Did you just notice Chris Froome wearing what looked like a nose ring, during his interview after stage 12 of the Tour de France? Here’s what it actually was.
Watching the highlights of the TdF on telly the other night, and Chris Froome had just lost the yellow jersey. In his post-ride interview, he appeared to be wearing what looked like a nose ring. It was a slightly bizarre sight but you know, each to his own, I thought.
Intrigued, I googled it and discovered that of course, it wasn’t a mere fashion statement but yet another weapon in the arsenal of marginal gains. It’s called the Turbine and made by a company called Rhinomed.
Rhinomed Turbine nasal breathing aids for cycling
If you can’t wait to get some for yourself, get some from Amazon now.
Ok, so this nose clip has a fancy name – the Turbine. It’s basically a nasal dilator, so it sits inside the nostrils, exerting slight pressure to open up the nostrils to allow more air to flow in and out. It’s designed to be a comfortable fit inside the nose and may be used to improve airflow during sport, physical exertion or focused breathing (such as yoga and meditation).
Rhinomed Turbine – click to enlarge
In lab tests, they’ve evidence that the Turbine increases nasal airflow by an average of 38%, and so helps to lessen the feling of not being able to get enough breath. It’s not just about how much air you can get in either – breathing is a two way process, and the Turbine also increases the rate you can expel air to get rid of all that CO2.
Whether this all results in any tangible benefits is a mystery, but if Chris Froome uses them for his recovery periods, there must be something to it.
3 sizes of Turbine to choose from
Noses aren’t all the same, so Rhinomed produce a small, medium and large version.
To figure out which one suits you best, you can order a trial 3 pack which includes one of each size.
Apparently they can be worn for sleeping too, to reduce snoring. Don’t tell my wife, she’ll make me get some!
(They market a slightly different variation called the Mute for that)
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