The Physiological Effects of Combined Training with Breathing Resistance and Sustained Physical Exertion in Healthy Young Adults

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to describe the physiological effects of a combined training with breathing resistance and sustained physical exertion (CBS) program, which is a respiratory muscle training program designed to improve respiratory function and cardiorespiratory endurance, in young adults.Methods: Pre-and post-intervention measurements were comparatively examined between a group that completed an endurance exercise training program combined with a breathing resistance component (CBS group) and a group that underwent an endurance exercise training program only (control group). Data for these participants were analyzed together with similar data obtained in a previous study, where the effects of the CBS program on the respiratory and circulatory systems of nine healthy young subjects were evaluated with preliminary position of present research. The participants of the present study additionally underwent measurements related to respiratory muscle endurance. All participants were healthy young men and women.Results: In total, 18 participants were analyzed. After the 6-week program, the maximum oxygen uptake and peak ventilatory threshold in the CBS group showed a significant improvement relative to the baseline measurements. The maximal voluntary ventilation and respiratory muscle endurance capacity also exhibited an improvement.Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that our CBS program improves respiratory function more effectively than conventional training programs. Furthermore, they strongly support the findings of our previous study, where it was reported that CBS improves cardiorespiratory endurance more effectively than conventional training programs. Condensed AbstractWe described the physiological effects of a combined training with breathing resistance and sustained physical exertion program in healthy young adults. The obtained data were combined with existing comparable data. We found that the improvements in respiratory muscle function and cardiorespiratory endurance were greater with our combined program than with conventional programs.