The purpose of the study was to analyse the effects of a short-term, high-intensity inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on healthy youth maximal respiratory pressures, with and without arm bracing postures. Thirty young women were randomly assigned to three groups: control group (CG); group training with no arm bracing (NAB); and group training with arm bracing (AB). The IMT consisted of three 10-minute daily supervised sessions for three consecutive days. Before, at the end, and one month after the end of training, subjects' maximal inspiratory pressures (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressures (MEP) were assessed. In NAB group a significant increase in MIP was found, from -75±10 to -97±14 cmH2O (p<0.001) and one month later (-99±14 cmH2O, p<0.001). Similarly, in AB group, MIP significantly raised from 77±17 to -96±20 cmH2O (p<0.001), which was maintained one month later (-96±23 cmH2O, p<0.001). No significant difference was found between the two groups final MIP (p>0.05). As to MEP, only in AB group a significant increase on final MEP was found, from 99±16 to 112±16 cmH2O, p<0.05), followed by a decrease one month later (101±19 cmH2O, p<0.05). Hence in young healthy women a short-term, high-intensity IMT protocol increases inspiratory muscle strength independently of arm positioning, simultaneous to an increase in expiratory muscle strength when the IMT is performed with arm bracing.
Arm; Breathing exercises; Posture
