If you've watched enough professional sports, you've probably noticed athletes wearing nasal strips across their noses. They're common in football, running, the NFL, cycling, basketball, and many other sports.
At first glance, a nasal strip doesn't look like much. It's just a small adhesive strip placed across the nose. Can something so simple really help an athlete perform at their best?
Yet many of the world's best athletes continue to wear them. In this article, you'll discover why athletes wear nasal strips and 15 athletes who have been seen using nose strips.
Why Do Athletes Wear Nasal Strips?
Athletes often wear nasal strips because they make it easier to breathe through the nose during training and competition. The strips gently lift the sides of the nose, opening the nasal passages and reducing airflow resistance without any medication.
Nasal strips won't make someone instantly stronger or faster, but they can make nasal breathing feel more comfortable. That's why you often see runners, cyclists, footballers, and other elite athletes wearing them during exercise.
Some of the potential benefits of nasal strips for athletes include:
- Supporting better nasal airflow
- Reducing the effort needed to breathe
- Helping maintain nasal breathing during exercise
- Making breathing feel more comfortable during intense workouts
- Supporting athletes with temporary congestion or naturally narrow nasal passages
- Promoting better sleep and recovery when worn at night
Although research suggests nasal strips can improve nasal airflow, they are not a substitute for proper training or conditioning. Instead, they are a simple, drug-free tool that may help athletes breathe more comfortably during exercise, recovery, and sleep.
1. Carlos Alcaraz (Tennis)
(Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Carlos Alcaraz has won seven Grand Slam titles, including the Australian Open (2026), French Open (2024, 2025), Wimbledon (2023, 2024), and US Open (2022, 2025), making him the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in the Open Era.
Alcaraz is one of the most well-known athletes wearing nasal strips or nose tapes in professional tennis, having been spotted with one during match play and training at the Laver Cup 2025 in San Francisco.
The Spaniard has frequently been photographed wearing nasal strips during tournaments and practice sessions, including the 2025 Rotterdam Open, Laver Cup, and other ATP events.
His continued use has even sparked interest among fellow professionals, contributing to the growing popularity of nasal strips across the ATP Tour.
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Cycling)
(Photo by Luca Bettini / AFP via Getty Images)
Vingegaard is best known for winning the 2022 and 2023 Tours de France and the 2025 Vuelta a España, and is widely regarded as one of the best climbers in the history of professional cycling.
He is among the most recognizable athletes who use nasal strips in endurance sports, having been photographed wearing one while leading the 2026 Giro d'Italia.
A two-time Tour de France winner, Vingegaard has even spoken about wearing nasal strips, while teammates have joked about making sure he always has one before a stage.
3. Paula Radcliffe (Marathon Running)
(Photo credit: JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)
Radcliffe is a three-time London Marathon winner, three-time New York Marathon champion, and held the Women's World Marathon Record of 2:15:25 for 16 years from 2003 to 2019.
Long before nasal strips became common in professional sport, Paula Radcliffe was already wearing one in some of the world's biggest marathons back in 2004.
The British distance-running legend became known for the strip on her nose as much as for her unique running style.
Living with asthma, she and her coach believed they helped her breathe more comfortably over the demanding 26.2-mile distance.
4. Jorge Martín (MotoGP)
(Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images)
Martín won the 2024 MotoGP World Championship with Prima Pramac Racing, becoming the first independent team rider to win the premier class title in the MotoGP era.
He was photographed putting on a nasal strip in the Aprilia Racing box during a free practice session at the Catalunya MotoGP Grand Prix.
5. Santiago Giménez (Football)
(Photo by Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Santiago Giménez joined AC Milan in 2025 and has won the CONCACAF Gold Cup twice, scoring the winning goal in the 2023 final, as well as the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League with Mexico.
He is one of several professional football players who use nasal strips during competitive matches, having been spotted wearing one during the June 2026 international friendly against Serbia.
As a high-pressing striker, he needs to breathe comfortably during fast runs, which is especially important at the top level of club and international football.
He can be seen regularly wearing his nasal strips for Mexico at the 2026 World Cup.
6. Joshua Zirkzee (Football)
(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee is one of the most famous soccer player who wear nose tapes.
He has been photographed wearing a nasal strip during Premier League matches, including the Liverpool v Manchester United fixture at Anfield in October 2025.
For football players wearing nasal strips at the top level, Zirkzee is a strong example of how performance nasal strips for athletes are becoming a standard part of match-day preparation in elite European football.
