POSTURAL EFFECTS ON COMPARTMENTAL VOLUME CHANGES OF BREATHING BY OPTOELECTRONIC PLETHYSMOGRAPHY IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS

Breathing pattern was an important factor to affect the performance of sports for athletes. Optoelectronic plethysmography (OEP) was a new method to evaluate breathing pattern by measuring compartmental volume (upper thorax (UT), lower thorax (LT), and abdomen (AB)) freely without limitation. Previous study already investigated the swimmers had better breathing pattern measured by OEP (Karine et al., 2008) in sitting posture. Swimming, such as backstroke, is perfromed in supine posture, but previous study did not consider the postural effect on breathing pattern. This study explored the compartmental volume changes of healthy subjects in different postures

Development of Interesting Step-climbing Styles

[[abstract]]OBJECTIVES: This study was to investigate the influence of stepping styles (forward, side, and cross steppings) and inclinations (25 and 45 degrees) on cardiorespiratory responses (C-R responses). METHODS: Twenty volunteers were recruited and randomly arranged into two ten-people groups, exercising on step-climbing machines respectively of 25 and 45 degrees of inclination. C-R responses were recorded during each test which lasted for six minutes at 50 steps per minute on a step-climbing machine. RESULTS: The group on 25-degree inclination had significantly lower C-R responses than the group on 45-degree inclination. Although only small differences, probably statistically insignificant, were found among the three step-climbing styles, these differences showed interesting trends independent of inclination. CONCLUSIONS: Climbing stairs with the three interesting step-climbing styles in this study could be considered as an exercise of moderate intensity (60-80% HRmax ). Climbing on 25-degree inclination at 50 steps per minute is recommended for less fit individuals because of lower cardiovascular stress as compared with on 45-degree inclination