In short
- A 2013 review says a brief Valsalva maneuver is unavoidable when lifting heavy loads above 80% of maximum or lifting lighter loads to failure, and that it raises intra-abdominal pressure, which may help spine stability.
- In a 1985 study of five experienced bodybuilders, blood pressure during heavy double-leg presses reached a group average of 320/250 mmHg.
- In a 1995 study of 10 male athletes, breathing out slowly during heavy leg presses lowered average blood pressure at a maximal lift from 311/284 to 198/175 mmHg compared with a breath-hold.
- We couldn't find a published study of nasal strips during resistance training; a 2001 study found strips didn't change heart rate, ventilation or oxygen use during recovery from an all-out sprint.
- A 2004 study of 30 adolescent boys found a strip made no difference to sprint performance but improved a maximal shuttle run by 2.9% compared with placebo.
- The NHS recommends strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week.
Nasal strips probably won't change how much you can lift. There's no published research on strips during resistance training, and the studies on short, all-out efforts found no performance difference. Where a strip can earn its place in the gym is comfort: easier nose breathing during warm-ups, between sets and in conditioning work, especially if your nose tends to feel tight.
Breathing on heavy lifts is a different matter, and it's worth understanding before you think about strips at all. This guide covers both.
How should you breathe when lifting heavy?
Research: limited (what this means)When lifting heavy, most people briefly hold their breath and brace, and that's normal. A 2013 review in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research says a brief Valsalva maneuver, pushing out against a closed throat, is unavoidable when lifting heavy loads above 80% of maximum or when lifting lighter loads to failure. The review found that it raises intra-abdominal pressure, which may help with spine stability and trunk rigidity.
The trade-off is blood pressure. In a 1985 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers measured blood pressure directly in five experienced bodybuilders. During heavy double-leg presses, the group's average peak reached 320/250 mmHg, and one person exceeded 480/350. The authors concluded that the squeeze working muscles put on blood vessels, the body's pressor response and the Valsalva maneuver combine to push blood pressure to extreme levels, even when only a small muscle group is working.
How you breathe changes how high it goes. A 1995 study in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation measured 10 male athletes doing heavy leg presses. At a maximal lift, average blood pressure was 311/284 mmHg with a breath-hold and 198/175 mmHg when they breathed out slowly during the lifting phase. A 1992 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found the same pattern in 20 novice lifters: breath-holding gave the highest blood pressure, while breathing in or out during the lifting phase gave similar, lower readings.
What does that mean for you? The 2013 review concluded that the health risks of the Valsalva maneuver during resistance exercise remain unconfirmed. For most healthy lifters, a short brace on genuinely heavy reps is part of lifting, while holding your breath on every rep of a light set isn't needed. If you're unsure how to brace, a qualified coach can teach it in person. People with high blood pressure, heart or eye conditions, or who are pregnant, should ask a clinician how to breathe when lifting before training heavy.
Do nasal strips help weightlifting?
Nasal strips haven't been shown to help weightlifting, mostly because nobody has tested them properly in the weight room. We couldn't find a published study of external nasal strips during resistance training. The closest research looks at short, all-out efforts.
A 2001 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research had 14 adults do an all-out treadmill sprint test with a strip, a placebo strip or nothing, then measured a 10-minute recovery. The strip made no significant difference to heart rate, ventilation or oxygen consumption during recovery.
A 2004 study in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology tested 30 adolescent boys on a 40 m sprint, a shuttle sprint and a maximal multistage shuttle run. The strip made no difference in either sprint. It did improve performance on the longer shuttle run by 2.9% compared with placebo, and it lowered how hard breathing felt during the shuttle tests. That points toward strips mattering more in longer, aerobic efforts than in short, explosive ones.
Across sports in general, a 2021 meta-analysis in the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology reviewed 19 studies and found strips made no significant difference to VO2max, heart rate or perceived exertion in healthy people during exercise. Our guides to nasal strips for exercise and why athletes wear nasal strips cover the wider research.
Can a nasal strip help you brace?
A nasal strip is unlikely to help you brace, and no study has tested it. During a brace, you take a breath and briefly hold it, so no air is moving through your nose at that moment. A strip opens the front of the nose, which matters only while you're actually breathing.
Where it may help is the breath before the rep and the recovery breaths after it. If your nose feels blocked, you'll probably gulp air through your mouth between sets. If a strip makes nose breathing feel easier, some people find that steadier and calmer between efforts. That's a comfort benefit, not a strength one.
Where might a strip be useful in the gym?
A strip is most likely to be useful in the parts of a session where you're breathing steadily rather than bracing. This table sums it up.
| Part of the session | How you're breathing | Does a strip matter? |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up and mobility | Steady, often nose breathing | Possibly, if your nose feels tight |
| Heavy sets near your max | Brief breath-hold and brace | Unlikely, no airflow during the brace |
| Lighter sets and accessories | Rhythmic breathing through the rep | Maybe, for comfort |
| Rest between sets | Recovery breathing | Possibly, if you like breathing through the nose |
| Conditioning circuits | Fast, often through the mouth | Small at best, based on running and cycling studies |
If you train early in the morning or your nose often feels stuffy, a strip may make the session feel better. If your nose feels clear, you may not notice anything. For the steady parts of training, our guide to nasal breathing during exercise explains how to practice it.