7. Giovanni Simeone (Football)
(Photo by Loris Roselli/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Known as "El Cholito" and the son of legendary coach Diego Simeone, Giovanni has represented Argentina internationally and built his Serie A career across clubs, including Hellas Verona and Napoli.
Simeone has been photographed wearing a nasal strip during Serie A matches, including the Juventus v Torino derby in November 2025.
His trademark high-intensity pressing style places serious aerobic demands on the respiratory system, making him one of the most fitting examples of why football players wear nose strips at the highest level of the game.
8. Richard Ríos (Football)
(Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Ríos is renowned for his versatility and ball-winning ability in central midfield, and was part of the Colombia squad that finished runners-up at the 2024 Copa América before transferring to Benfica in 2025.
He has been photographed wearing a nasal strip during matches and training sessions, making it a noticeable part of his match-day routine.
Central midfielders cover more ground than almost any other position on the pitch, and Ríos is known for his engine and relentless work rate.
His use of athlete nasal strips fits the profile of a player whose game is built entirely on physical endurance and aerobic output across 90 minutes of top-level football.
9. Rashan Gary (American Football)
(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Rashan Gary was selected 12th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, named to the Pro Bowl in 2024, and has accumulated 46.5 career NFL sacks with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.
He was seen wearing a nasal strip on the sideline before a wild-card playoff game in January 2026.
For fans curious about why NFL players use nose strips, Gary is a good example. Pass rushers make repeated explosive efforts, so supporting nasal airflow between plays makes sense.
10. Puka Nacua (American Football)
(Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
Since bursting onto the NFL scene, Puka Nacua has earned a reputation as one of the league's most exciting wide receivers.
Playing for the Los Angeles Rams, he's known for his physical style of play, precise route running, and ability to make difficult catches under pressure.
He set the NFL rookie record for receiving yards and receptions in his first season in 2023, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.
In the 2025 season, he recorded 129 receptions for 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, with his receiving grade ranking first among all qualified wide receivers.
Nacua has been photographed wearing a nasal strip during team activities and media sessions, suggesting it has become part of his regular training routine.
Receivers run a lot during games, mixing fast sprints with quick changes in direction. This makes efficient breathing and recovery between plays especially important.
11. Marcus Pedersen (Football)
(Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)
Full-backs cover more ground than almost any other outfield player, constantly switching between defending and joining the attack.
That's exactly the role Marcus Pedersen has built his career around, using his pace and stamina to influence both ends of the pitch.
The Norwegian international has been photographed wearing a nasal strip before Serie A matches while playing for Torino FC. He is among the top footballers who use nose tapes.
Although Pedersen has never publicly explained why he wears one, it's becoming increasingly common for professional footballers to adopt nasal strips as part of their pre-match routine.
12. Jean-Clair Todibo (Football)
(Photo by West Ham United FC/West Ham United FC via Getty Images)
Todibo is a French center-back for West Ham United who, at nine years old, was struck by a motor vehicle, with doubts he would ever walk again. He made a full recovery and went on to represent France at the senior international level.
He has been photographed wearing a nasal strip in the tunnel before Premier League matches.
13. Carlos Correa (Baseball)
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Correa was selected first overall in the 2012 MLB Draft, won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2015, won the World Series in 2017, and has been named to three All-Star teams across his career with the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins.
He has been photographed wearing a nasal strip in the Astros dugout during the 2025 season, making him one of the most visible baseball players in Major League Baseball to wear one.
While he has never publicly explained why he wears a nasal strip, some baseball players use them to support comfortable nasal breathing throughout long innings and games.
14. Pablo Torres (Cycling)
(Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Torres, born in November 2005, is one of the most exciting young climbers in professional cycling, finishing second overall at the 2024 Tour de l'Avenir and second at the 2024 Giro Next Gen while riding for UAE Team Emirates XRG.
He has been photographed wearing a nasal strip before a stage of the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, where the oxygen demands of elite mountain climbing make nasal airflow efficiency directly relevant.
At just 20 years old, he is one of the youngest athletes who use nasal strips at the professional level, and one to watch across the coming years of Grand Tour racing.
15. Tony van Diepen (Athletics)
(Photo by Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Van Diepen won bronze at the 2019 European Indoor Championships and silver at the 2021 European Indoor Championships in the 400m, and earned an Olympic silver medal in the 4 x 400m relay at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
He was photographed wearing a nasal strip during the Men's 800m Final at the Dutch FBK Games 2026, showing how athletes use nasal strips in real competition.
In races where athletes need maximum oxygen and efficient breathing from the start, nasal breathing support can make a real difference.
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