Description

SQUEEZIENESS-RATING > SOFT

Best option for day wear, “on-the-playing-field” sports use, aerobic exercise, yoga, or moderate nighttime nasal airway obstructions:

increase oxygen uptake through nasal breathing optimization
relieve nasal breathing issues that restrict daily activities, exercise, top sports performance or sleep
relieve chronic nasal stuffiness
alleviate deviated septum that restricts daily activities or sleep
minimize airway restrictions of nasal allergies, colds and sinus infections that keep you on the “sidelines”
reduce exercise induced-asthma by maximizing nasal breathing
use in combination with sports mouth-guards so that you can breathe without sacrificing protection

Clinically shown to increase VO2 Peak by 8.2% in 62% of college varsity athletes who have no complaint of nasal airway restrictions.**

Clinical Research
Max-Air Nose Cones® & VO2 MAX Exercise Performance
Investigational studies in breathing performance enhancement in the Human Performance Laboratory of Springfield College

S. A. E. Headley, B. A. Thompson, T. Black, T. Matthews

ABSTRACT
Background: The best measure of cardiorespiratory endurance and aerobic fitness is generally considered to be VO2 MAX, or the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. It is computed as “milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight”. In theory, the greater the VO2 MAX during maximal exercise the more adenosine triphosphate energy is produced for endurance muscle performance. VO2 reaches a “maximum” level in a linear relationship with increasing exercise intensity, and it then plateaus, even if the exercise intensity continues to increase. Exercising to, or beyond, VO2 MAX requires exceptional effort and can only be sustained for a brief period of time. Although genetics and body size impact VO2 MAX, extensive research has shown that aerobic training can increase VO2 MAX. Athletes choosing to maximize their aerobic or cardiovascular conditioning, in order to push beyond performance-limiting pain points, undertake extensive training to increase their VO2 MAX. Training methods for improving VO2 MAX abound. However, there is little published research that considers if improving nasal airflow in athletes can increase VO2 MAX. During the past two years, two preliminary investigational clinical studies to test the effect of a new breathing enhancement device, MAX-AIR NOSE CONES® SPORT, on VO2 MAX were conducted in the Human Performance Laboratory at Springfield College.

Methods: Utilizing the BRUCE protocol to determine VO2 MAX in STUDY I, 10 male college students (age 22 ± 3.1 yrs., BMI 28.3 ± 6.1 kg/m2) were tested to determine if any improvement in VO2 MAX was possible using a device with no additional training or conditioning. In STUDY II, 27 Division III varsity athletes (age 19.5 ± 1.2 yrs., BMI 26.1 ±2.7 kg/m2), whose VO2 MAX, in theory, should be more difficult to affect, were tested. The athletes who participated were current members of the Springfield College Varsity Football, Track & Field, Baseball, Basketball and Lacrosse teams. Study subjects had no reported complaint of nasal breathing difficulties. They were given a preliminary session in which they were fitted with the appropriately sized NOSE CONES® and practiced wearing them during exercise. Prior to exercise testing, resting peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) rates were assessed by the In-Check Nasal flow meter, with and without the NOSE CONES®. Subjects then completed two VO2 MAX tests, in random, counterbalanced order, using a calibrated computerized metabolic system (Max II, Physiodyne, Quogue, NY). One session was completed while wearing the NOSE CONES® (NC) and the other was completed without, the control (C).

Results: The results of STUDY I were positive and demonstrated in a small subject group that the MAX-AIR NOSE CONES® SPORT device may improve VO2 MAX. A second larger study, STUDY II, was undertaken to further test the device in an athletic sample. In STUDY II, 63% of the athletes showed improvement (8.2%) in VO2 MAX scores while wearing the NOSE CONES®, and the total group showed an improvement of 2.8% (59.6 ± 8.0 NC vs, 58.7 ± 10.3 C). The PNIF (L/min) of the 63% of the participants in STUDY II who showed improvement in their VO2 MAX score was also significantly higher by 14.5% , and the total group showed an improvement of 11.7%, while wearing the NOSE CONES® (180.4 ± 56.7 NC vs 161.5 ± 50.7 C) p < 0.05. Additional pulmonary ventilatory performance scores recorded during STUDY II testing sessions indicated higher pulmonary ventilation performance when the participants wore the nose cones, as well.

Conclusions: Based upon these preliminary investigational studies, approximately 63% of the athletes without preexisting nasal complaints wearing the MAX-AIR NOSE CONES®SPORT experienced improvement (8.2%) in their VO2 MAX, or their ability to use oxygen during peak exercise, without additional training or conditioning. Our results from these two preliminary studies may indicate that the use of MAX-AIR NOSE CONES® SPORT may lead to improved performances in activities that are dependent upon the oxygen transport system. Further studies are warranted to substantiate these preliminary findings.