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The influence of inspiratory and expiratory muscle training upon rowing performance

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Abstract

We investigated the effect of 4 week of inspiratory (IMT) or expiratory muscle training (EMT), as well as the effect of a subsequent 6 week period of combined IMT/EMT on rowing performance in club-level oarsmen. Seventeen male rowers were allocated to either an IMT (n = 10) or EMT (n = 7) group. The groups underwent a 4 week IMT or EMT program; after interim testing, both groups subsequently performed a 6 week program of combined IMT/EMT. Exercise performance and physiological responses to exercise were measured at 4 and 10 week during an incremental rowing ergometer ‘step-test’ and a 6 min all-out (6MAO) effort. Pressure threshold respiratory muscle training was undertaken at the 30 repetition maximum load (∼50% of the peak inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressure, P Imax or P Emax, respectively). P Imax increased during the IMT phase of the training in the IMT group (26%, P < 0.001) and was accompanied by an improvement in mean power during the 6MAO (2.7%, P = 0.015). Despite an increase in P Emax by the end of the intervention (31%, P = 0.03), the EMT group showed no significant changes in any performance parameters during either the ‘step-test’ or 6MAO. There were no significant changes in breathing pattern or the metabolic response to the 6MAO test in either group, but the IMT group showed a small decrease in HR (2–5%, P = 0.001). We conclude that there were no significant additional changes following combined IMT/EMT. IMT improved rowing performance, but EMT and subsequent combined IMT/EMT did not.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the oarsmen of the Thames Tradesmen rowing club for their participation in this study. Conflicts of Interest: Alison McConnell has a beneficial interest in the POWERbreathe® Inspiratory Muscle Trainer in the form of a royalty share on license income to the University of Birmingham, UK. She also acts as a consultant to Gaiam Ltd. The authors are grateful to Gaiam Ltd. and MicroMedical Ltd. for donation of equipment for use in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Sport, Leisure and Travel, Wellesbourne Campus, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, Kingshill Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 5BB, UK

    Lisa A. Griffiths

  2. Centre for Sports Medicine and Human Performance, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK

    Alison K. McConnell

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  1. Lisa A. Griffiths
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  2. Alison K. McConnell
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Correspondence to Lisa A. Griffiths.

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Griffiths, L.A., McConnell, A.K. The influence of inspiratory and expiratory muscle training upon rowing performance. Eur J Appl Physiol 99, 457–466 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-006-0367-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-006-0367-6

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