The Expansion of the Pulmonary Rib Cage during Breath Stacking Is Influenced by Age in Obese Women

Abstract

ObjectiveTo analyze in obese women the acute effects of the breath stacking technique on thoraco-abdominal expansion.Design and MethodsNineteen obese women (BMI≥30 kg/m2) were evaluated by anthropometry, spirometry and maximal respiratory muscle pressures and successively analyzed by Opto-Electronic Plethysmography and a Wright respirometer during quiet breathing and breath stacking maneuvers and compared with a group of 15 normal-weighted healthy women. The acute effects of the maneuvers were assessed in terms of total and compartmental chest wall volumes at baseline, end of the breath stacking maneuver and after the maneuver. Obese subjects were successively classified into two groups, accordingly to the response during the maneuver, group 1 = prevalent rib cage or group 2 = abdominal expansion.ResultsAge was significantly lower in group 1 than group 2. When considering the two obese groups, FEV1 was lower and minute ventilation was higher only in group 2 compared to controls group. During breath stacking, inspiratory capacity was significant differences in obese subjects with a smaller expansion of the pulmonary rib cage and a greater expansion of the abdomen compared to controls and also between groups 1 and 2. A significant inverse linear relationship was found between age and inspiratory capacity of the pulmonary rib cage but not of the abdomen.ConclusionsIn obese women the maximal expansion of the rib cage and abdomen is influenced by age and breath stacking maneuver could be a possible therapy for preventing respiratory complications.

Comparison of the effects of voluntary and involuntary breath stacking techniques on respiratory mechanics and lung function patterns in tracheostomized patients: a randomized crossover clinical trial

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Predictive equations for respiratory muscle strength by anthropometric variables

“…26,27 According Jalayondeja et al, the body weight is a factor that should be considered as a predictor of MRP, for the bodily changes due to the thinness or overweight/obesity. 28 However, the direct influence of weight or BMI on the strength generation capacity of the respiratory muscles is still debated by several authors 29,30 : while some argue for a possible increase, hypothetically explained by a mechanism of muscle fibers adaptation resulting in an effect of longterm 'training,' [31][32][33] other studies have reported no effect of obesity on the respiratory muscles, 34,35 stimulating further discussion. Therefore, the present authors option to include in the study a population sample of normal weight individuals, overweight, stage I obesity, stage II obesity and stage III obesity.…”

Relationship between maximal respiratory pressures and multiple childbearing in Brazilian middle-aged and older women: A cross-sectional community-based study

“…Age: age was considered a covariate in these analyses because it is related to respiratory muscle strength and to childbirth [3,10–16,23].…”

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