Effects of specific inspiratory muscle warm-up on maximal inspiratory pressure, rowing performance, and VO2 kinetics

In sport, technological and scientific support for athletes and coaches provide a range of options in search of improving physical performance and recovery. This has led to additional activities and strategies to well-known training methods such as resistance and cardiovascular training. One of the proposed additional training methods that has received attention for endurance athletes is the specific respiratory muscle training and warm-up prior to highly intensive activities (competitions). Inspiratory muscle training during longer period has been studied extensively on athletes and non-athletes and the results of two systematic reviews and meta-analysis indicate positive results on performance. However, less research focus has been on an acute inspiratory muscle warm-up prior to activity. Therefore, the overall purpose of the current thesis was to investigate the effect of specific inspiratory muscle warm up on different physiological and performance related variables of rowing ergometer performance. Our studies showed that the inspiratory muscles can fatigue already after 1000m rowing test and specific IM warm-up with 40% MIP caused an increase in breathing frequency and a tendency for higher ventilation, RER, and lower heart rate, but did not increase submaximal performance. Also, our studies showed that warm-up protocols with higher intensities of maximal inspiratory pressure increased inspiratory muscle strength, yet it seems to have no effect on VO2 kinetics. However, the IM warm-up seemed to have no negative effects on performance also. Therefore, coaches and endurance athletes may focus on inspiratory muscle warm-up at 40-60% MIP level to test for individual effects trainings and competition to better prepare the respiratory system.