Frontiers in Respiratory Muscle Training in Health and Disease
The level and breadth of interest in inspiratory muscle training (IMT) was confirmed by both the number and diversity of attendees at last week’s event. As well as sport and exercise physiologists, delegates included clinicians, human factors specialists, commercial companies, end users of IMT, and even an equine vet. They were rewarded with a “feast” of integrative physiology, covering the respiratory, cardiovascular, muscular and neural systems, in both health and disease.
The seminar was opened by Professor Alison McConnell, who provided an introductory overview of the history of IMT, the "state of the art", as well as the rationale for each of three putative mechanisms for the well-established ergogenic effect of IMT. These mechanisms were expanded and developed by the other three speakers. The Centre’s own Dr Lee Romer described the surprisingly high metabolic cost of respiratory muscle work in highly trained individuals, the conditions under which exercise-induced fatigue of the inspiratory and expiratory muscles arises, and its implications for exercise tolerance. Dr Romer then reviewed the evidence that feedback from respiratory muscle afferents can exacerbate locomotor muscle contractile fatigue and impair performance. Dr Romer was followed by the University of Brighton’s Dr Emma Ross, who provided some fascinating insights into another role for muscle afferent feedback, viz., its role in central fatigue. This included consideration of the potential role of respiratory muscle afferents in central fatigue as part of an “ensemble” of feedback that serves to maintain and optimise exercise performance. The final presentation came from King’s College Hospital physician Dr Caroline Jolley who explained the role of respiratory muscle function in the perception of breathing effort, focusing in particular upon patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A neurophysiological model of breathlessness was presented in which disordered lung mechanics and diaphragm weakness, lead to an uncoupling of inspiratory pressure generation and ventilation to create a state of “neuromechanical dissociation” and efferent-afferent mismatch. Finally, Dr Jolley considered whether IMT might ameliorate this mismatch. The morning was rounded off by a panel “question and answer” session.
It is hoped that video clips of the event will be made available on the Centre’s YouTube channel within the next two weeks.
For further information about inspiratory muscle training for sport please visit:
www.breathestrong.com, and for information about the many clinical applications of respiratory muscle training please visit www.physiobreathe.com.
Seminar 4. Expertise and its Acquisition across Domains
The forth seminar will take place on Wednesday 15 May 2013; 9 am- 5 pm; Eastern Gateway Auditorium
This final seminar in the series will be hosted in Brunel's new Eastern Gateway Auditorium, with seating for up to 400, and presents an excellent opportunity for students, academics and practitioners to engage with some of the top researchers in the field.
This final seminar will see eight national and international researchers discuss expertise and its acquisition. Specific topics include: 'quiet eye', skill failure, brain stimulation and imaging, anticipation skill, perceptual training, chess expertise and decision making in referees and law enforcement. This seminar has been organised in conjunction with the Brunel University's Centre for Study of Expertise, The British Psychological Society and the Expertise and Skill Acquisition Network. The seminar is also a BPS approved CPD event.
To register for this event, please use the contact details below. The event is FREE to Brunel staff and students. For external visitors the cost is £30 (+£2.45 booking fee) for the whole day to cover administrative costs, refreshments and a light lunch.
Click Here to download the programme.
Contact Details
Name: Dr Robin Jackson
Email: sse-rfo@brunel.ac.uk
