Background: Portable respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) systems have been validated for ventilatory assessment during resting conditions and during incremental treadmill exercise. However, in clinical settings and during field-based exercise, intensity is usually constant and submaximal. A demonstration of the ability of RIP to detect respiratory measurements accurately during constant intensity conditions would promote and validate the routine use of portable RIP devices as an alternative to ergospirometry (ES), the current gold standard technique for ventilatory measures. Objective: To investigate the agreement between respiratory variables recorded by a portable RIP device and by ES during rest and constant intensity exercise. Method: Tidal volume (VT), respiratory rate (RR) and minute ventilation (VE) were concurrently acquired by portable RIP and ES in seven healthy male volunteers during standing rest position and constant intensity treadmill exercise. Results: Significant agreement was found between RIP and ES acquisitions during the standing rest position and constant intensity treadmill exercise for RR and during the standing rest position for VE. Conclusion: Our results suggest that portable RIP devices might represent a suitable alternative to ES during rest and during constant submaximal exercise.

BACKGROUND: Diaphragmatic breathing (DB) is widely used in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), however it has been little studied in the scientific literature. The Pilates breathing (PB) method has also been used in the rehabilitation area and has been little studied in the scientific literature and in COPD. OBJECTIVES: To compare ventilatory parameters during DB and PB in COPD patients and healthy adults. METHOD: Fifteen COPD patients (COPD group) and fifteen healthy patients (healthy group) performed three types of respiration: natural breathing (NB), DB, and PB, with the respiratory pattern being analyzed by respiratory inductive plethysmography. The parameters of time, volume, and thoracoabdominal coordination were evaluated. After the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, ANOVA was applied followed by Tukey's test (intragroup analysis) and Student's t-test (intergroup analysis; p<0.05). RESULTS: DB promoted increase in respiratory volumes, times, and SpO2 as well as decrease in respiratory rate in both groups. PB increased respiratory volumes in healthy group, with no additional benefits of respiratory pattern in the COPD group. With respect to thoracoabdominal coordination, both groups presented higher asynchrony during DB, with a greater increase in the healthy group. CONCLUSIONS: DB showed positive effects such as increase in lung volumes, respiratory motion, and SpO2 and reduction in respiratory rate. Although there were no changes in volume and time measurements during PB in COPD, this breathing pattern increased volumes in the healthy subjects and increased oxygenation in both groups. In this context, the acute benefits of DB are emphasized as a supporting treatment in respiratory rehabilitation programs.

BACKGROUND: Transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation (TEDS) has been used to improve respiratory muscle strength in patients with respiratory muscle weakness. However, this physical therapy resource has not been studied in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the respiratory pattern during one session of TEDS in COPD patients. METHOD: Fifteen COPD patients participated in one TEDS session for plethysmographic analysis and assessment of peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR). After the session, patients were divided into two groups: Responder (R; n=9) and Non-Responder (NR; n=6) to TEDS. Statistic analysis was performed using the Shapiro-Wilk normality test and two-way ANOVA. For the parameters that showed interaction, the Student t test was used (P<0.05). RESULTS: R group consisted mainly of men, with lower SpO2 and higher HR than NR group. When time (before and during) and groups (R and NR) were compared (interaction), there were differences in the parameters minute ventilation (Vent), inspiratory tidal volume (ViVol), expiratory tidal volume (VeVol), and respiratory rate (Br/M). In the intergroup comparison, differences were observed in the parameters Vent, ViVol, and VeVol. A significant effect was also observed for time in change in end-expiratory lung volume level (qDEEL), phase relation during inspiration (PhRIB); phase relation during expiration (PhREB); phase relation of entire breath (PhRTB), and phase angle (PhAng). During TEDS, there was an increase in SpO2 and a reduction in HR in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The most hypoxemic group with greater HR responded to TEDS and there was interaction between group and time of analysis for the pulmonary volumes. The time factor had an influence on the two groups with an increase in thoracoabdominal asynchrony.