Page 124 - Petelin Ana. Ur. 2022. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of children and adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 124
avje otrok in mladostnikov | health of children and adolescents 124 affect the improvement of respiratory functions and results in various
sports. Based on the results of our research and the literature reviewed,
we can conclude that the inspiratory muscle training in the period
without swimming-specific training, shows a trend of positive effect on
maintaining swimming results.
Keywords: inspiratory muscles, breathing, maintenance of abilities,
Powerbreathe, swimming
Introduction
The aquatic environment is one of the most demanding for respiratory muscles
(hereafter RM), and competitive swimming represents one of the biggest chal-
lenges for them (McConnell, 2011). Lomax and McConnell (2003) showed that
swimming causes a 29% drop in inspiratory muscle (hereafter IM) strength af-
ter exercise, compared to “land” sports, where the drop is between 10% and
20%. Breathing with the chest submerged requires greater IM force due to hy-
drostatic pressure (Wylegala, Pendergast, Gosselin, Warkander, and Lundgren,
2007) and IM are 16% weaker in the horizontal position (McConnell, 2011). The
breathing pattern requires a high degree of body mobility in order to mini-
mize the negative impact on stroke mechanics (Lomax and Castle, 2011, Leahy
et al., 2019). Due to better hydrodinamics, swimmers strive to reduce the num-
ber of breaths and time when the head is out of the watter McConnell (2011), so
they must breathe quickly and as deep as possible (Leahy et al., 2019). In addi-
tion, during swimming, RM participate in trunk stabilization during propul-
sive moments (Vašičkova et al., 2017), and muscles with several roles simultane-
ously, are more susceptible to fatigue, reduced capacity and sport performance
(McConnell, 2011).
Inspiratory muscle training (hereafter IMT) is mentioned in the literature
as an effective method for improving efficiency and performance in various
sports. RM are highly adaptive to repeated exercise and show changes in struc-
ture, strength improvement, contraction speed and endurance (Ramirez-Ser-
miento, 2002; McConnell and Romer, 2003, McConnell, 2011). In a study by
Downey et al. (2007), after four to eight weeks of IMT against resistance, biop-
sy has shown an increase in diaphragm thickness by 12%. In addition they no-
ticed an improvement in inspiratory strength by 24% after four and 41% after
eight weeks of exercise.
Some effects of IMT on performance in sports are already known. An im-
provement in the endurance of underwater (33% - 50%) and surface (38% - 88%)
fin swimming was shown, the respiratory volume increased (12%), respiratory
frequency decreased by 19% and energy expenditure by 7,8% (McConnell, 2011).
In underwater swimmers, the improvement was shown in maximal inspirato-
ry pressure (hereafter MIP), inspiratory volume (hereafter IV) and underwa-
ter swam distance (USD) (Pupišova, Pupiš, Jančokova and Pivovarniček, 2014).
Kilding, Brown and McConnell (2010) found an increase in MIP and swim-
sports. Based on the results of our research and the literature reviewed,
we can conclude that the inspiratory muscle training in the period
without swimming-specific training, shows a trend of positive effect on
maintaining swimming results.
Keywords: inspiratory muscles, breathing, maintenance of abilities,
Powerbreathe, swimming
Introduction
The aquatic environment is one of the most demanding for respiratory muscles
(hereafter RM), and competitive swimming represents one of the biggest chal-
lenges for them (McConnell, 2011). Lomax and McConnell (2003) showed that
swimming causes a 29% drop in inspiratory muscle (hereafter IM) strength af-
ter exercise, compared to “land” sports, where the drop is between 10% and
20%. Breathing with the chest submerged requires greater IM force due to hy-
drostatic pressure (Wylegala, Pendergast, Gosselin, Warkander, and Lundgren,
2007) and IM are 16% weaker in the horizontal position (McConnell, 2011). The
breathing pattern requires a high degree of body mobility in order to mini-
mize the negative impact on stroke mechanics (Lomax and Castle, 2011, Leahy
et al., 2019). Due to better hydrodinamics, swimmers strive to reduce the num-
ber of breaths and time when the head is out of the watter McConnell (2011), so
they must breathe quickly and as deep as possible (Leahy et al., 2019). In addi-
tion, during swimming, RM participate in trunk stabilization during propul-
sive moments (Vašičkova et al., 2017), and muscles with several roles simultane-
ously, are more susceptible to fatigue, reduced capacity and sport performance
(McConnell, 2011).
Inspiratory muscle training (hereafter IMT) is mentioned in the literature
as an effective method for improving efficiency and performance in various
sports. RM are highly adaptive to repeated exercise and show changes in struc-
ture, strength improvement, contraction speed and endurance (Ramirez-Ser-
miento, 2002; McConnell and Romer, 2003, McConnell, 2011). In a study by
Downey et al. (2007), after four to eight weeks of IMT against resistance, biop-
sy has shown an increase in diaphragm thickness by 12%. In addition they no-
ticed an improvement in inspiratory strength by 24% after four and 41% after
eight weeks of exercise.
Some effects of IMT on performance in sports are already known. An im-
provement in the endurance of underwater (33% - 50%) and surface (38% - 88%)
fin swimming was shown, the respiratory volume increased (12%), respiratory
frequency decreased by 19% and energy expenditure by 7,8% (McConnell, 2011).
In underwater swimmers, the improvement was shown in maximal inspirato-
ry pressure (hereafter MIP), inspiratory volume (hereafter IV) and underwa-
ter swam distance (USD) (Pupišova, Pupiš, Jančokova and Pivovarniček, 2014).
Kilding, Brown and McConnell (2010) found an increase in MIP and swim-
