Effects of respiratory muscle endurance training on wheelchair racing performance in athletes with paraplegia: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE

Respiratory muscle endurance training (RMET) has been shown to improve both respiratory muscle and cycling exercise endurance in able-bodied subjects. Since effects of RMET on upper extremity exercise performance have not yet been investigated, we evaluated the effects of RMET on 10-km time-trial performance in wheelchair racing athletes.

DESIGN

Pilot study, controlled before and after trial.

SETTING

Spinal cord injury research center.

PARTICIPANTS

12 competitive wheelchair racing athletes.

INTERVENTIONS

The training group performed 30 sessions of RMET for 30 min each. The control group did no respiratory muscle training.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Differences in 10-km time-trial performance pre- versus postintervention.

RESULTS

In the training group, the time of the 10-km time-trial decreased significantly from before versus after intervention (27.1 +/- 9.0 vs. 24.1 +/- 6.6 min); this did not occur in the control group (23.3 +/- 2.8 vs. 23.2 +/- 2.4 min). No between groups difference was present (P = 0.150). Respiratory muscle endurance increased significantly within the training group (9.1 +/- 7.2 vs. 39.9 +/- 17.8 min) and between groups, but not within the control group (4.3 +/- 2.9 vs. 6.6 +/- 7.0 min) before versus after intervention.

CONCLUSION

There was a strong trend, with a large observed effect size of d = 0.87, towards improved performance in the 10-km time-trial after 6 weeks of RMET.