Maximal athletic performance can be limited by various factors, including restricted respiratory function. These limitations can be mitigated through targeted respiratory muscle training, as supported by numerous studies. However, the full potential of respiratory training in competitive finswimming has not been fully investigated. This case study aims to evaluate the effects of eight-week respiratory muscle training (RMT) on performance variability during the underwater phases of a 200 m bi-fins race simulation in an elite finswimmer (current world record holder and multiple world championship medalist). Performance variability was assessed based on pre-test, inter-test, and post-test data. Each measurement included pulmonary function and swim performance evaluations. In this study, underwater performance parameters, such as distance, time, velocity, and number of kicks, were assessed using video analysis synchronized with race timing and evaluated using the Dartfish software. The swimmer followed a 28-day training program with an Airofit PRO™ respiratory trainer between tests, with daily sessions targeting both inspiratory and expiratory muscles. The training involved 6-10 min of targeted exercises per day. Significant improvements were observed in Wilcoxon's paired-sample test between the pre-test and post-test results in terms of underwater distance (p = 0.012; d = 1.26), underwater time (p = 0.012; d = 1.26), and number of underwater kicks (p = 0.043; d = 1.01), resulting in a 14.23% longer underwater distance, 14.08% longer underwater time, and 14.94% increase in underwater kicks. Despite the increased distance and time, underwater velocity remained stable, indicating improved underwater performance efficiency. Despite some improvements, it is not possible to conclude that respiratory muscle training (RMT) can contribute to improved finswimming performance during the underwater phases of a 200 m bi-fins race simulation in this particular athlete's case. Further research with a larger sample size is necessary to fully understand the impact of RMT on finswimming performance.

Department at University Hospital Olomouc Palacký University Olomouc 779 00 Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Social Science in Kinanthropology Faculty of Physical Culture Palacký University Olomouc 779 00 Olomouc Czech Republic

Swiss Swimming Federation Swiss Development Hub for Strength and Conditioning in Swimming CH 3048 Worblaufen Switzerland

Umimplavat cz Analysis and Consultation for Swimming Technique and Race Performance 198 00 Praha Czech Republic

See more in PubMed

Boutellier U., Piwko P. The Respiratory System as an Exercise Limiting Factor in Normal Sedentary Subjects. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 1992;64:145–152. doi: 10.1007/BF00717952. PubMed DOI

Dempsey J.A. Respiratory Determinants of Exercise Limitation. Clin. Chest Med. 2019;40:331–342. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2019.02.002. PubMed DOI PMC

Dickinson J., Hull J., editors. Complete Guide to Respiratory Care in Athletes. Routledge; Abingdon, UK: 2020.

Lomax M., McConnell A. Inspiratory Muscle Fatigue in Swimmers after a Single 200 m Swim. J. Sports Sci. 2003;21:659–664. doi: 10.1080/0264041031000101999. PubMed DOI

McConnell A. Respiratory Muscle Training: Theory and Practice. Churchill Livingstone; Edinburgh, UK: Elsevier; New York, NY, USA: 2013.

Aslan G.K., Huseyinsinoglu B.E., Oflazer P., Gurses N., Kiyan E. Inspiratory Muscle Training in Late-Onset Pompe Disease: The Effects on Pulmonary Function Tests, Quality of Life, and Sleep Quality. Lung. 2016;194:555–561. doi: 10.1007/s00408-016-9881-4. PubMed DOI

Enright S.J., Unnithan V.B. Effect of Inspiratory Muscle Training Intensities on Pulmonary Function and Work Capacity in People Who Are Healthy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Phys. Ther. 2011;91:894–905. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20090413. PubMed DOI

Jones H.N., Crisp K.D., Robey R.R., Case L.E., Kravitz R.M., Kishnani P.S. Respiratory Muscle Training (RMT) in Late-Onset Pompe Disease (LOPD): Effects of Training and Detraining. Mol. Genet. Metab. 2016;117:120–128. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2015.09.003. PubMed DOI

Lotters F., van Tol B., Kwakkel G., Gosselink R. Effects of Controlled Inspiratory Muscle Training in Patients with COPD: A Meta-Analysis. Eur. Respir. J. 2002;20:570–577. doi: 10.1183/09031936.02.00237402. PubMed DOI

Witt J.D., Guenette J.A., Rupert J.L., McKenzie D.C., Sheel A.W. Inspiratory Muscle Training Attenuates the Human Respiratory Muscle Metaboreflex: Cardiovascular Effects of Training Respiratory Muscle. J. Physiol. 2007;584:1019–1028. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2007.140855. PubMed DOI PMC

HajGhanbari B., Yamabayashi C., Buna T.R., Coelho J.D., Freedman K.D., Morton T.A., Palmer S.A., Toy M.A., Walsh C., Sheel A.W., et al. Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training on Performance in Athletes: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses. J. Strength Cond. Res. 2013;27:1643–1663. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318269f73f. PubMed DOI

McConnell A. Breathe Strong, Perform Better. Human Kinetics; Champaign, IL, USA: 2011.