If you want to try one, TitanAir Nasal Strips are our pick; there's more on why below.
How do you use a nasal strip for lifting?
You use a nasal strip for lifting by putting it on before your warm-up and treating it like any other kit you don't want to fiddle with mid-session.
- Wash and dry your nose first. Titan's instructions for its strips say to skip moisturizer.
- Place it just above the flare of your nostrils, on the soft part of the nose, and press both ends down.
- Wash chalk off your hands before you touch the strip, and dab sweat off your face rather than wiping across it.
- On the bench or other lying-down exercises, check the strip isn't catching on a towel or the bench.
- Take it off after training with warm water, peeling slowly from the ends inward, which is how Titan suggests removing its strips.
If the strip feels like a distraction under a heavy bar, take it off for that part of the session. There's no evidence you're missing anything. Our guides to how to apply nasal strips and nasal strip skin irritation cover the rest.
Strength training is worth doing whatever you decide about strips. The NHS recommends strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups, including the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms, on at least 2 days a week. Training well also feeds into sleep; see exercise and sleep.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor before heavy lifting if you have high blood pressure, a heart condition or an eye condition, or if you're pregnant, and ask how to breathe safely under load. If you get chest pain or feel faint during a lift, stop and get medical help.
Your nose and your sleep are worth a check too. See a GP if one side of your nose is always blocked or it stays blocked for weeks. The NHS lists loud snoring, breathing that stops and starts while you sleep, gasping or choking noises and feeling very tired in the day among the symptoms of sleep apnoea. Our guide to sleep apnea in athletes looks at how it shows up in sport.
Our pick (paid partner): TitanAir Nasal Strips
Our pick for the gym is TitanAir Nasal Strips. We haven't tested or ranked strips ourselves, and Titan's strips weren't used in any of the studies above; this is our recommendation, based on how Titan describes them.
Titan says TitanAir strips are drug-free external nasal dilators with flexible spring-loaded bands. Its instructions match the routine above: clean, dry skin with no moisturizer, placement just above the flare of the nostrils on the soft part of the nose, and removal by loosening with warm water and peeling slowly from the ends inward. Titan says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and the strips come in 30, 90, 180 or 360-night supplies. Its 30-night guarantee gives you time to try TitanAir in training and at night.
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Common questions
Do nasal strips help with weightlifting?
There's no direct evidence that they do. We couldn't find a published study of nasal strips during resistance training, and the closest studies, on short all-out efforts, found no performance difference. A strip may make nose breathing feel easier between sets or in conditioning work, so treat it as a comfort choice.
Is it bad to hold your breath when lifting?
A brief breath-hold is a normal part of heavy lifting. A 2013 review says a short Valsalva maneuver is unavoidable above about 80% of your maximum or when lifting to failure, and it helps brace the trunk. It also sharply raises blood pressure, so people with heart, blood pressure or eye conditions, or who are pregnant, should ask a clinician how to breathe when lifting.
Should you breathe through your nose when lifting weights?
On heavy reps, breathing is mostly about bracing, and many lifters take a big breath through the mouth or nose before the hard part. Between sets and during lighter conditioning work, breathing through your nose can feel calmer. A strip may make that a little easier if your nose feels tight.
Can a nasal strip help me brace better?
No study has tested that, and there's no clear reason it would. Bracing happens while you briefly hold your breath, so airflow through your nose isn't involved at that moment. A strip may help you take in air more comfortably before and after the rep.
Will a nasal strip stay on during a gym session?
It should if you prep well. Put it on a washed, dry nose before your warm-up, keep moisturizer and sunscreen off the strip area and press both ends down. Dab sweat rather than wiping across the strip, and wash chalk off your hands before you touch it.
Is it safe to wear a nasal strip while lifting?
A strip is a drug-free piece of tape and doesn't change how you breathe on a lift, so it adds little risk. The breathing itself is the part to get right. If you have high blood pressure, a heart condition or are pregnant, talk to a doctor about safe lifting technique before heavy training.
Sources
- The Valsalva maneuver: its effect on intra-abdominal pressure and safety issues during resistance exercise
- Arterial blood pressure response to heavy resistance exercise
- Influence of breathing technique on arterial blood pressure during heavy weight lifting
- Effect of breathing techniques on blood pressure response to resistance exercise
- Nasal strips do not affect cardiorespiratory measures during recovery from anaerobic exercise
- Effects of an external nasal dilator on athletic performance of male adolescents
- Does the external nasal dilator strip help in sports activity? A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64
- Sleep apnoea
- TitanAir Nasal Strips
About this article
- Research
- 10 published sources, listed above.
- Evidence
- Limited. How we rate it
- Last checked
- November 3, 2026
- Funding
- Paid partner of Titan Recovery. Their ads are labeled.
- Found an error?
- Tell us. We log fixes on the corrections page.
* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.