Inspiratory muscle training and testing: Rationale, development and feasibility.
Authors: Allen Kate J, Fitzharris Laura E, McConnell Alison K
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Inspiratory Muscle Training in Horses Inspiratory muscle training—a targeted conditioning approach distinct from conventional whole-body exercise—has proven beneficial in human athletes but remains unexplored in equine performance medicine. Allen and colleagues developed an equine-adapted protocol using a mask interface with commercial human training equipment, deploying it with ten Thoroughbreds in a commercial yard over nine weeks with daily training sessions (approximately five days weekly), whilst establishing a novel incremental loading test to measure inspiratory muscle strength. Training was well tolerated, with nine of ten horses completing the programme and reaching median peak loads of 32.5 cm H₂O, though the strength testing protocol required refinement mid-study as some horses rapidly plateaued at the maximum threshold values. Median peak inspiratory muscle strength improved from 27 cm H₂O in the initial testing phase to 41 cm H₂O following training experience, suggesting both learning effects and potential physiological adaptation. Whilst this feasibility study demonstrates the practical viability of inspiratory muscle conditioning in horses, the clinical relevance remains unclear—future work must establish whether improved inspiratory muscle capacity correlates with respiratory function, exercise performance or recovery metrics, and whether this intervention offers genuine performance benefits comparable to those documented in human athletes with respiratory training.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Inspiratory muscle training equipment adapted for horses is feasible to implement in commercial training yards with minimal special requirements (stable-based, once daily)
- •Horses require acclimatisation to the mask interface, though tolerance is generally achievable (9/10 completed the programme)
- •Current testing methods need development before clinical application; practitioners should await further research correlating training outcomes with actual performance metrics before investment
Key Findings
- •Inspiratory muscle training was feasible and tolerated in 9 of 10 Thoroughbreds over a 9-week period with median peak training loads reaching 32.5 cm H2O
- •Inspiratory muscle strength testing protocol showed median peak values of 27 cm H2O (untrained) and 41 cm H2O (trained), with 3 of 8 experienced horses reaching maximum possible test value
- •Horses experienced with the training programme demonstrated higher inspiratory muscle strength values than minimally acclimatised horses (41 vs 27 cm H2O)
- •Further refinement of the testing protocol is required as some horses reached maximum values, limiting ceiling effects for performance assessment