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The Legend of Breathing Shallow

Athletes work to strengthen muscles that help them in their sports. Yet little attention is paid to the muscles that control breathing. Breathing seems as natural as blinking, and it doesn't really seem to matter how we do it. But breathing muscles actually play an important role in athletic performance. Whether you're a casual jogger or super-competitive triathlete, here's something that might interest you.

Fourteen competitive rowers were placed into either a training or placebo group. All were given an inspiratory muscle trainer and instructed to use it for 11 weeks. This device creates resistance when you breathe in but allows you to breathe out with no resistance. The training group had the resistance set at 50%. They used the device twice a day for 30 breaths. The placebo group had the resistance set at 15%, which is a level that does not affect training. They used the device once a day for 60 breaths. Subjects were given a bogus explanation of the test, and they didn't know which group they were in.

After 11 weeks, all the rowers were tested. Researchers looked at measures including lung capacity, rowing performance, and blood testing. The training group "kicked butt." They improved their inspiratory muscle strength by over 40%. The placebo group showed only a 5% improvement. And get this: the training group also shaved 36 seconds off a 5000 meter rowing trial, compared to 11 seconds for the placebo group.

Researchers feel that improved tidal volume was part of the reason for the improvements in the training group. Tidal volume is the amount of air inhaled and exhaled. Tidal volume increased significantly in the training group. In comparison, the placebo group breathed much faster, which can be a sign of respiratory muscle fatigue. This research puts a whole new spin on the phrase "sucking air."

References: Stefanos Volianitis, et al. Inspiratory Muscle Training Improves Rowing Performance. In Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. May 2000. Vol. 33. No. 5. Pp 803-809.

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