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Effects of Diaphragmatic Breathing Retraining in Combat Sport Athletes With Dysfunctional Breathing Patterns

NCT07717801 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2026-07-21

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Combat sport athletes often need to maintain a guarded posture, stabilize the trunk, react quickly, and control balance during contact or unexpected movement. These demands may be related not only to strength and conditioning, but also to the coordination between breathing and postural control. The diaphragm is the main muscle for breathing and also contributes to trunk stability through its role in pressure regulation and deep core control. However, dysfunctional breathing patterns, such as upper-chest dominant breathing, reduced lower rib expansion, or poor coordination between the chest and abdomen, may interfere with this function.

The purpose of this study is to examine dysfunctional breathing patterns in combat sport athletes and to investigate whether diaphragmatic breathing retraining can improve breathing patterns, diaphragm function, core stability, postural control, and sport-related performance. This study will first screen athletes from combat and non-combat sports to determine the prevalence of dysfunctional breathing. Combat sport athletes will then complete laboratory tests to examine the relationship between breathing pattern, posture, diaphragm function, core stability, and postural control. In the intervention part of the study, combat sport athletes with dysfunctional breathing will be randomly assigned to diaphragmatic breathing retraining plus usual training or usual training only. The study will compare the two groups to determine whether adding diaphragmatic breathing retraining provides additional benefits. The study will also examine whether the changes are maintained after training and whether baseline measures can help identify athletes who respond better to the program.

Conditions

  • Respiratory Muscle Function
  • Athletic Performance
  • Postural Balance

Interventions

OTHER

Diaphragmatic breathing training exercise

Participants will complete one session of diaphragmatic breathing correction. During the session, verbal instruction, manual facilitation, and corrective feedback will be used to guide participants toward a more diaphragmatic breathing pattern. Participants will be instructed to breathe with relaxed shoulders and neck, increase lower rib cage and abdominal expansion, and minimize upper-chest dominant breathing. The intervention is designed to examine the immediate effects of breathing correction on breathing pattern characteristics, diaphragm function, postural alignment, and core stability-related outcomes.

OTHER

Usual training

Participants continue their regular sport-specific training schedule. They receive non-specific limb stretching and general exercise education but no structured breathing exercises or breathing instruction during the study period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Cheng Kung University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
50 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-05-01
Primary Completion
2029-07-31
Completion
2029-07-31

Countries

  • Taiwan

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07717801 on ClinicalTrials.gov