The Effect Of Inspiratory Muscle Training On The Pulmonary Function In Mixed Martial Arts And Kickboxing Athletes
Authors: Nasim Alnuman, Ahmad Alshamasneh
DOI / Source: 10.2478/hukin-2022-0005
Date: None
Reading level: Intermediate
Why This Matters for Freedivers
This is a useful reality-check paper: the same IMT routine helped some athletes (MMA) but didn’t clearly help others (kickboxing). For freedivers, it supports the idea that IMT isn’t automatically a “performance boost” — it depends on the sport, the person, and whether the training dose is enough to actually create adaptation.
Synopsis
Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is basically “strength training for inhaling,” usually done with a handheld resistance device. It’s popular because it’s simple and feels like it should improve breathing performance. This study asked a straightforward question: if you add 6 weeks of IMT on top of normal training, do measurable lung-function markers improve in combat sports athletes?
The researchers recruited trained male athletes from two sports: mixed martial arts (MMA) and kickboxing. Within each sport, athletes were split into a control group (normal training only) and an IMT group (normal training plus IMT). The IMT routine was practical and short: 30 breaths, twice per day, for 6 weeks, using a resistive trainer. Resistance was adjusted individually so that finishing 30 breaths in ~3 minutes felt close to fatigue, and athletes gradually increased resistance over time.
Before and after the 6-week period, the athletes did spirometry and ventilation tests (the standard “lung function” numbers): vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak flow, the FEV1/VC ratio, and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV — how much air you can move in and out in a minute when trying hard).
The results were mixed — and that’s the interesting part. Kickboxing athletes didn’t show clear improvements from adding IMT. Their lung-function numbers stayed broadly similar after 6 weeks. In contrast, MMA athletes in the IMT group improved a few markers, especially: - MVV (a big jump, meaning they could move more air per minute during maximal breathing), and - FEV1/VC ratio (a measure related to airflow efficiency).
So the same training “worked” in one combat sport group and not the other. The authors suggest that IMT benefits may depend on the demands of the sport and the athlete’s starting point (for example, if someone is already near their personal ceiling for certain lung-function measures, you may not see much change). Another practical factor is that resistive devices like the one used here don’t display an exact load, so progression depends partly on the athlete’s judgement and effort.
For freedivers, the takeaway is simple: IMT can be useful, but it’s not magic. Treat it like real training (consistent routine, progressive overload, and clear goals), and don’t assume the same protocol will benefit everyone equally.
Abstract
Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has found its way into athletes’ routine as a promising way of improving pulmonary function in combination with standard training. The objective of the study was to examine the effects of resistive IMT on the pulmonary function variables in athletes of two combat sports, i.e., mixed martial arts (MMA) and kickboxing. Fourteen kickboxing and 12 MMA male athletes qualified for the study. They were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. While both groups participated in their standard training, the experimental group additionally participated in IMT which consisted of 30 breaths twice a day for 6 weeks. The pulmonary functions were measured at baseline and after 6 weeks of IMT. The addition of IMT to standard training increased significantly the forced expiratory volume in the first second to vital capacity ratio (FEV1/VC), and the maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) (p < 0.05) with changes of 5.7%, and 28.6%, respectively, in MMA athletes. The kickboxing group showed no significant changes. The interaction of the sport discipline and IMT intervention yielded a strong significant change in the MVV and FEV1/VC to the benefit of MMA athletes in comparison with kickboxing athletes. Combining resistive IMT for 6 weeks with standard training was effective to improve some pulmonary functions in MMA athletes, but did not lead to additional gains in kickboxing athletes.