[Respiratory muscle training in pulmonary rehabilitation]

Respiratory muscles are essential in maintaining normal ventilation and adequate gas exchanges. Any imbalance in their function can lead to clinical symptoms: dyspnea, hypercapnia, exercise intolerance, ineffective cough. In the pulmonary rehabilitation a particular area is represented by the respiratory muscle training in various lung diseases. Inspiratory muscles training, particularly in COPD patients, has a beneficial effect, resulting in increased strength and endurance of respiratory muscles, decreased dyspnea level, improved quality of life and exercise tolerance. It is a therapy that can be used alone or in combination with generalized physical training, especially in patients with inspiratory muscle weakness.