01/16/2026
How breathing muscles respond to fatigue vs. warm-up in elite athletes
A new study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology looked at what happens to the breathing muscles of professional basketball players after inspiratory muscle fatigue compared to an inspiratory muscle warm-up.
What they found:
• Fatiguing the breathing muscles led to weaker inhalation strength and a thinner diaphragm, lasting at least 30 minutes
• Warming up the breathing muscles improved strength and diaphragm thickness—but the benefits lasted only about 15 minutes
• Timing matters: warm-ups may help most when done close to performance
The researchers used the EMST150 with the inspiratory adapter to complete both the fatigue and warm-up protocols.
These findings help explain why respiratory muscle strategies can influence performance, and why when you use them is just as important as how.
SportsScience RMST
Ladriñán-Maestro, A., Sánchez-Infante, J., Rodríguez-Sanz, D., & Sánchez-Sierra, A. (2026). Short-term effects of inspiratory muscle warm-up and fatigue on diaphragmatic function in professional basketball players: a randomized clinical trial. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 1-9.