Gareth Bale, Dele Alli and Joshua Anthony are all fans of it. And no, it’s not who can best master the art of looking like Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs.
It’s actually the latest bizarre fitness gadget aimed at improving performance –altitude training masks.
Worn over the face and nose, the increasingly popular gadgets make breathing harder, similar to the experience of being up at altitude where the air is thinner.
According to the makers of Altitude Resistance Mask, one of the leading brands, it benefits the athlete by ‘increasing lung capacity, creating pulmonary resistance, increasing oxygen efficiency and cutting workout time by two thirds.’
Former Spurs midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng was Altitude Resistance Mask’s first pro athlete on their books after launching five years ago.
But the power of social media and the pulling power of global sporting icons such as Read Madrid’s Bale and heavyweight world champion boxer Joshua have seen the Dubai-based company’s stock rise.
Tottenham and England’s Dele Alli is the latest footballer to come on board with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gael Clichy and Antonio Rudiger all sporting the product, which costs £69.99.
Altitude Resistance Mask founder and CEO Sammer Sommers said: “The athletes love it. And I think our athletes speak for themselves. When they’ve been using it, their performances have increased.
“Gareth Bale is a great example – he was injured and off pitch for three months.
“He came back and ended the season with an incredible finish. The same with Anthony Joshua and the Klitschko fight.
“He was training with the mask six months before the fight and he came in and his endurance spoke for itself.
“Even though he tagged out he pushed on the last one per cent to take the knockdown.”
The masks, which can be worn by anyone aged 15 or over, come in different sizes and have different air resistance valves to set the workout pace.
According to Mr Sommers, studies have shown usually athletes would require 30-40 minutes high intensity cardio training before hitting their endurance threshold where their body is telling them to stop.
With the mask on, they can apparently get to that point in the first 5-10 minutes.
Crystal Palace also took an interest in the trend last season when Sam Allardyce joined the club and made improving the fitness levels a priority.
With players able to push and increase their heart rates a lot more without having to exert as much physical pressure on their bodies, the masks proved to be a big hit on the training ground.
Keeper Wayne Hennessey told the Crystal Palace website: “All the lads have really taken to them and are seeing the benefits to their overall fitness levels and those who are coming back from injury and doing rehab with the coaches are also using them and seeing the advantages of the masks.”
Not everyone is a fan with some questioning whether the latest techno fad actually works.
Mr Sommers believes the criticism comes from misconceptions over the product.
He added: “We are not replicating altitude training.
“We are giving the benefits of high altitude training.
“The mask is basically bringing the benefits of what it is like to being up in the mountains, back down to land.
“It’s the benefits of increasing endurance and increasing physical fitness.
“The future looks bright for us. We aim to hit every single sporting sector.”
Critics or not, they’re already a hit for footballers and boxers alike.