Effects of an Aquatic Versus Non-Aquatic Respiratory Exercise Program on the Respiratory Muscle Strength in Healthy Aged Persons

Abstract

Aging of the worldwide population is a concern of most governmental entities, spanning practically all areas of prevention and rehabilitation. Aging leads to physiological alterations that result in adverse social and financial effects. There is a trend to emphasize prevention, which is less expensive and socially more desirable than therapeutic intervention. PURPOSE: To assess the effect of a program of aquatic versus non-aquatic respiratory exercises on respiratory muscle strength in healthy aged persons.METHODS: The respiratory muscle strength was measured in 81 subjects between 60 and 65 years, 59 of which completed the program. Subjects were randomized into 3 groups. G aquatic undertook a program of respiratory exercise in an aquatic environment. G non-aquatic undertook the same program in a non-aquatic environment. G control acted as the negative control. Programs were applied three times a week for 10 consecutive weeks. Subsequently, subjects were reevaluated, and results compared to each individual's pre-treatment own result and between the groups. The data were statistically analyzed using the paired t test and the Sign test. Comparisons between the groups were performed through parametric and nonparametric variance. A comparison of G aquatic and G non-aquatic versus G control was performed using the Dunnett test.RESULTS: A significant improvement in the inspiratory muscle strength in the G aquatic group compared to the G control , group was found, suggesting beneficial effects mediated by the aquatic exercise. The expiratory muscles did not show significant alterations.CONCLUSION: Aquatic respiratory exercise improves the inspiratory muscle strength of healthy aged persons. However, neither aquatic nor non-aquatic respiratory exercise influences the expiratory muscle strength.

Development of an Aquatic Exercise Training Protocol for the Asthmatic Population

“…Typically, we would expect lung function to improve in both healthy and diseased populations with aquatic exercise (Ide, Belini, & Caromano, 2005;Silvers, Rutledge, & Dolny, 2007;Wardell & Isbister, 2000). Participants within the current study had a baseline FEV 1.0 /FVC value of 98% (SD = 8.91%), and a postexercise value of 98.5% (SD = 8.7%).…”

In the April 2005 Issue of Clinics

“…Ide et al 10 compared aquatic vs. non-aquatic respiratory training programs on muscle strength of 81 healthy senior persons, and concluded that aquatic respiratory exercise improves the inspiratory but not expiratory muscle strength.…”

Análise comparativa da força dos músculos respiratórios em indivíduos saudáveis no solo e na piscina

“…As the hydrostatic pressure increases, the vital capacity (VC), functional residual capacity (FRC) and expiratory reserve volume (ERV) decreases thanks to the diaphragm displacement in the cephalic direction and to the increase in the work of expiratory muscle 12,13 . The respiratory system changes because of the blood displacement from peripheral regions to the central region of the chest, in addition to the hydrostatic pressure on the rib cage, thereby increasing the respiratory work 14,15 . The aim of this study is to analyze and compare the respiratory muscle strength in healthy individuals, exercised in soil and in the pool, with the chest immersed in water.…”