The Impact of Septoplasty on Physical Performance and Quality of Life in Active Individuals – A Literature Review

Background. Appropriate upper airway patency is an essential component of exercise physiology. The nose is not only responsible for conditioning inhaled air but is also the primary source of nitric oxide (NO), which aids gas exchange in the lungs. Nasal septal deviation (NSD) disrupts flow aerodynamics, increases airway resistance, and forces a premature transition to the less efficient oral airway, depriving the physically active individual of metabolic benefits and limiting exercise potential. Aim. The purpose of this study is to summarize the existing literature on the effect of nasal septal deviation on performance parameters and to determine how effective surgical correction (septoplasty) is in relation to performance, hemodynamic, and recovery parameters among physically active individuals. Results. The literature review reveals that septoplasty offers several physiological advantages. During exercise, the process increases the economy of effort and delayed fatigue, as it decreases metabolic cost by increasing time to exhaustion without necessarily increasing absolute VO2max. In the hemodynamic area, nasal patency significantly unburdens the heart by lowering pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and improving left ventricular function. In addition, the procedure normalizes sleep quality and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, which is the basis of a successful recovery after exercise. Conclusions. Septoplasty is an effective treatment that promotes exercise capacity in athletes. This process has a profound influence on minimizing the metabolic cost of breathing, improving cardiovascular function and the quality of biological recovery, eliminating the physiological and functional gap between patients with NSD and the healthy population.