Breath-Right Strips and PT

[TacoDelRio]

Howdy guys,


I was curious if anyone here uses breath-right type nose strips during PT or any physically strenuous activities that are training-related? I just got some, as I have a pretty badly broken nose that I can't breath for crap out of, and I do lots of biking/climbing/running/jerking off, etc. p-)

Anyone have a better idea, or do these work, etc?

I hope this isn't an extraneous thread, so I apologize if it turns out that way.


Thanks

[Caper]

As a trainer I would reccommend using them if you have a particular tough PT session or if you have some sort of congestion.
Try not to get used to using them though because you can't always wear them when you are doing physical activity. You need your body to build up undurance in your different cardiovascular zones on its own. If you build endurance wearing those you wont be able to perform as well without them.
If your nose is so bad that it interferes with oxygen intake you should get it fixed. I have broken mine 5x and had to get surgery, so I know how you feel.
Concentrate on regulating your breathing during PT. When running pace out your breaths long deep and slow. When doing exercises breathe out on exertion and inhale evenly during the easy or eccentric part of the exercise. Giver

[HoboWithAK]

Breathe through your mouth? Not only will it never get congested, you can take in more volume, faster. When I run, I breathe through my mouth. Works for me.

[bluffcove]

In through your nose out through your mouth. It gets more oxygen to your brain. Breathe strips are great I use them for cycling where youcant open your lungs on roady bikes properly.

[dave81]

They start out great, but after about a minute or so they don't do jack for me. The sweat and skin oils start negating the adhesive.

[BadKarma26]

One of my guys uses those strips for PT. Then again hes like the least fit guy in the unit. Work out more and youre lungs will have greater capacity and efficiency. If youre sinuses are congested take a decongesting spray. You can buy them over the counter. Good luck!

[HoboWithAK]

In through your nose out through your mouth. It gets more oxygen to your brain. Breathe strips are great I use them for cycling where youcant open your lungs on roady bikes properly.

How do you figure?

[bluffcove]

Blood vessels in the nasal passage are the smae ones that go to your brain.

Im not sure of the science of it but I get breathless faster breathing through my mouth than my nose. though that might be to do with posture on a roady bike? Im not sure.

[Caper]

Oxygen has to go through the lungs before your body uses it. So it doesnt matter if it enters the nose or mouth

[Ratamacue]

Im not sure of the science of it but I get breathless faster breathing through my mouth than my nose.I have to agree with this. I think that more than anything else, though, the mistake that people make is not making their breaths long enough, and not using the full capacity of their lungs. I usually just force myself to get my breathing in a slow rhythm with my steps, and I can run alot faster and farther.

[bluffcove]

I agree ratamacue, I know my breathing pattern for different paces on my bike and can consciously change between them.
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to a point, at a certain point it goes to: wheeze like an athsmatic and turn red!

[HoboWithAK]

Blood vessels in the nasal passage are the smae ones that go to your brain.

Im not sure of the science of it but I get breathless faster breathing through my mouth than my nose. though that might be to do with posture on a roady bike? Im not sure.

The oxygen gets into your blood through your lungs. You start to hyperventilate when that happens, not holding the air in your lungs long enough for the o2 to be absorbed. Just slow your breathing down a tad. You'll still be taking in a greater volume over using your nose.

[bluffcove]

my chest is crushed by my hunched postion on my bike, I should have a longer top tube but I cant afford one so my elbows are closer to my hips than I would like when in the tuck, this is why breathing through my mouth makes me pant as I cannot fully expand my chest forcing me to take shallower breaths than Id like to. Breathing thorugh my nose uses more diaphragm and less intercostals from what I can work out and so the system suits me fine.

[TacoDelRio]

One of my guys uses those strips for PT. Then again hes like the least fit guy in the unit. Work out more and youre lungs will have greater capacity and efficiency. If youre sinuses are congested take a decongesting spray. You can buy them over the counter. Good luck!

Thanks. My cardiovascular system is in awesome shape. My leg muscles get tired before I'm ever "out of breath".

CAPER: I was told that I need to have surgery done on my nose. It's really f*cked up. I can rotate it and it clicks and crunches, it's pretty cool. I usually breathe through my mouth when I run/bike/whatever. What exactly do they do? Remove the broken pieces of cartilege?

Thanks for all the replies guys. I gotta wear one on my ride to work to see if that thing stays on.

[bluffcove]

your leg muscles tire when lactic acid builds in them, this is due to poor circulation largely and lack of oxygen fom your lungs, being breathless neednt be the first stage of oxygen defficiency.

If youve broken your nose you will either get it re broken and a tuning fork stuffed into each nostril to realign it, ir they will cut the septum and dig out the spare pieces of cartilage before doing the same thing!
You get brilliant black eyes its great!

The second time i broke my nose the cartilage fell out of my nostril into my hand. this means it cant be broken agains as there is no bone in my nose from my eyebrows down!

[TacoDelRio]

your leg muscles tire when lactic acid builds in them, this is due to poor circulation largely and lack of oxygen fom your lungs, being breathless neednt be the first stage of oxygen defficiency.

If youve broken your nose you will either get it re broken and a tuning fork stuffed into each nostril to realign it, ir they will cut the septum and dig out the spare pieces of cartilage before doing the same thing!
You get brilliant black eyes its great!

