Respiratory muscle fatigue is one of the important factors limiting sports performance due to metaboreflex. This reflex will cause a decrease in blood flow to the extremities and accelerate exercising limb fatigue. Systematic review of the literature found that respiratory muscle training can effectively enhance the respiratory muscle endurance and reduce fatigue during exercise, thereby enhancing athletic performance. Previous studies focused on endurance type of exercise. However, its effect on high intensity intermittent exercise such as basketball is still unclear.
PURPOSE:To investigate the effects of 3-week respiratory muscle training on exercising limb blood flow and sports performance in college basketball players.
METHODS:Nine healthy college basketball players (Height: 173.67±5.33 cm; Weight: 67.44± 2.67 kg; Age: 21.67±2.21 years) underwent respiratory muscle training (K2, POWERbreathe International Ltd, UK) twice a day, 5 days/week with intensity at 60%, 70% and 80% of maximum inspiratory pressure for week 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Before and after the 3-week training, Beep Test was conducted to examine sport performance and Impedance Plethysmography (Rheoscreen compact (Medis, Ilmenau, Germany) was performed to evaluate limb blood flow after respiratory muscle fatigue. Pre versus post-training data were compared using paired-t tests (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). P-values of less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.
RESULTS:Results of Beep test were transformed from level to VO2 maximum. VO2 maximum significantly increased from 45.16(L/min) to 49.4(L/min) after respiratory muscle training (p=0.045). Change of blood flow on lower limb decreased from 28.37% to 18.46 % ( p=0.14) after respiratory muscle training.
CONCLUSIONS:3-week respiratory muscle training enhanced respiratory muscle endurance and improve athletes’ sport performance. Although the decline in blood flow did not decrease significantly after training, the results had a downward tendency after training, suggesting respiratory muscle training could enhance sport performance by delaying respiratory muscle metaboreflex.
