Introduction:

Physical inactivity is a risk factor for developing noncommnunicable diseases, as well as respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. To counter this, different types of interventions have been proposed, including respiratory muscle training (RMT).

Objective:

To determine the effect of a respiratory muscle training program on respiratory muscle strength, lung function and resting oxygen consumption in sedentary subjects.

Materials and methods:

Pretest-posttest experimental study conducted in sedentary students. Lifestyle and the level of physical activity was determined using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the FANTASTIC questionnaire, while respiratory muscle strength was established by means of expiratory and inspiratory pressure using a Dwyer Series 477 meter, and lung function and oxygen consumption was determined by spirometry and indirect calorimetry whit Vmax Encore 29C® calorimeter. Respiratory muscle training was performed for eight weeks with Threshold IMT system. R software, version 3.1.2, was used for statistical analysis.

Results:

Clinically and statistically significant improvements were found in maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) (pre: 81.23±22.00/post: 96.44±24.54 cmH2O; p<0.001); maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) (pre: 94.84±21.63/post: 107.39±29.15 cmH2O; p<0.05); pulmonary function FEV1 [(pre: 3.33±0.88/post: 3.54±0.90L) (p<0.05)]; and FEV1/FVC ratio [(pre: 87.78±7.67/post: 93.20±6.02% (p<0.01)].

Conclusion:

The respiratory muscle training protocol implemented for eight weeks using the Threshold IMT system improved strength and FEV1. There were no significant changes in oxygen consumption.

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