THE EFFECT OF RESPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING IN COMBINATION WITH WHOLE BODY EXERCISE ON EXERCISE PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Recent reports have demonstrated that respiratory muscles (RM) may fatigue during intense exercise. The effect of respiratory muscle training (RMT) on RM strength and exercise performance are inconclusive, perhaps due to insufficient RM training loads. PURPOSE To determine the role of RMT in combination with whole body training on RM strength and exercise performance in healthy subjects. METHODS Seven experimental (RMT) and 8 control (exercise only) subjects completed 6 weeks of cycle training at 70%VO2max. RMT group, in addition to exercise, used an inspiratory muscle trainer set at 15 cmH2O. A VO2max test and 2 cycling time trials (5-mile and 30-minute) were performed at baseline, weeks 3 and 6. Maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) was determined weekly and immediately following each time trial. RESULTS RMT improved inspiratory muscle strength following training by 28 ± 3% while controls improved 39 ± 4% although these values were not significantly different from each other. The improvement in the 5-mile ride was greater (18 ± 2%; p < 0.05) in RMT than controls (10 ±2%), with no improvements in either group in the 30-min ride (p > 0.05). Both the RMT and control groups showed a 17–25% decrease in PImax following the 5-mile and 30-min rides, respectively. Dyspnea, RPE, HR, and SaO2 were not significantly different between groups during the performance tests following training. CONCLUSION These data suggest that both RMT + exercise and exercise alone over a 6 week period improves RM strength. However, RMT improves performance by 8% greater than control in a 5-mile cycling time trial. The mechanism responsible for these changes has yet to be determined. Supported by American Lung Association RG-039-N