SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Physiol.

Sec. Exercise Physiology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1638739

This article is part of the Research TopicTailored Respiratory Muscle Training for Athletes, Patients, and Vulnerable GroupsView all 4 articles

The Effect of Respiratory Muscle Training on Swimming Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Provisionally accepted
  • 1Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
  • 2South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
  • 3Inha University, Michuhol-gu, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Respiratory muscle training, which targets the inspiratory and/or expiratory muscles to enhance respiratory efficiency, is recognized as a method for improving athletic performance; however, its effectiveness in enhancing swimming performance remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of respiratory muscle training on swimming performance. Methodology followed the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in eight databases (Web of Science, PubMed (comprising MEDLINE and PubMed Central), SPORTDiscus, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, and ProQuest) and supplemented with manual searches of other sources (e.g., Google Scholar) up to 22 May 2025. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: (a) participants were healthy individuals without diagnosed disease or disability; (b) the intervention involved respiratory muscle training compared to a sham or control condition in a randomized controlled trial or controlled clinical trial; (c) swimming performance was reported as an outcome with sufficient data to compute effect sizes; and (d) the full text was available. Results of this systematic review revealed that of the 1044 articles retrieved from the search strategy, 10 met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis indicated that respiratory muscle training significantly improved swimming performance, with low heterogeneity and no evidence of publication bias. Among the included studies, respiratory muscle training protocols were typically conducted at 50–80% of maximal inspiratory pressure for 6–8 weeks, with a frequency of 3 to 14 sessions per week. However, substantial variability in training frequency, progression, and duration limited direct comparisons between interventions. Due to inconsistent and limited reporting, subgroup analysis based on gender, stroke style, or competitive level could not be performed. Respiratory muscle training appears to be an effective adjunct to swimming training, contributing to improved performance. Future studies should prioritise protocol standardisation, elucidate the dose-effect relationship, and explore moderating factors such as gender, stroke type, and training status. Registered on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD420251051091).

Keywords: Respiratory muscle training, Inspiratory muscle training, swimming performance, Athletic adaptation, Meta-analysis

Received: 31 May 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 刘, Gou and Lin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Menglong Lin, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China

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