Liu Shunfang, Gou Pengpeng, Lin Menglong
Faculty of Sport and Leisure, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China.
Program in Global Exercise Science, Arts & Sports College, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Front Physiol. 2025 Jul 17;16:1638739. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1638739. eCollection 2025.
Respiratory muscle training, which targets the inspiratory and/or expiratory muscles to enhance respiratory efficiency, is recognized as a method for improving athletic performance; however, its effectiveness in enhancing swimming performance remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of respiratory muscle training on swimming performance.
Methodology followed the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in eight databases (Web of Science, PubMed (comprising MEDLINE and PubMed Central), SPORTDiscus, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, and ProQuest) and supplemented with manual searches of other sources (e.g., Google Scholar) up to 22 May 2025. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: (a) participants were healthy individuals without diagnosed disease or disability; (b) the intervention involved respiratory muscle training compared to a sham or control condition in a randomized controlled trial or controlled clinical trial; (c) swimming performance was reported as an outcome with sufficient data to compute effect sizes; and (d) the full text was available.
Results of this systematic review revealed that of the 1,044 articles retrieved from the search strategy, 10 met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis indicated that respiratory muscle training significantly improved swimming performance, with low heterogeneity and no evidence of publication bias. Among the included studies, respiratory muscle training protocols were typically conducted at 50%-80% of maximal inspiratory pressure for 6-8 weeks, with a frequency of 3-14 sessions per week. However, substantial variability in training frequency, progression, and duration limited direct comparisons between interventions. Due to inconsistent and limited reporting, subgroup analysis based on gender, stroke style, or competitive level could not be performed.
Respiratory muscle training appears to be an effective adjunct to swimming training, contributing to improved performance. Future studies should prioritise protocol standardisation, elucidate the dose-effect relationship, and explore moderating factors such as gender, stroke type, and training status. Registered on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD420251051091).
Identifier CRD420251051091.
呼吸肌训练旨在增强吸气和/或呼气肌肉以提高呼吸效率，被认为是一种提高运动表现的方法；然而，其对提高游泳成绩的有效性仍存在争议。本研究旨在评估呼吸肌训练对游泳成绩的影响。
研究方法遵循PRISMA指南。在八个数据库（科学网、PubMed（包括MEDLINE和PubMed Central）、SPORTDiscus、ScienceDirect、Scopus、Cochrane图书馆、Embase和ProQuest）中进行了全面的文献检索，并辅以截至2025年5月22日对其他来源（如谷歌学术）的手动检索。符合以下标准的研究有资格纳入：（a）参与者为未被诊断患有疾病或残疾的健康个体；（b）在随机对照试验或对照临床试验中，干预措施涉及呼吸肌训练，并与假手术或对照条件进行比较；（c）游泳成绩作为结果被报告，且有足够的数据来计算效应量；（d）可获取全文。
本系统评价的结果显示，从检索策略中检索到的1044篇文章中，有10篇符合纳入标准。荟萃分析表明，呼吸肌训练显著提高了游泳成绩，异质性低，且无发表偏倚的证据。在纳入的研究中，呼吸肌训练方案通常在最大吸气压力的50%-80%下进行6-8周，每周进行3-14次训练。然而，训练频率、进展和持续时间的显著差异限制了干预措施之间的直接比较。由于报告不一致且有限，无法进行基于性别、划水方式或竞技水平的亚组分析。
呼吸肌训练似乎是游泳训练有效的辅助手段，有助于提高成绩。未来的研究应优先进行方案标准化，阐明剂量-效应关系，并探索性别、划水类型和训练状态等调节因素。在PROSPERO上注册（注册号：CRD420251051091）。
标识符CRD420251051091。
