EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT INSPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING INTENSITIES ON PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO EXERCISE IN HEALTHY MEN

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of various types of isolated training of the inspiratory muscles (IMT) on changes the aerobic capacity and the values of selected indices of inspiratory muscle function of healthy men. The group of 28 students did not practise competitive sports but performed moderate physical activity divided into two groups: those undergoing IMT with gradually increasing inspiratory resistance (which corresponded to 58.6 +/- 12.1% PImax in the fourth week and to 79.9 +/- 14.1% PImax in the final week) and those undergoing training of low constant inspiratory resistance (38.0 +/- 11.3% PImax). In both groups, IMT lasted 9 weeks and involved 30 inspirations performed twice a day, 6 days a week. An intermittent incremental stress test performed to exhaustion on a bicycle ergometer before and after IMT was applied. Indices of inspiratory muscle function were measured before IMT, after 4 weeks of its implementation and after IMT completion. The results confirmed that various types of IMT in combination with a moderate endurance exercise training did not significantly increase aerobic capacity in healthy men. Both types of IMT have similarly improved PImax in non-training students. Although measurements of inspiratory muscle relaxation time, active and passive time, and inspiratory time may be helpful in assessing the reproducibility of the inspiratory pressure measurements used, they do not seem to be very useful in assessing IMT effects in healthy men.