Title Women’s respiratory movements during spontaneous breathing and physical fitness: a cross-sectional, correlational study /
Authors Liang, Wenming ; Bai, Zhen-Min ; Aihemaiti, Maiwulamu ; Yuan, Lei ; Hong, Zhi-Min ; Xiao, Jing ; Ren, Fei-Fei ; Rukšėnas, Osvaldas
DOI 10.3390/ijerph191912007
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Is Part of International journal of environmental research and public health.. Basel : MDPI. 2022, vol. 19, no. 19, art. no. 12007, p. [1-15].. ISSN 1660-4601. eISSN 1660-4601
Keywords [eng] abdominal motion ; thoracic motion ; physical performance ; countermovement jump height ; cardiorespiratory endurance ; body size
Abstract [eng] Background: Abdominal/diaphragmatic breathing exercises are popular worldwide and have been proven to be beneficial for physical performance. Is abdominal motion (AM) during spontaneous breathing correlated with physical fitness? The present study aimed to answer this question. Methods: 434 women (aged 20–59) were enrolled and participated in respiration tests using two respiration belts (one was tied at the height of the xiphoid and another at the navel) to detect AM and thoracic motion (TM). They also performed physical fitness tests to measure body size, muscular strength, muscular power, muscular endurance, balance, flexibility, reaction time, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Results: All the correlation coefficients between respiratory movements (AM, TM, AM + TM, AM/(AM + TM)) and physical fitness outcomes were less than 0.4/−0.4. Only AM and muscular power (countermovement jump height) had a weak correlation, with a correlation coefficient close to 0.4 in the 20−29-year age group (rs = 0.398, p = 0.011, n = 40). Conclusions: Women’s respiratory movements during spontaneous breathing were not correlated with physical fitness. Future studies may focus on the relationship between AM and countermovement jump height in young women with a larger sample size and using ultrasound to directly test the excursion of the diaphragm.
Published Basel : MDPI
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2022
CC license CC license description