Bol d’air Jacquier, a runner’s ally
From preparing for a workout and building endurance to optimizing recovery and supporting acid-base balance, Bol d’air Jacquier is presented as an effective ally for athletes at every level. By incorporating this oxygenation method into their routine, runners may transform their lifestyle, support their health and perform better while approaching competition with greater ease. The principle is simple: inhale this air two or three times a day over an extended period to regularly oxygenate the body’s cells.
✓ Our journalist puts Bol d’air Jacquier to the test.
Not to be confused with the term oxidizing, this method is intended to be oxygenating. Its aim is to optimize cellular oxygenation, without increasing the amount of oxygen inhaled. In practical terms, Bol d’air Jacquier is not about breathing in more oxygen or treating a medical condition, but about improving the body’s use of the oxygen already present in the surrounding air. The goal is to restore balance to oxygenation processes disrupted by stress, pollution, aging or an unhealthy lifestyle. “The aim is to support all the body’s functions. Once you strengthen the body as a whole, you enter a virtuous cycle,” explained the manager of the Paris workshops.
Bol d’air is a natural method that turns turpentine essential oil, extracted from a specific part of pine resin (around 30%), into an oxygen carrier. This turpentine, called Orésine by the Holiste workshops, is the liquid used in the process: it is dispersed as a gas inside the Bol d’air device. The other part of the resin, known as rosin, can be used in particular to make natural hair-removal wax. Based in the Aquitaine region, where the pines are harvested, Holiste has been a long-standing partner of the local area. Founded 35 years ago, the company is committed to the overall health of living beings and is part of the Convention des entreprises pour le climat.
It improves oxygen uptake without artificially altering the body’s consumption, transport or release of oxygen. Inhaling natural aromatic molecules does not affect blood markers, making this a non-doping method. It is also the only known method to strengthen the body’s antioxidant capacity, thereby helping to reduce oxidative stress. Regular users experience lasting effects as the method naturally supports their physiological balance.
Clients from every generation
Welcomed by Cécile Leneveu, manager of the Holiste workshops in Paris, based on boulevard Henri IV for the past 13 years, clients come and go between their daily activities and the Paris premises. Some are over 50, others are in their thirties, while some are young adults, often dealing with health issues.
Settled in front of the latest Bol d’air Jacquier model, some take advantage of this natural approach to cellular oxygenation. A €80 package is available for a 20-day course, with sessions lasting between 3 and 10 minutes depending on the model used. Once the session is over, the effects last for around four hours: enough time to get through a good half-day before returning for an evening session.
Bol d’air Jacquier is simple enough for athletes to incorporate into their daily routine without disrupting their schedules. The device is available to rent or buy, with prices ranging from €1,700 to €4,000 depending on the model.
© Christian Boussin
© Stéphane Demard
© UIPM World Pentathlon / Nuno GonçalvesAthletes share their experiences
Élodie Clouvel, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in modern pentathlon at Rio and Paris, is a regular Bol d’air Jacquier user. A year before the Paris Games, she initially tried the device before investing in one so she could use it more easily. She describes the impact of regular sessions at the highest level: “Bol d’air Jacquier has been part of my routine since Covid. For me, it is a real partner for recovery and positive sensations. I’m sure it has played a part in my performance.” The multiple French champion adds: “What convinced me to try it was how long the method has been around. This is far from a passing fad. I was convinced from the first session. With Bol d’air, my cells are better oxygenated. My body works better and recovers faster. I use it twice a day, after every training session, and once more in the evening so I can sleep well.”
Stéphane Ricard, a French distance runner specializing in trail and snowshoe racing, and a three-time snowshoe racing world champion, is another convinced Bol d’air Jacquier user. Less than a month before the Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc, he increased the number of his sessions (on August 20, 2023). “Bol d’air Jacquier is a moment to relax and reconnect with myself, when I focus on my breathing. I think this method also helped with my allergies, because I had far fewer problems in that area!”
Bruno Heubi, a long-distance runner who has been selected 11 times for the French 100 km team and has won several international titles, including the 24-hour world championship in Bergamo in 2009, says he was not immediately convinced by Bol d’air Jacquier: “When I met the Holiste team and heard their approach to my condition (bronchitis), I was skeptical.” But curiosity eventually won out: “The desire to keep innovating in my training led me to try Bol d’air Jacquier. Not everything changed overnight. There is no miracle or magic. It took a period of adjustment to gauge the effects, and today I would find it difficult to do without it.” Since then, he has used it every morning, as well as before and after his most demanding sessions, particularly to combat hypoxia.
Ultimately, whether you are an experienced runner or just starting out, Bol d’air Jacquier can quickly become part of your training routine and help improve performance, recovery and overall sensations. The range of potential benefits, echoed by several athletes, points to a genuinely promising approach.