Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2025

Acquisition and Semi-Automated Analysis of Respiratory Muscle Surface Electromyography
Published on: January 24, 2025
Effects of inspiratory muscle training on 1RM performance and body composition in professional natural bodybuilders
Baha Engin Çelikel1, Coşkun Yılmaz2, Alper Demir2
1Firat University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Elazığ, Türkiye.
Background:
The effect of inspiratory muscle training on upper limbs One Rep Maximum (1RM) in professional natural bodybuilders is still unclear. Our aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a 6 weeks inspiratory muscle training on 1RM results.
Methods:
This study included 14 athletes, that had participated in international bodybuilding competitions. Each athlete had been training for minimum of 5 years and at least 5 h per week. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and control (CON) groups. The IMT group and CON group consisted of seven subjects. While the control group continued with the normal training regime, the IMT group additionally performed inspiratory muscle training with the resistance setting of the PowerBreathe® Classic device set to 40% of the participant's MIP. Prior to and during the 6-week training period, the bench press 1 RM, anthropometry, pulmonary function tests, and maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressure measurements were obtained. A nutrition protocol developed by a qualified dietician was implemented for each athlete.
Results:
The mean maximal strength of the respiratory muscle training group changed by 14.39%, whereas that of the control group changed by 9.43% (p = 0.012). The changes in the mean FVC (p = 0.000), FEV1 (p = 0.001), PEF (p = 0.064), MIP (p = 0.001), and maximal expiratory pressure (p = 0.017) were greater in the IMT group. The mean circumferences of the shoulder (p = 0.004), chest (p = 0.008), arm (p = 0.004), and neck (p = 0.003) improved more in the IMT group than in the CON group. A reduction in abdominal measurement was observed in the IMT group (p = 0.039), whereas no notable discrepancy was identified in body fat percentage (p = 0.295).
Conclusion:
In conclusion we identified that the addition of progressive loading inspiratory muscle training for competition preparation programs in professional natural bodybuilders will further improve their respiratory function, respiratory muscle strength, maximal strength, and muscle development. This research provides valuable insights into how IMT influences bodybuilding training outcomes, potentially guiding future interventions and program designs to better support strength development and body composition in bodybuilding training contexts.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Mechanism of Breathing III: The Accessory Muscles
The respiratory system is a complex network that relies on primary respiratory muscles like the diaphragm, but also involves accessory muscles to enhance lung expansion and airflow during both inhalation and exhalation.
Enhancing Inhalation with Accessory Muscles:
Accessory muscles such as the sternocleidomastoid, scalene, intercostal, and abdominal muscles are crucial when additional respiratory effort is required, such as during deep...
Mechanism of Breathing I: Inspiration
The respiratory system, an essential network for breathing, comprises the conducting and respiratory zones, each playing a crucial role in the overall process of respiration. Let us explore the detailed mechanism of inspiration, or inhalation, which is the first phase of the respiratory cycle.
Pathway of Air during Inspiration
During inspiration, air enters our body through the nose or mouth and moves through the conducting zone,...
Muscle Stimulation Frequency
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...
Pulmonary Ventilation: Inhalation
Boyle's law becomes particularly pertinent when examining respiratory...
Motor Unit Stimulation
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...

