Effects of external nasal dilator according to facial type in adolescent futsal players

This study aimed to investigate the effects of END on cardio-respiratory capacity and nasal function, considering different facial types. Sixty-three healthy adolescents participated in a randomized protocol in two conditions: with experimental END and with placebo. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) was estimated and rating of perceived effort (RPE) after cardio-respiratory testing and peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) were evaluated. To assess the differences between the use of the END and placebo regarding physiological assessment measures and between the PNIF, RPE, and VO 2 max measurements with each of the groups studied, the Student's t -test for paired samples was used. To investigate the existence of a statistical difference in the PNIF and VO 2 max measurements. and RPE when participants used experimental END between the three facial types, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with one factor (OneWay) was used. The Wilcoxon test was performed for comparisons between two periods in relation to a variable of interest. All results were considered significant at the 5 % significance level ( p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the use of END provided significant improvements in VO 2 max, an increase in PNIF and a reduction in RPE. Participants with a dolicofacial facial profile had a higher VO 2 max than the braquifacial and mesofacial profiles. We conclude that END is an effective tool to improve cardio-respiratory capacity, reduce RPE and optimize nasal function in adolescent futsal players.