Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, Volume 51, Issue , Page 1-12, January 2026.
This study explored the effects of combining repeated-sprint training with end-expiratory breath-hold (EBH) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on cardiorespiratory fitness and performance in artistic swimming. In a quasi-experimental study, 15 artistic swimmers (15.7 ± 1.5 years) completed, over 3 weeks, nine training sessions (each involving 32 15-m swim sprints) with EBH complemented with daily IMT at 50% of inspiratory muscle strength (EBH + IMT, n = 8) or the same EBH training with a placebo IMT procedure (EBH, n = 7). Laboratory outcomes and performance measures included inspiratory muscle pressure, peak power output, peak O2 uptake ([math]O2peak), muscle oxygenation, ventilatory thresholds markers, and a 275 m underwater swim test (UWST). Both groups increased maximal inspiratory muscle strength (∼21%, time effect p < 0.001, Cohen’s ES = 0.72). There was a significant interaction for [math]O2peak, which increased more in EBH + IMT than EBH alone (3.1 mL·kg−1·min−1, interaction p = 0.036, ES = 0.73). The deoxygenation of the vastus lateralis muscle during the incremental test increased following EBH + IMT only (38%, interaction p = 0.01). No change occurred in ventilatory threshold markers nor in UWST performance in any groups. These results suggest that combining repeated-sprint training with EBH and daily IMT for 3 weeks led to greater peripheral muscle O2 extraction, conducive to an increased [math]O2peak gain, but exerted no influence on a more specific swimming/breath-hold performance.Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, Volume 51, Issue , Page 1-12, January 2026. <br/> This study explored the effects of combining repeated-sprint training with end-expiratory breath-hold (EBH) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on cardiorespiratory fitness and performance in artistic swimming. In a quasi-experimental study, 15 artistic swimmers (15.7 ± 1.5 years) completed, over 3 weeks, nine training sessions (each involving 32 15-m swim sprints) with EBH complemented with daily IMT at 50% of inspiratory muscle strength (EBH + IMT, n = 8) or the same EBH training with a placebo IMT procedure (EBH, n = 7). Laboratory outcomes and performance measures included inspiratory muscle pressure, peak power output, peak O2 uptake ([math]O2peak), muscle oxygenation, ventilatory thresholds markers, and a 275 m underwater swim test (UWST). Both groups increased maximal inspiratory muscle strength (∼21%, time effect p < 0.001, Cohen’s ES = 0.72). There was a significant interaction for [math]O2peak, which increased more in EBH + IMT than EBH alone (3.1 mL·kg−1·min−1, interaction p = 0.036, ES = 0.73). The deoxygenation of the vastus lateralis muscle during the incremental test increased following EBH + IMT only (38%, interaction p = 0.01). No change occurred in ventilatory threshold markers nor in UWST performance in any groups. These results suggest that combining repeated-sprint training with EBH and daily IMT for 3 weeks led to greater peripheral muscle O2 extraction, conducive to an increased [math]O2peak gain, but exerted no influence on a more specific swimming/breath-hold performance. Read More