Influence of inspiratory muscle warm-up on aerobic performance during incremental exercise

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Endurance is an important factor in athletic performance and is affected by respiratory muscle fatigue. Recent studies indicate that warming up of respiratory muscles improves the respiratory muscle fatigue. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of inspiratory muscle warm-up on aerobic performance during incremental exercise. METHOD: Maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressures were measured in 30 healthy male athletes, with (EX) and without (CON) inspiratory muscle warm-up. RESULTS: No significant changes in MIP and MEP values between baseline levels and the CON condition were observed while such were seen with respect to EX and between the EX and CON conditions (p < 0.05). Aerobic performance measurements, including peak oxygen uptake (VO2PEAK), relative VO2PEAK, oxygen uptake to workrate slope (Delta VO2/Delta WR), metabolic equivalent (MET), peak heart rate (HRPEAK), peak minute ventilation (VEPEAK), peak tidal volume (TVPEAK), peak respiratory rate (RRPEAK), peak carbondioxide output (VCO2PEAK) and respiratory exchange rate (RER) significantly differed by 18.84%, 19.51%, 9.53%, 15.54%, -4.36%, 19.90%, 32.77%, -6.10%, 23.29% and 7.34%, respectively, between subjects in the EX and CON conditions. CONCLUSION: These results show that inspiratory muscle warm-up improves aerobic performance byt further investigation is required to elucidate the exact mechanisms that stand behing these variations.