Effects of breathing exercises on young swimmers’ respiratory system parameters and performance

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1 Citation (Scopus)
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Abstract

Breathing exercises are widely used to enhance respiratory function and athletic performance. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a modified exercise regimen on respiratory parameters and its effect on the performance of young swimmers in competition. Thirty-one swimmers aged 16–17 from various clubs in Latvia were selected, comprising an experimental group (n = 15, height: 174.36 ± 7.85 cm, weight: 65.80 ± 9.35 kg, body mass index: 21.60 ± 1.54) and a control group (n = 16, height: 180.78 ± 7.05 cm, weight: 69.90 ± 6.49 kg, body mass index: 21.40 ± 1.56). With an average of eight years of experience, participants trained for approximately 43–45 weeks annually (pool and gym sessions), with an average training duration of 20 ± 2 hours per week. Measurements were conducted on days one and 30, involving spirometry and swimming performance assessment based on the best results in the freestyle 100-meter distance. The experiment consisted of a modified breathing exercise performed thrice weekly for four weeks. Significant improvements were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group in forced vital capacity (p = 0.02), peak inspiratory flow (p = 0.001), and performance (p = 0.001), with p-values < 0.05. However, no significant changes were noted in peak expiratory flow (p = 0.46 > 0.05). The findings indicate that modified breathing exercises effectively enhance respiratory parameters and performance in competitive swimmers.
Original languageEnglish
Article number205
Pages (from-to)1 - 13
Number of pages13
JournalMCB Molecular and Cellular Biomechanics
Volume21
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 Sept 2024

Keywords*

  • swimming
  • spirometry
  • respiratory parameters
  • performance

Field of Science*

  • 3.3 Health sciences
  • 1.6 Biological sciences
  • 3.4 Medical biotechnology

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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