Inspiratory Muscle Warm-up Protocol

Summary

The capacity of athletes to demonstrate their abilities to the fullest extent is contingent upon their physical fitness. Oxygen delivery and utilization become crucial during athletic pursuits, as muscle oxygen demand increases with exercise. The mechanical functioning of the respiratory system is largely dependent on the capacity of the respiratory muscles. For these reasons, inspiratory muscle pre-activation, which positively affects the efficiency of pulmonary circulation, increases the functional capacity of the respiratory muscles, reduces fatigue in the respiratory muscles, and plays a critical role in exercise physiology and athlete performance.

It has been demonstrated that inspiratory muscle exercises elicit a range of effects on performance. Studies show reductions in blood lactate levels among short-distance runners, thereby facilitating a positive enhancement in the post-performance recovery process, improve respiratory functions and both aerobic and anaerobic capacity in basketball players, positively affect performance in Olympic swimmers, increase performance in professional rowers and cyclists, enhance aerobic exercise performance in wheelchair basketball players, affect exercise performance in tennis players, increase performance in professional football players and handball players, affect shooting performance in archers, positively affect shot-hit performance in ice hockey players, and increase shot and drag-flick hit performance in hockey players. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of data concerning the impact of inspiratory muscle pre-activation on basketball performance. Many of these studies focus on longer-term training adaptations rather than a single short session of pre-activation.

The fundamental techniques of basketball can be classified into four main categories: passing, shooting, dribbling, and rebounding. Of these, shooting and passing are skills that require a high degree of accuracy in order to be performed effectively within the context of the game. A review of the literature reveals that training the inspiratory muscles is an effective method for improving athletic skills that require accuracy, as it enhances the stabilization of core muscles. However, the exact mechanism by which a brief inspiratory muscle pre-activation session might benefit precision-based movements remains under discussion. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine whether a diaphragmatic-based method to prepare inspiratory muscles could improve passing, dribbling, and shooting among basketball players. By evaluating its immediate impact on key basketball tasks, we aim to clarify the value of such exercises in routine training.

Conditions

• Inspiratory Muscle Strength

Interventions

DEVICE

Inspiratory muscle warm-up training

The Powerbreathe brand device was used to perform inspiratory muscle pre-activation. Two sets of 30 breaths were carried out at 40% of each participant's maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (MIP), with a one-minute rest in between. MIP was measured once at the first session, and that value determined 40% and 5% for IMpa and IMPpa, respectively, in later visits. Participants were seated, wearing a nose clip, instructed to exhale forcefully, then inhale forcefully against a closed airway for one to three seconds. Measurements were repeated until values within 5 cmH₂O of each other were obtained, recording the best result in cmH₂O.

OTHER

General Warm-up Protocol

The participants engaged in a 10-minute jogging activity, which was followed by a 10-minute stretching exercise. Subsequently, the general warm-up protocol was completed with shooting drills tailored to the specific requirements of basketball, without inducing fatigue.

DEVICE

Placebo inspiratory muscle warm-up training

The Powerbreathe brand inspiratory muscle warm-up device was employed to facilitate an exercise regimen comprising two sets of 30 breaths, performed at an intensity of 5% of the participants' maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (MIP), with a one-minute interval between sets. This minimal load was intended as a placebo-like condition for inspiratory muscle usage.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Gaziantep

  collaborator OTHER

• Burak Karaca

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-06-01

Primary Completion

2023-06-10

Completion

2023-06-11

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations