Inspiratory muscle training and testing: Rationale, development and feasibility

Inspiratory muscle training applies a training stimulus directly to the inspiratory muscles and is distinct from whole-body training. The potential benefits of inspiratory muscle training have yet to be explored in horses.

The objectives were as follows: (a) to develop an equine-specific method of testing and training inspiratory muscles; (b) to assess tolerance and feasibility in a pilot study in a commercial Thoroughbred training establishment.

Field study.

A mask was used to interface commercial human inspiratory muscle training equipment. Ten horses undertook inspiratory muscle training once daily while stood in the stable approximately 5 days/wk over a 9-week period. Inspiratory muscle strength testing employed a continuous incremental inspiratory loading protocol alternating two loaded and two minimally loaded breaths until failure to tolerate the load occurred or the maximum 60 breaths were completed. The inspiratory muscle strength testing was undertaken twice; firstly, in 10 horses with minimal acclimatisation and secondly, in eight horses experienced with the inspiratory muscle training programme.

The 10 horses undertook inspiratory muscle training for a median of 42 days, reaching a median peak training load of 32.5 cm H₂ O. One horse did not tolerate the mask with repeated snorting and was replaced. All horses completed the inspiratory muscle strength testing. The median peak value in inspiratory muscle strength testing protocol 1 was 27 cm H₂ O and in inspiratory muscle strength testing protocol 2 was 41 cm H₂ O. Two of 10 horses reached the maximum possible value in inspiratory muscle strength testing protocol 1; therefore, the test was adapted to permit a higher maximum value, despite this 3/8 horses reached the maximum possible value in inspiratory muscle strength testing protocol 2.

A small number of horses were assessed. The inspiratory muscle strength testing protocol was refined during the study and requires additional refinement.

Inspiratory muscle testing and training were feasible and tolerated in horses. Further research is required to understand whether the inspiratory muscle strength testing values obtained correlate with other physiological/performance outcomes. The potential benefits and/or adverse effects of inspiratory muscle training warrant further investigation.