BACKGROUND: Elastic resistance bands (ERB) combined with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) are often used in resistance muscle training programs, which have potential effects on peripheral muscle strength. However, the effects of the combination of ERB and PNF on respiratory muscle strength warrant further investigation. OBJECTIVES: The assessment of the effects of PNF combined with ERB on respiratory muscle strength. METHOD: Twenty healthy, right-handed females were included. Subjects were randomized to either the resistance training program group (TG, n=10) or the control group (CG, n=10). Maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) and inspiratory pressure (MIP) were measured before and after four weeks of an upper extremity resistance training program. The training protocol consisted of upper extremity PNF combined with ERB, with resistance selected from 1 repetition maximum protocol. RESULTS: PNF combined with ERB showed significant increases in MIP and MEP (p<0.05). In addition, there were significant differences between the TG and CG regarding ∆MIP (p=0.01) and ∆MEP (p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: PNF combined with ERB can have a positive impact on respiratory muscle strength. These results may be useful with respect to cardiopulmonary chronic diseases that are associated with reduced respiratory muscle strength.

Este trabalho foi realizado no Manguezal de Itacuruçá, na Baía de Sepetiba com o objetivo de analisar a estrutura populacional das espécies de Uca Leach, 1814. Foram realizadas coletas de junho/2005 a maio/2006, durante as marés baixas. Os caranguejos foram capturados manualmente por duas pessoas e durante 15 minutos. Um total de 2580 animais foi coletado, sendo 1465 machos e 1115 fêmeas. Com relação ao tamanho dos indivíduos, observou-se que os animais do Manguezal de Itacuruçá, de maneira geral, apresentam tamanhos menores que os encontrados em outros manguezais do Brasil. Contudo, os machos atingiram tamanhos maiores do que as fêmeas. A distribuição de freqüência em todas as classes de tamanho foi unimodal para a maioria das espécies, com exceção de U. thayeri Rathbun, 1900 e U. vocator (Herbst, 1804), as quais não apresentaram um padrão definido. Os machos foram mais abundantes em todas as classes de maiores tamanhos. A razão sexual diferiu significativamente da proporção 1:1, estando deslocada para uma maior freqüência de machos, com exceção de U. thayeri e U. victoriana von Hagen, 1987, as quais tiveram predominância de fêmeas.

This study was conducted in the Itacuruçá mangrove, in the Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the objective of investigating the population structure of the species of Uca Leach, 1814. Sampling was carried out monthly from June, 2005 to May, 2006, during low tides. Crabs were captured manually by two people for a period of 15 min each. A total of 2580 crabs were obtained, of which 1465 were males and 1115 were females. The size of the fiddler crabs in the mangrove of Itacuruçá were the smallest reported so far in Brazilian mangroves. However, males attained a larger size than females. The size frequency distribution was unimodal for most of species, with the exception of U. thayeri Rathbun, 1900 and U. vocator (Herbst, 1804), which did not show a clearly-defined pattern. Males were most abundant among the largest size classes. The sex ratio differed significantly from 1:1 (male: female), most often with a higher frequency of males, except for U. thayeri and U. victoriana von Hagen, 1987, in which females were predominant.