Inspiratory Muscle Training

[igoeja]

The influence of inspiratory and expiratory muscle training upon rowing performance.

Griffiths LA,
McConnell AK.

School of Sport, Leisure and Travel, Wellesbourne Campus, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, Kingshill Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 5BB, UK, lisa.griffiths@bcuc.ac.uk.

We investigated the effect of 4 week of inspiratory (IMT) or expiratory muscle training (EMT), as well as the effect of a subsequent 6 week period of combined IMT/EMT on rowing performance in club-level oarsmen. Seventeen male rowers were allocated to either an IMT (n = 10) or EMT (n = 7) group. The groups underwent a 4 week IMT or EMT program; after interim testing, both groups subsequently performed a 6 week program of combined IMT/EMT. Exercise performance and physiological responses to exercise were measured at 4 and 10 week during an incremental rowing ergometer 'step-test' and a 6 min all-out (6MAO) effort. Pressure threshold respiratory muscle training was undertaken at the 30 repetition maximum load ( approximately 50% of the peak inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressure, P (Imax) or P (Emax), respectively). P (Imax) increased during the IMT phase of the training in the IMT group (26%, P < 0.001) and was accompanied by an improvement in mean power during the 6MAO (2.7%, P = 0.015). Despite an increase in P (Emax) by the end of the intervention (31%, P = 0.03), the EMT group showed no significant changes in any performance parameters during either the 'step-test' or 6MAO. There were no significant changes in breathing pattern or the metabolic response to the 6MAO test in either group, but the IMT group showed a small decrease in HR (2-5%, P = 0.001). We conclude that there were no significant additional changes following combined IMT/EMT. IMT improved rowing performance, but EMT and subsequent combined IMT/EMT did not.

PMID: 17186299 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[billw]

Hello,

The 2-5% improvement in HR was quted as a small improvement.

I suspect that if I could drop my HR by 5% on a step test then my 2k would have to improve ............ is that right ?

Amongst elite athletes would'nt this be very significant ?


Bill

[Nosmo]

Have to read the whole report or maybe look at the data. With n=10 (i.e. ten subjects), 2-5% is not necessarily very significant.

If the study was well done then the 2.7% increase in power in a 6MAO test is what counts: it would corespond to about a 1 sec improvement in the 500m pace.

[igoeja]

Inspiratory muscle training improves rowing performance.

Volianitis S, McConnell AK, Koutedakis Y, McNaughton L, Backx K, Jones DA.

School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.

stefanos.voliantis@excite.com

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of a period of resistive inspiratory muscle training (IMT) upon rowing performance. METHODS: Performance was appraised in 14 female competitive rowers at the commencement and after 11 wk of inspiratory muscle training on a rowing ergometer by using a 6-min all-out effort and a 5000-m trial. IMT consisted of 30 inspiratory efforts twice daily. Each effort required the subject to inspire against a resistance equivalent to 50% peak inspiratory mouth pressure (PImax) by using an inspiratory muscle training device. Seven of the rowers, who formed the placebo group, used the same device but performed 60 breaths once daily with an inspiratory resistance equivalent to 15% PImax. RESULTS: The inspiratory muscle strength of the training group increased by 44 +/- 25 cm H2O (45.3 +/- 29.7%) compared with only 6 +/- 11 cm H2O (5.3 +/- 9.8%) of the placebo group (P < 0.05 within and between groups). The distance covered in the 6-min all-out effort increased by 3.5 +/- 1.2% in the training group compared with 1.6 +/- 1.0% in the placebo group (P < 0.05). The time in the 5000-m trial decreased by 36 +/- 9 s (3.1 +/- 0.8%) in the training group compared with only 11 +/- 8 s (0.9 +/- 0.6%) in the placebo group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the resistance of the training group to inspiratory muscle fatigue after the 6-min all-out effort was improved from an 11.2 +/- 4.3% deficit in PImax to only 3.0 +/- 1.6% (P < 0.05) pre- and post-intervention, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IMT improves rowing performance on the 6-min all-out effort and the 5000-m trial.

[igoeja]

I have seen the abstract of another study that showed no improvement.

[JimR]

Eddie Fletcher has an article on his website at www.fletchersportscience.co.uk about this. I ordered a device from www.expand-a-lung.com to do this sort of training.

JimR