Scientists from the University of Waterloo discovered that the respiratory muscles remain in good shape even after long periods of non-training. The study was published in the journal Experimental Physiology.
The study included 16 young healthy people over the age of 18. They were randomly assigned to the control group or the experimental group. For five weeks, the experimental group performed inspiratory muscle training twice a day, five days a week. Then, for another five weeks, the participants did not do breathing exercises, but remained physically active – three exercises per week. The control group did only physical activity for 10 weeks.
Respiratory muscle training allowed participants in the experimental group to improve their heart function during physical activity: they had less pressure rise and lower heart rate. This contributes to the development of endurance. The researchers found that the effect persisted five weeks after the breathing exercise was stopped.
The study proved that the respiratory muscles can be trained like any other skeletal muscle, and the effect persists even after the training is interrupted. This could mean that training can build some muscle tone.
Scientists also suggest that improving respiratory muscle function could potentially help people slow the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death worldwide. The study’s authors plan to repeat the study in people with COPD.
Source: Gazeta
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