Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2026
Inspiratory Muscle Training as an Adjunct to the Treatment of Weaning Failure in Critically Ill Patients: A Practical Guide
Published on: January 30, 2026
Acute effects of inspiratory muscle warm-up on exercise performance in competitive athletes: a systematic review and
Zitao Wang1, Yushuo Liu1, Wanyuan Xia2
1School of Physical Education, Yunnan Normal University, 1 st Lianda Street, Chenggong District, Kunming, Yunnan Province, P.R. China.
Background:
The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantify the acute effect of inspiratory muscle warm-up (IMW) on sport-specific exercise performance in able-bodied competitive athletes and explore potential moderating effects of sport type and control condition. Para-athlete studies were not included in the eligible evidence base.
Methods:
We systematically searched Web of Science, PubMed, Ovid Embase, and Scopus for randomized trials comparing acute IMW with sham or standard warm-up in competitive athletes. Google Scholar was also searched to identify grey literature. A random-effects meta-analysis (Hedges' g) was performed on performance outcomes, with a significance threshold of P < = 0.05.
Results:
Eleven crossover trials (139 able-bodied athletes) were meta-analyzed. IMW produced a small beneficial effect on acute exercise performance (g = 0.285, 95% CI: 0.124 to 0.446). Sensitivity analyses assuming r = 0.3 and r = 0.7 yielded consistent results. The effect was larger for non-endurance or intermittent sports (g = 0.418, k = 6) than for endurance sports (g = 0.142, k = 5), but this subgroup contrast was treated as exploratory because the intermittent/non-endurance estimate was attenuated after excluding Lin et al. (2007) (g = 0.351, 95% CI: 0.152 to 0.551, P = 0.008, k = 5).
Conclusions:
IMW showed a small statistically significant pooled effect on acute exercise performance. However, the low certainty of evidence, limited sample base, influence of Lin et al. (2007) on the pooled estimate, and 10 of 11 individual estimates with 95% confidence intervals crossing the null mean that its practical value remains uncertain. Larger, rigorously designed trials using standardized loading protocols are needed.
Trial Registration:
PROSPERO CRD420261405783.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Exercise 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...
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be met...
01:21Mechanism 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...
01:22Muscle Stimulation Frequency
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...