Abstract
Objective The present study compared the effects of upright and slouched sitting postures on the respiratory muscle strength in healthy young males. Methods A total of 35 adult male subjects aged 18–35 years participated in this study. Respiratory muscle strength was determined by measurement of sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) using a MicroRPM device in the upright and slouched sitting positions. The subjects were asked to perform the pulmonary function test including peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC ratio at baseline. Body composition was also determined. Results There was a significant difference of SNIP score between upright sitting and slouched sitting positions (p = 0.04). The mean difference of SNIP score between upright sitting and slouched sitting positions was 8.7 cmH2O. Significant correlations were found between SNIP in upright sitting and FEV1% predicted values [R = .651], SNIP in slouched sitting and FEV1% predicted values [R = .579], and SNIP in upright sitting and SNIP in slouched sitting positions [R = .926] (p < 0.05 for all). There were no significant correlations between SNIP scores, demographic variables, and other baseline clinical data (p > 0.05). Conclusions The slouched sitting position had a lower SNIP score compared to upright sitting position suggesting a reduced diaphragm tension and movement as a result of altered body posture.
Highlights
Altered body position influences the respiratory muscle strength and function in both healthy adults [1,2,3,4,5] and patients with cardiopulmonary dysfunction [6, 7]
A study by Costa et al [1] reported significantly lower maximal inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures in supine or semiupright sitting positions compared to the sitting position in healthy young adults
The results of the present study demonstrated that altered posture during slouched position reduced the diaphragm strength as measured by sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) compared to normal upright position
Summary
Altered body position influences the respiratory muscle strength and function in both healthy adults [1,2,3,4,5] and patients with cardiopulmonary dysfunction [6, 7]. A study by Costa et al [1] reported significantly lower maximal inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures in supine or semiupright sitting positions compared to the sitting position in healthy young adults. The length of the muscle affects the ability of a muscle fiber to develop active tension known as length-tension relationship [8]. It is assumed that the changes in the ribcage may cause altered length-tension relationship of the respiratory muscles, such as diaphragm, resulting in reduced ability of these muscles to develop tension and reducing the rate and depth of the breathing [1]. Inspiratory muscle strength can be measured using a simple, reliable, and valid test known as sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) [10,11,12,13]. The SNIP is a noninvasive, easy, and more acceptable technique compared to the static effort of the maximum inspiratory pressure [13] and has been an alternative [12, 14] to the measurement of the maximal inspiratory pressure
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