OBJECTIVE To develop statistical models to predict lung function and respiratory muscle strength from personal and lesion characteristics of individuals with motor complete spinal cord injury. DESIGN Cross-sectional, multi-centre cohort study. SUBJECTS A total of 440 individuals with traumatic, motor complete spinal cord injury, time post-injury ≥ 6 months, lesion level C4-T12, underwent me...

This research examined the effects of respiratory-muscle (RM) training on RM function and exercise performance in older women. Twenty-six women (60-69 yr of age) were assessed for spirometry, RM strength (maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure), inspiratory-muscle endurance, and walking performance to a perceived exertion rating of "hard." They were randomly allocated to a threshold RM tra...

Decramer M. Response of the respiratory muscles to rehabilitation in COPD. J Appl Physiol 107: 971–976, 2009. First published April 2, 2009; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.91459.2008.—Respiratory rehabilitation is known to improve outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The question addressed in the present review is whether these beneficial effects are related to impr...

Respiratory rehabilitation is known to improve outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The question addressed in the present review is whether these beneficial effects are related to improvements in inspiratory muscle function. Respiratory muscle fatigue often did not occur during exercise in patients with COPD, since exercise limitation usually occurred when sig...

BACKGROUND Evidence regarding the efficacy of nutritional supplementation to enhance exercise training responses in COPD patients with low muscle mass is limited. The objective was to study if nutritional supplementation targeting muscle derangements enhances outcome of exercise training in COPD patients with low muscle mass. METHODS Eighty-one COPD patients with low muscle mass, admitted to ...

In subjects with normal lung mechanics, inspiratory muscle strength can be reliably and easily assessed by the sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP), which is the pressure measured in an occluded nostril during a maximal sniff performed through the contralateral nostril. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the SNIP in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),...

To determine whether patients with chronic airflow limitation have a specific alteration in skeletal muscle performance, the strength and endurance of inspiratory and limb muscles were compared in 11 patients with chronic airflow limitation and 11 control subjects during maximal voluntary contractions. Peak inspiratory pressure at observed functional residual capacity (FRC) was significantly le...

AIMS To assess whether a domiciliary programme of specific inspiratory muscle training in stable chronic heart failure results in improvements in exercise tolerance or quality of life. METHODS AND RESULTS We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 8 weeks of inspiratory muscle training in 18 patients with stable chronic heart failure, using the Threshold trainer. Patients were randomized e...

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to review studies investigating the efficacy of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and to find out whether patient characteristics influence the efficacy of IMT. A systematic literature search was performed using the Medline and Embase databases. On the basis of a methodological framework, a critical re...

BACKGROUND Hypertension is a complex chronic condition characterized by elevated arterial blood pressure. Management of hypertension includes non-pharmacologic strategies, which may include techniques that effectively reduce autonomic sympathetic activity. Respiratory exercises improve autonomic control over cardiovascular system and attenuate muscle metaboreflex. Because of these effects, resp...