What Researchers Did
Researchers investigated how respiratory muscle training affected the energy needed for breathing at a depth of 55 feet of seawater in a hyperbaric chamber.
What They Found
Oxygen uptake during simulated exercise ventilation (ISEV) decreased significantly after respiratory muscle training, from 0.46 L/minute to 0.36 L/minute. The energy cost of breathing, measured as delta VO2/delta V(E), was also significantly lower post-training during ISEV (0.0074 L/L) compared to pre-training (0.0094 L/L).
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The study involved a small group of eight subjects, and it did not fully determine if the observed changes were due to reduced breathing effort or increased muscle efficiency.