Nasal dilators do not enhance athletic performance, the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine says. The dilators, Band Aid-like strips placed on the nose, are used by athletes to increase airflow. However, a team of researchers from Florida “found no significant differences between placebo and and the active nasal dilator regarding the total work of breathing,” the college's journal reports (Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33[3]:454). Previous studies showed that dilators increased airflow, but this one indicates that the energy expended during breathing remains constant. — CMAJ
. 2001 May 15;164(10):1483.