Inspiratory Muscle Training in Wheelchair Basketball Players

Inspiratory Muscle Training in Wheelchair Basketball Players: Effects on Physical Performance and Cardiopulmonary Variables

Investigate the effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training on the physical performance and cardiorespiratory variables of wheelchair basketball players.

The respiratory system has been touted as a limiting factor of physical performance during high intense physical exercises. This limitation is related, among other things, with the fatigue of respiratory muscles. The fatigue of these muscles during physical exercise generates many physiological reflex activation culminating in reduced blood flow to the limb muscles, resulting in decrease in muscle performance. Researchers showed that the inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is able to generate improved of athlete's physical performance. However, when it comes to wheelchair athletes there are still divergent views on the effects of IMT on the physical performance. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the effects of IMT on the physical performance and cardiorespiratory variables of wheelchair basketball players. For this purpose, the investigators will select 40 wheelchair basketball players of both genders. The participants will be allocated blindly and randomly into two groups that differ by the proposed interventions. In IMT Group, the participants will be submitted to a IMT program with inicial load of 50% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP); the SHAM Group will be submitted to a simulated IMT with load of 15% of MIP. All participants will pass through the same evaluation procedures before and after the interventions, so that the investagators can evaluate the benefits generated by the IMT on the physical performance and cardiorespiratory variables of wheelchair basketball players.

POWERbreathe - model Sports Plus Heavy Resistance (HAB International Ltd., Warwickshire, United Kingdom).

The participants who will be allocated in this simulated intervention group will have to do a simulated inspiratory muscle training protocol through the inspiratory muscle exerciser POWERbreathe, model Sports Plus Heavy Resistance (POWERbreathe; HAB International Ltd., Warwickshire, United Kingdom) for 12 weeks five times at week and twice daily, with a load of 15% of maximal inspiratory pressure without progression. In each session will be requested to the volunteers make 30 slow breaths, which will be constantly supervised by the researchers.

POWERbreathe - model Sports Plus Heavy Resistance (HAB International Ltd., Warwickshire, United Kingdom).

The participants who will be allocated in this intervention group will have to make a inspiratory muscle training protocol with progressive loads through the inspiratory muscle exerciser POWERbreathe, model Sports Plus Heavy Resistance (POWERbreathe; HAB International Ltd., Warwickshire, United Kingdom) for 12 weeks five times at week and twice daily, with an initial load of 50% of maximal inspiratory pressure, progressing to 60% after the fourth week, and 70% after the octave week. In each session will be requested to volunteers who performed 30 maximal and prolonged inspiration, maintaining the diaphragmatic breathing, which will be constantly supervised by the researchers.

The evaluation of aerobic capacity will be conducted by the 12-minutes aerobic performance test in a multisport court. In this field test the participants will have to covering the greatest distance as possible in the twelve minutes in a suitably demarcated circuit. Heart rate, blood pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation and subjective perception of effort with the Borg scale will be measured in this test.

The pulmonary function will be measured by a spirometer (Easy one, ndd Medizintechnik AG, Zurich, Switzerland) according to American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines for technique, acceptability and reproducibility.

The respiratory muscle strength values will be obtained by measuring maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP and MEP) with an analog manometer (Ger-ar®, São Paulo, Brazil) scaled in cmH2O with an operational limit of ± 300 cmH2O.

The heart rate variability will be measured with a Polar RS800CX® heart rate monitor (Polar Electro Co.Ltda. Kempele, Oulu, Finland).

Inclusion Criteria: training wheelchair basketball for more than one year. Exclusion Criteria: cardiovascular or respiratory disease. motor or cognitive impairments that influencing the results of evaluations. smoking.