promote nasal breathing in low-intensity efforts, where one only breathes through the nose, in people with effort-induced asthma, and in dusty environments.”
Why does Alcaraz use them?
The plastic surgeon, the Dr. Eduardo Simon, explains that beyond the entry of more or less oxygen to the body, the placebo effect can considerably influence sports performance: «When an athlete believes that a product has benefits, his mind can optimize certain abilities, such as resistance and perception of effort. This can lead to a reduction in stress and anxiety; improve concentration and increase motivation,” says the surgeon.
