Effects of Respiratory Resistance Training With a Concurrent Flow Device on Wheelchair Athletes

• Published in: The journal of spinal cord medicine 2008-01, Vol.31 (1), p.65-71
• Main Authors: Litchke, Lyn G., Russian, Christopher J., Lloyd, Lisa K., Schmidt, Eric A., Price, Larry, Walker, John L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Disabled Persons - rehabilitation; Exercise - physiology; Humans; Male; Maximal Voluntary Ventilation - physiology; Middle Aged; Original Contribution; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Paralympics; Physical Education and Training; Physical Endurance - physiology; Pulmonary function tests; Respiratory function tests; Respiratory Muscles - physiopathology; Respiratory System - physiopathology; Respiratory therapy; Spinal cord injuries; Wheelchair sports; Wheelchairs
• ISSN: 1079-0268; 2045-7723
• DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2008.11753983

Background/Objective: To determine the effect of respiratory resistance training (RRT) with a concurrent flow respiratory (CFR) device on respiratory function and aerobic power in wheelchair athletes. Methods: Ten male wheelchair athletes (8 with spinal cord injuries, 1 with a neurological disorder, and 1 with postpolio syndrome), were matched by lesion level and/or track rating before random assignment to either a RRT group (n = 5) or a control group (CON, n = 5). The RRT group performed 1 set of breathing exercises using Expand-a-Lung, a CFR device, 2 to 3 times daily for 10 weeks. Pre/posttesting included measurement of maximum voluntary ventilation (MW), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), and peak oxygen consumption (Vo 2 peak). Results: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant group difference in change for MIP from pre- to posttest (P < 0.05). The RRT group improved by 33.0 cm H 2 O, while the CON group improved by 0.6 cm H 2 O. Although not significant, the MW increased for the RRT group and decreased for the CON group. There was no significant group difference between Vo 2 peak for pre/posttesting. Due to small sample sizes in both groups and violations of some parametric statistical assumptions, nonparametric tests were also conducted as a crosscheck of the findings. The results of the nonparametric tests concurred with the parametric results. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that 10 weeks of RRT training with a CFR device can effectively improve MIP in wheelchair athletes. Further research and a larger sample size are warranted to further characterize the impact of Expand-a-Lung on performance and other cardiorespiratory variables in wheelchair athletes.