The second time i broke my nose the cartilage fell out of my nostril into my hand. this means it cant be broken agains as there is no bone in my nose from my eyebrows down!


HAHAHA! Sucks!

On dry days, a sharp piece of cartilege can be seen stabbing through my nostril into my nose. Gotta love it.

About legs: I'm still getting used to bicycling, as I haven't done it since I was a kid. I ride 10 miles per day, 5 to and 5 from work. I'm still getting used to it, as it uses different muscles than running and all that.

[bluffcove]

Use a lower gear to improve your cardio vascular, if you do it in a gym its called "spinning" its attended by midlife crises women. do it on the road and you dont have to breathe other peoples stale sweat!

get in a low gear like you would for hills and pump like feck, its low resistance you get nowhere and your heart and breath rates will skyrocket, but you'll love it when the endorphins get in.

about your nose, Take up a violent sport and get that bit of cartilage knocked back into line!

[Caper]

There are 3 systems the cardiovascular system uses

1. Aerobic (enough oxygen that the body can operate on it)
2. Threshold (when the body uses glucose due to not enough Oxy. and creates waste products such as lactic acid and sweat)
3. Creatine Phosphate system
ex:
1.walking
2.cycling or running
3.being chased by the police or weight lifting

The trick is to know what zone you are in and know when to pace yourself at the rate just before you go into the next zone and start to fail. For distance biking I like to be in mid range #2 so that I dont have too high of a lactic acid build up, but am sweating pretty good.
As far as bike positioning try and keep your shoulderblades down and back away from your ears and your belly button close to your spine, it will keep you from breathing with your stomach.

As far as the nose I guess it depends on the situation. My doc offered to do it in his office right after it happened once and I said hell no, put me under. The best part is the 6 metres of packing in your sinuses after. You will look like a hard ass with the 2 black eyes though. I bet the ladies love the tricks you can do with it.

[Caper]

if you do it in a gym its called "spinning" its attended by midlife crises women.

Not at all, I teach a spinning class and there are Ironman atheletes, hockey players, and competitive cyclists.

[bluffcove]

not a nose - a labia plough

[TacoDelRio]

Thanks for the info!

CAPER: If I get it done (need med. insurance first), I'll just tell them I fought off a bear. ;)

I'm sorta training for adventure racing (sorta like Ironman), so the info is appreciated.

BLUFFCOVE: Sounds like a plan. Sometimes when I hit a hill, and my bicycling muscles don't work any good (too steep), I usually carry the bike on my back and run. That does about the same thing. :)

[bluffcove]

change to your very lowest gear. Like caper says its spinning its excellent training, its tiring but then that is the point.

[TacoDelRio]

I'll do that tomorrow up the hill to work. And I hope I remember to wear the goddamn breath right strip this time.

[scm77]

I used them sometimes for playing football. You've got a mouthguard in so you can't breathe through your mouth (well).

A bit of an improvement compared to breathing through my nose without one on.

[boulderbum]

I was interested in this nose-breathing debate, so I googled it. There's actually some interesting stuff about it.

""Protruding into the nasal cavity are three turbinate, or nasal conchae bones. These three scroll-like bones (superior, middle, and inferior concha) divide the large nasal cavity in three narrow passageways. The turbinates increase the surface area of the nasal cavity causing turbulence in the flowing air. This causes the air to move in various directions before exiting the nasal cavity. As it moves through the nasal cavity, air is being filtered of dust and dirt particles by the mucous membranes lining the conchal and nasal cavity. The air is also moistened by the mucus and by blood vessels which supply the nasal cavity ... by the time air reaches the lungs, it has been warmed, moistened, and filtered." (Scott and Fong, Body Structures and Functions 9th ed., 1997)"

"Author(s): Godfrey, Richard.
Title: The nose and the lower airways.
Source: Lancet (North American edition) v. 343 (Apr. 23 '94) p. 991-2

Abstract: "The role of the nose and lower airways in respiration is examined. The nose can increase the temperature of inspired air by as much as 25(degree)C between external nares and nasopharynx; this is because of
the nose's rich blood supply with plentiful arteriovenous anastomoses. The lower airways are poor at warming and humidifying air in comparison with the nose, and bronchoconstriction may result from the temporary development of hyperosmolarity in their walls...""

http://messageboards.active.com/jive/thread.jspa?threadID=1014&messageID=9359

[TacoDelRio]

Interesting read. So breath through your nose when it's cold then eh? ;)

Wore a breathright strip today on the ride to work. I guess it made a difference because I was able to breathe out of my nose for once. If it stays on all day, I'll find out on the ride home, which involves more uphill riding.

[Royal]

Get youself referred to a good ENT surgeon.

[Caper]

Get youself referred to a good ENT surgeon.

X2 Then take it from there

[TacoDelRio]

Ah, ENT = Ear Nose Throat

Or I could have someone smack me in the face hard enough to split it open and then just scrape the parts out. :)

Hopefully I can dig up some medical insurance....

[scrybe]

"Honey I need you to hit me."
"What?!"
"In the nose. Just once, but hard."
"What are you talking about!? I'm not going to hit you!"
"Either you hit me right now or the trip to your mother's house next month is off!"

[James]

Sometimes I wear those nose things at night. M'lady says it cuts down on me snoring.

[TacoDelRio]

I woke up with mine stuck to my asscheek.

I've since stopped using them during slumber. :)