Breathe Easy with Rhinomed’s Turbine
Like tattoos and flat brimmed caps, it’s not uncommon to see some nose rings here at Interbike. But walking around at Dirt Demo, there seemed to be an inordinate number of yellow hoops hanging out of attendees' noses. Closer inspection revealed they were Rhinomed’s Turbine Sports Breathing Technology. The nasal dilator is Rhinomed’s answer to the nasal strips some riders wear; of course, company representatives say their option works far better.
Chris Froome endorses the Turbine, saying, “Less energy and distraction with breathing means I can use more energy in other important parts of my riding, like focusing on power, cadence, and keeping my head in the game.” He practices what he preaches, too: It wasn’t hard to spot the maillot jaune-colored “septum ring” in the 2015 Tour de France winner’s nostrils throughout the race.
The company claims the Turbine increases airflow through the nose by an average of nearly 38 percent, as reported in an independent 2003 study of an early prototype device. Of course, that also means you expel more CO2 with every exhale as well. Though it can’t yet show that this increased airflow equals faster ride and race times (that study is currently underway), it’s not a hard jump to make.
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“Even when you’re going hard and breathing through your mouth, you’ll still get significantly more air in through your nose, which is filtered and humidified and improves overall lung performance,” says Rhinomed’s sports medical advisor Dr. Mitchell Andersen, who also assured me that the device stays firmly in place even if you need to launch a snot rocket on the fly.
Curious, I slipped one in during the show. I won’t lie: It felt pretty funny to have the soft plastic device shoved up my nose. But it did open my nostrils significantly and the increased airflow was noticeable even just standing around. I also could imagine that it would act as a bit of a biofeedback device, automatically making me draw deeper inhales and exhale more fully while hammering down the road.
I was convinced it serves a function—but still not sold on the necessity—when Anderson let me in on a new, improved product the company hopes to roll out at Christmas time—a eucalyptus-scented Turbine. Not only does eucalyptus open up your nasal passages, but minty-fresh scents have also been shown to increase energy and mental focus during exercise. If I get my hands on one of those, I might just be sold on this new racing accessory.
The Turbine is available in three sizes (based on nostril size). Each three-pack costs $28; one Turbine is good for about 10 rides, and should be washed in warm water.
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