Abstract
The avoidance of respiratory muscle fatigue and its repercussions may play an important role in swimmers’ health and physical performance. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether a six-week moderate-intensity swimming intervention with added respiratory dead space (ARDS) resulted in any differences in respiratory muscle variables and pulmonary function in recreational swimmers. A sample of 22 individuals (recreational swimmers) were divided into an experimental (E) and a control (C) group, observed for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). The intervention involved 50 min of front crawl swimming performed at 60% VO2max twice weekly for six weeks. Added respiratory dead space was induced via tube breathing (1000 mL) in group E during each intervention session. Respiratory muscle strength variables and pulmonary and respiratory variables were measured before and after the intervention. The training did not increase the inspiratory or expiratory muscle strength or improve spirometric parameters in any group. Only in group E, maximal tidal volume increased by 6.3% (p = 0.01). The ARDS volume of 1000 mL with the diameter of 2.5 cm applied in moderate-intensity swimming training constituted too weak a stimulus to develop respiratory muscles and lung function measured in the spirometry test.
Highlights
Increased work of respiratory muscles can lead to their fatigue and a sense of dyspnoea, which, in turn, can impair the ability to perform physical exercise [1]
No between- or within-group differences were observed after the intervention for respiratory period, the individuals from both groups led a lifestyle and maintained a diet normal for people of that muscle strength variables (PImax, PEmax) or pulmonary/spirometry variables (FVC, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), peak inspiratory flow (PIF))
The main finding of the study is that a six-week added respiratory dead space (ARDS) intervention of moderate intensity (HR: 125–140 beats min–1 ) did not significantly change respiratory muscle strength (PImax, PEmax) or spirometric parameters (FVC, FEV1, PEF, PIF), which did not confirm the assumed hypothesis
Summary
Increased work of respiratory muscles can lead to their fatigue and a sense of dyspnoea, which, in turn, can impair the ability to perform physical exercise [1]. Respiratory muscle fatigue is defined as a loss in the capacity for developing force and/or velocity resulting from muscle activity under load, which reverses by rest [2]. It has been shown that the emerging respiratory muscle fatigue may be caused by the accumulation of metabolites in these muscles and sympathetic vasoconstriction in locomotor muscles as a result of the metabolic reflex of respiratory muscles [3]. This metaboreflex involves reduced blood flow in the extremities and decreased supply of oxygen (O2 ) to the. Public Health 2020, 17, 5743; doi:10.3390/ijerph17165743 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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