Q: Did Intake start the Nasal Breathing trend I keep hearing about?
A: No! We’re just helping to power up the bandwagon. We’re always learning, and it’s our goal to keep you in the loop too. Head over to our Science page, where we post links to articles we love and summaries of relevant studies we’ve found.

Q: Why should I wear this?
A: Breathing exclusively through your nose has been scientifically proven to be superior to breathing through your mouth, particularly during strenuous exercise. So why have we all heard “in through the nose, out through the mouth” (also, why do we all still breath through our mouths anyway)? Because, for most people, exclusively nose-breathing during increased heart rates wasn’t possible before Intake. During sharp nasal inhales, our nostrils suck themselves shut, making comfortable and sustainable breathing extremely difficult. Intake keeps your nose open, ensuring you can breathe deeply without strain, giving you access to all the oxygen you need. It’s a humble improvement on human evolution, if we do say so ourselves.

Q: I don’t usually have trouble breathing through my nose. Is Intake going to be worth it for me?
A: YES! In fact, most of us at Intake breathe well through our noses without aid—and we’ve seen such a big difference while using Intake that we can’t imagine exercising without it. Here’s what we’ve learned: even a physiologically perfect nose isn’t able to deliver enough oxygen to the body on its own during increased heart rates, so you won’t be able to reap the full benefits of nasal breathing without a nasal dilator. We designed Intake to open your nose to its widest capacity, and keep it open, so if you’ve tried traditional nasal dilators and not found much of a difference, Intake could be an especially good option for you.

Q: I tried Intake and found it easier to breathe through my nose initially, but once I started working out, I still had trouble getting enough air. What gives?
A: It takes time for your body to adjust to a new method of breathing. We’ve found that 3 to 4 full workouts with Intake seems to be the magic number for the body to begin adjusting to nasal breathing. After that time, you’ll start to see a pretty substantial difference in your endurance and recovery. You’ll reap the most benefits with continued use. It helps to practice first without Intake: try incorporating nose-breathing into a couple workouts to build physical recognition of nasal breathing, and then try it with Intake.

Q: Will Intake help with snoring and sleep?
A: There are many different reasons why one might snore or have trouble sleeping, so we hesitate to definitively say yes to this question. However, we have had a very encouraging number of users report incredible benefits to wearing Intake to sleep, including huge reductions in snoring, deeper sleep, and, in some cases, even relief from sleep apnea*. If you’ve ever tried nasal strips and felt that they helped, you will likely find Intake to be extremely beneficial.

* Note: you should always consult your doctor when seeking medical or health-related advice. Intake does not recommend that you stop the use of any doctor-recommended products that may be helping you breathe, such as a CPAP machine. If you would like to try Intake to replace any current doctor recommended or prescribed breathing aid, please check with your doctor first to be sure it is safe.