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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int J Sports Med
DOI: 10.1055/a-2211-9421
Orthopedics & Biomechanics

Breathing Motion Pattern in Cyclists: Role of Inferior against Superior Thorax Compartment

Ana Luiza Lopes
1   Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
,
Karine Jacon Sarro
1   Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
,
Isabella Martins Rodrigues
1   Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
,
Richard Diego Leite
2   Centro de Educação Física e Desportos , Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
,
Carlo Massaroni
3   Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentation, Universita Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Roma, Italy
,
Paulo Roberto dos Santos Amorim
4   Departamento de Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
,
Pietro Cerveri
5   Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
6   Center for Intelligent Technologies in Sleep Medicine, Istituto Auxologico Italiano Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milano, Italy
,
Amanda P. Silvatti
4   Departamento de Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
› Author Affiliations Fundings FAPEMIG – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais — PEE-00596–14 and 12040/2017 CNPq – Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico — 481391/2013–4 CAPES – Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior — 2011/10–7 and 08/2014
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Abstract

The thoracoabdominal breathing motion pattern is being considered in sports training because of its contribution, along with other physiological adaptations, to overall performance. We examined whether and how experience with cycling training modifies the thoracoabdominal motion patterns. We utilized optoelectronic plethysmography to monitor ten trained male cyclists and compared them to ten physically active male participants performing breathing maneuvers. Cyclists then participated in a self-paced time trial to explore the similarity between that observed during resting breathing. From the 3D coordinates of 32 markers positioned on each participant’s trunk, we calculated the percentage of contribution of the superior thorax, inferior thorax, and abdomen and the correlation coefficient among these compartments. During the rest maneuvers, the cyclists showed a thoracoabdominal motion pattern characterized by an increased role of the inferior thorax relative to the superior thorax (26.69±5.88%, 34.93±5.03%; p=0.002, respectively), in contrast to the control group (26.69±5.88%; 25.71±6.04%, p=0.4, respectively). In addition, the inferior thorax showed higher coordination in phase with the abdomen. Furthermore, the results of the time trial test underscored the same pattern found in cyclists breathing at rest, suggesting that the development of a permanent modification in respiratory mechanics may be associated with cycling practice.

Key words

respiratory - mechanics - cycling


Publication History

Received: 12 June 2023

Accepted: 15 November 2023

Accepted Manuscript online:
15 November 2023

Article published online:
20 March 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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