Johnson M.A., Sharpe G.R., Brown P.I. Inspiratory Muscle Training Improves Cycling Time-Trial Performance and Anaerobic Work Capacity but not Critical Power. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2007;101:761–770. doi: 10.1007/s00421-007-0551-3. PubMed DOI

Romer L.M., Mcconnell A.K., Jones D.A. Inspiratory Muscle Fatigue in Trained Cyclists: Effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2002;34:785–792. doi: 10.1097/00005768-200205000-00010. PubMed DOI

Griffiths L.A., McConnell A.K. The Influence of Inspiratory and Expiratory Muscle Training upon Rowing Performance. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2007;99:457–466. doi: 10.1007/s00421-006-0367-6. PubMed DOI

Volianitis S., Mcconnell A.K., Koutedakis Y., Mcnaughton L., Backx K., Jones D.A. Inspiratory Muscle Training Improves Rowing Performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2001;33:803–809. doi: 10.1097/00005768-200105000-00020. PubMed DOI

Aspenes S.T., Karlsen T. Exercise-Training Intervention Studies in Competitive Swimming. Sports Med. 2012;42:527–543. doi: 10.2165/11630760-000000000-00000. PubMed DOI

Kilding A.E., Brown S., McConnell A.K. Inspiratory Muscle Training Improves 100 and 200 m Swimming Performance. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2010;108:505–511. doi: 10.1007/s00421-009-1228-x. PubMed DOI

Lemaitre F., Coquart J.B., Chavallard F., Castres I., Mucci P., Costalat G., Chollet D. Effect of Additional Respiratory Muscle Endurance Training in Young Well-Trained Swimmers. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2013;12:630–638. PubMed PMC

Wilson E.E., McKeever T.M., Lobb C., Sherriff T., Gupta L., Hearson G., Martin N., Lindley M.R., Shaw D.E. Respiratory Muscle Specific Warm-Up and Elite Swimming Performance. Br. J. Sports Med. 2014;48:789–791. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092523. PubMed DOI

Wylegala J.A., Pendergast D.R., Gosselin L.E., Warkander D.E., Lundgren C.E.G. Respiratory Muscle Training Improves Swimming Endurance in Divers. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2007;99:393–404. doi: 10.1007/s00421-006-0359-6. PubMed DOI

Born D.-P., Kuger J., Polach M., Romann M. Start and Turn Performances of Elite Male Swimmers: Benchmarks and Underlying Mechanisms. Sports Biomech. 2021;23:484–502. doi: 10.1080/14763141.2021.1872693. PubMed DOI

Born D.-P., Kuger J., Polach M., Romann M. Turn Fast and Win: The Importance of Acyclic Phases in Top-Elite Female Swimmers. Sports. 2021;9:122. doi: 10.3390/sports9090122. PubMed DOI PMC

Vennell R., Pease D., Wilson B. Wave Drag on Human Swimmers. J. Biomech. 2006;39:664–671. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2005.01.023. PubMed DOI

Born D.-P., Stöggl T., Petrov A., Burkhardt D., Lüthy F., Romann M. Analysis of Freestyle Swimming Sprint Start Performance After Maximal Strength or Vertical Jump Training in Competitive Female and Male Junior Swimmers. J. Strength Cond. Res. 2020;34:323–331. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003390. PubMed DOI

Březina J., Polach M., Michalica T., Svozil Z. Effect of Pull-Out Technique on Acyclic Phases in Elite Male 50 m Breaststroke Swimmers. Tělesná Kult. 2022;45:2024091169. doi: 10.5507/tk.2022.005. DOI

Veiga S., Lorenzo J., Trinidad A., Pla R., Fallas-Campos A., de la Rubia A. Kinematic Analysis of the Underwater Undulatory Swimming Cycle: A Systematic and Synthetic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2022;19:12196. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191912196. PubMed DOI PMC

Marinho D.A., Barbosa T.M., Neiva H.P., Silva A.J., Morais J.E. Comparison of the Start, Turn and Finish Performance of Elite Swimmers in 100 m and 200 m Races. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2020;19:397–407. PubMed PMC

Morais J.E., Marinho D.A., Arellano R., Barbosa T.M. Start and Turn Performances of Elite Sprinters at the 2016 European Championships in Swimming. Sports Biomech. 2019;18:100–114. doi: 10.1080/14763141.2018.1435713. PubMed DOI

Polach M., Thiel D., Kreník J., Born D.-P. Swimming Turn Performance: The Distinguishing Factor in 1500 m World Championship Freestyle Races? BMC Res. Notes. 2021;14:248. doi: 10.1186/s13104-021-05665-x. PubMed DOI PMC

Taormina S., Gaines R. Swim Speed Strokes for Swimmers and Triathletes: Master Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle for Your Fastest Swimming. VeloPress; Boulder, CO, USA: 2014.

