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Nasal splinting effects on breathing patterns and cardiorespiratory responses
T D Chinevere1, E W Faria, I E Faria
1Department of Health and Physical Education, California State University, Sacramento, USA. tckc@mail.inconnect.com
Journal of Sports Sciences
|July 15, 1999
Summary
Nasal splinting minimally impacts exercise breathing patterns and cardiorespiratory responses during nasal breathing, with no significant effects during oronasal breathing in healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Respiratory Physiology
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Breathing strategies significantly influence cardiorespiratory responses during exercise.
- Nasal breathing is often recommended for its physiological benefits, but its efficacy with external aids like nasal dilators is debated.
- Understanding the impact of nasal splinting across various breathing modes is crucial for optimizing athletic performance and respiratory comfort.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of nasal splinting (nasal dilators) on breathing patterns and cardiorespiratory responses during maximal exercise.
- To compare nasal breathing with and without a dilator against mouth and oronasal breathing strategies.
- To assess subjective dyspnea ratings in relation to different breathing conditions.
Main Methods:
- Ten healthy subjects completed five maximal treadmill tests under controlled breathing conditions: nasal, nasal + dilator, mouth, nose + mouth, and nose + mouth + dilator.
- Cardiorespiratory variables including maximal oxygen consumption, minute ventilation, carbon dioxide production, and heart rate were measured.
- Repeated-measures ANOVA and Tukey HSD were used for statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in maximal oxygen consumption, ventilatory parameters, or exercise duration across all breathing conditions.
- Nasal and nasal + dilator breathing resulted in significantly lower minute ventilation, ventilatory equivalent for oxygen, and breath frequency compared to mouth or oronasal breathing.
- Nasal breathing showed a significantly lower heart rate compared to all other breathing conditions.
Conclusions:
- Nasal splinting demonstrates minimal physiological effects on breathing patterns and cardiorespiratory responses during nasal breathing in healthy individuals during maximal exercise.
- The use of nasal dilators does not alter key performance metrics when combined with mouth or oronasal breathing.
- Nasal breathing, with or without a dilator, may offer benefits in terms of reduced cardiorespiratory load and potentially lower heart rate during intense exercise.