Effects of elastic chest wall restriction on lung function after aerobic exercise training

Abstract

Objective : To investigate ventilatory responses and adaptation on exercise training with elastic chest wall restriction.

Participants : Twenty-four healthy males, aged 18-22 years-old, were participants in this study.

Design : Restrict-randomly divided into three experimental groups: strapped chest group (SC), non-strapped chest group (NC) and control group (CG) were comparative randomized design study.

Method : in the exercise groups, the subjects underwent exercise at the same intensity (70 - 80% MHR), frequency (3 time/week) and duration (60 min) for four consecutive weeks. Data collection included anthropometries measurement (body weight, height, body mass index and circumference of the chest) before and after exercise training program. Respiratory functions include lung volumes and flows (FVC, FEV_{1.0 ^,} FEV_1.0 /FVC, Five, PEFR, MW, MV_T and RR) were also measured each week during the training periods.

Results : The results showed that maximal voluntary ventilation in the sc group was significantly higher than the non-strapped chest group at the 4^th week of training. The NC group had significantly lower levels of MV_T at the 2^nd and 3^rd of training period compared with the CG group. Respiratory rate of the CG subjects were significantly higher than those of the NC group.

Conclusion : ln conclusion, resistance exercise training with elastic chest wall devices shows increases in the strength of the respiratory muscles as seen by the increase MW and MV_T while RR decreases. Nevertheless, future researcher are still needed. They should cover a longer exercise period, larger elastic strapping with other methods and higher intensity loading on the chest, and different sports and gender groups.