The effect of respiratory muscle training on aerobic power and respiratory parameters in swimmers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 6 weeks respiratory muscle training on aerobic power (VO2max) and respiratory parameters in swimmers. A total of 20 male swimmers between 18 and 23 years of age were included in the study as volunteers and randomly divided into two groups as control (n: 10) and control (n: 10) groups. Respiratory muscle training was applied to the experimental group 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Respiratory muscle training device (POWER®breathe, UK) and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) value of 30% of the respiratory muscle training 30 times twice a day was built. Body mass index, VO2max, vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and forced expiratory rate (FEV1/FVC) were measured before and after training. Respiratory parameters were measured by spirometry. VO2max measurements were measured by cardiopulmonary exercise test on bicycle ergometer. Respiratory muscle strength was used to determine the respiratory pressure gauge. The data were analyzed in SPSS 22.0 program. Independent Samples T Test was used to assess the significance between the experimental and control groups. Paired Samples T Test was applied for intra-group comparisons. As a result of the statistical analysis, there was a significant difference in the respiratory parameters of the experimental group (p<0.05). Aerobic power values were not significant (p>0.05). In the comparison between groups, there was a significant difference in the values of the respiratory parameters in favor of the experimental group. As a result, it can be said that 6 weeks of respiratory muscle training affects the respiratory parameters positively in swimmers. It is thought that regular respiratory muscle training improves respiratory parameters. Keywords: Swimming, respiratory muscle training, aerobic power.