Michalica T., Polach M., Březina J., Agalliu E. Porovnání Výkonů v Obrátkových Úsecích u Elitních Českých a Světových Plavkyň s Ploutvemi v Disciplínách 100 a 200 Metrů Bi-Fins. Fakulta tělesné kultury; Olomouc, Czech Republic: 2023.

CMAS Finswimming CMAS Rules 2023. [(accessed on 27 January 2024)]. Available online: https://www.cmas.org/document?sessionId=&fileId=5763&language=1.

Gonjo T., Olstad B.H. Race Analysis in Competitive Swimming: A Narrative Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2020;18:69. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010069. PubMed DOI PMC

Mador M.J., Rodis A., Magalang U.J. Reproducibility of Borg Scale Measurements of Dyspnea During Exercise in Patients With COPD. Chest. 1995;107:1590–1597. doi: 10.1378/chest.107.6.1590. PubMed DOI

Vázquez-Gandullo E., Hidalgo-Molina A., Montoro-Ballesteros F., Morales-González M., Muñoz-Ramírez I., Arnedillo-Muñoz A. Inspiratory Muscle Training in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as Part of a Respiratory Rehabilitation Program Implementation of Mechanical Devices: A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2022;19:5564. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095564. PubMed DOI PMC

Mackała K., Kurzaj M., Okrzymowska P., Stodółka J., Coh M., Rożek-Piechura K. The Effect of Respiratory Muscle Training on the Pulmonary Function, Lung Ventilation, and Endurance Performance of Young Soccer Players. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2019;17:234. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17010234. PubMed DOI PMC

Stavrou V.T., Tourlakopoulos K.N., Daniil Z., Gourgoulianis K.I. Respiratory Muscle Strength: New Technology for Easy Assessment. Cureus. 2021;13:e14803. doi: 10.7759/cureus.14803. PubMed DOI PMC

Borg G. Psychophysical Scaling with Applications in Physical Work and the Perception of Exertion. Scand. J. Work Environ. Health. 1990;16:55–58. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.1815. PubMed DOI

Crisafulli E., Clini E.M. Measures of Dyspnea in Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Multidiscip. Respir. Med. 2010;5:202. doi: 10.1186/2049-6958-5-3-202. PubMed DOI PMC

Cohen J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. 2nd ed. Routledge; London, UK: 2013. DOI

Figueiredo P., Rouard A., Vilas-Boas J.P., Fernandes R.J. Upper and Lower Limb Muscular Fatigue during the 200-m Front Crawl. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 2013;38:716–724. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2012-0263. PubMed DOI

Veiga S., Cala A., Mallo J., Navarro E. A New Procedure for Race Analysis in Swimming Based on Individual Distance Measurements. J. Sports Sci. 2013;31:159–165. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2012.723130. PubMed DOI

Cavalcante Silva R.L., Hall E., Maior A.S. Inspiratory Muscle Training Improves Performance of a Repeated Sprints Ability Test in Professional Soccer Players. J. Bodyw. Mov. Ther. 2019;23:452–455. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2019.01.016. PubMed DOI

Vašíčková J., Neumannová K., Svozil Z. The Effect of Respiratory Muscle Training on Fin-Swimmers’ Performance. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2017;16:521–526. PubMed PMC

Sheel A.W., Derchak P.A., Pegelow D.F., Dempsey J.A. Threshold Effects of Respiratory Muscle Work on Limb Vascular Resistance. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 2002;282:H1732–H1738. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00798.2001. PubMed DOI

Courteix D., Obert P., Lecoq A.-M., Guenon P., Koch G. Effect of Intensive Swimming Training on Lung Volumes, Airway Resistances and on the Maximal Expiratory Flow-Volume Relationship in Prepubertal Girls. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 1997;76:264–269. doi: 10.1007/s004210050246. PubMed DOI

Cordain L., Stager J. Pulmonary Structure and Function in Swimmers. Sports Med. 1988;6:271–278. doi: 10.2165/00007256-198806050-00002. PubMed DOI

Mickleborough T.D., Stager J.M., Chatham K., Lindley M.R., Ionescu A.A. Pulmonary Adaptations to Swim and Inspiratory Muscle Training. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2008;103:635–646. doi: 10.1007/s00421-008-0759-x. PubMed DOI

Rodríguez F.A. Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Cardiorespiratory Response to Maximal 400-m Free Swimming, Running and Cycling Tests in Competitive Swimmers. J. Sports Med. Phys. Fitness. 2000;40:87–95. PubMed

Dopsaj M., Zuoziene I.J., Milić R., Cherepov E., Erlikh V., Masiulis N., di Nino A., Vodičar J. Body Composition in International Sprint Swimmers: Are There Any Relations with Performance? Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2020;17:9464. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17249464. PubMed DOI PMC