Ventilatory Challenge of Swimming and Cycling in the Development of Global Respiratory Muscle Fatigue

Abstract

Through all of this research, respiratory muscle fatigue has been shown to occur in swimmers after short swimming events, but comparisons have yet to be made in the same study of both water- and land-based events and their respective effects on respiratory muscle strength. While this comparison may seem like a step backward, it truly represents the next logical step forward in the growing trend of respiratory physiology in swimming. Matching workloads for similar ventilations in swimming and a land-based exercise such as cycling (matching “ventilatory workloads”) would certainly strengthen the case for the uniqueness of the breathing strategy employed during swimming. Breathing during swimming appears to be unique in its challenge to the ventilatory muscles in several ways: there are effects of stroke mechanics (which deeply influence breathing mechanics), hydrostatic pressure surrounding the chest wall, as well as posture effects on ventilation. These influences on breathing will be discussed in greater depth in Chapter 5. Substantiating the argument for a unique challenge to the respiratory muscles in the sport of swimming in the context of respiratory muscle fatigue has yet to be present in current literature, and thus is the purpose of this study.