Alternative therapy for respiratory muscle training using breath stacking

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Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the breath-stacking technique as a method of ventilatory muscle training. Methods: Thirty-eight healthy youngsters were included in the study. The maximum respiratory pressures were evaluated in cmH2O by a digital manovacuometer. The breath-stacking system (face mask attached to a T-tube with a unidirectional inspiratory valve) was used as an overload method in a 4-week 12-session ventilatory muscle training program. Results: Both maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures increased significantly after ventilatory muscle training for all. Positive peak pressure also increased significantly at the end of the program. Conclusion: Breath-stacking generates sufficient overload to ventilatory muscles to consistently increase maximal respiratory pressures when used in a ventilatory muscle training protocol. The technique was well tolerated, although it needs to be tested in clinical situations involving muscle weakness and other organic dysfunctions.