Inspiratory Muscle Warm-Up in Combat Athletes

March 18, 2026 updated by: Nazlıcan Toprak, Ondokuz Mayıs University

The Effect of Respiratory Muscle Warm-Up on Technical and Physiological Responses in Combat Athletes

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of inspiratory muscle warm-up (IMW) on technical performance and physiological responses in combat athletes. A total of 20 volunteer athletes (10 males, 10 females), aged 15-22 years, registered with the Turkish Kickboxing and Muay Thai Federation, with at least two years of licensed sports experience and medal achievements at the national or international level, will be included in the study. The study will be conducted using a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover experimental design, in which participants will complete the control (general warm-up), placebo (15% MIP), and IMW (40% MIP) conditions in a random order.

In each session, before and after the warm-up, pulmonary function tests (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF), respiratory muscle strength (MIP, MEP), heart rate, perceived exertion, and dyspnea levels will be assessed. In addition, athletes will perform the Kickboxing Fitness Test (KFT), and the same measurements will be repeated during the rest intervals of the test and immediately after its completion. The IMW protocol will be performed using a POWERbreathe device at 40% of MIP, consisting of 2 sets of 30 breaths. Furthermore, maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) tests will be conducted to evaluate the athletes' general physiological capacity. This study is expected to provide original data for the field of sports sciences by demonstrating the potential contributions of inspiratory muscle warm-up to the improvement of technical skills and physiological capacity in combat athletes, and to generate practical scientific recommendations for coaches and athletes.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

20

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Atakum
      • Samsun, Atakum, Turkey (Türkiye), 55200
        • Recruiting
        • Ondokuz Mayıs University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male and female combat athletes aged 15 to 22 years
  • Registered with the Turkish Kickboxing and Muay Thai Federation
  • Regularly engaged in training
  • At least 2 years of licensed sports experience
  • Having won medals at the national or international level

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of respiratory disease
  • Presence of cardiopulmonary disease

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Sham Comparator: Sham Inspiratory Muscle Warm-Up
Participants will perform sham inspiratory muscle warm-up using a POWERbreathe device set at 15% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) before the test procedures.
Device: POWERbreathe
Inspiratory muscle warm-up will be performed using a POWERbreathe device at 40% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), consisting of 2 sets of 30 breaths before the test procedures.
Device: POWERbreathe
Participants will perform sham inspiratory muscle warm-up using a POWERbreathe device at 15% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) before the test procedures.
No Intervention: Standard Warm-Up Protocol
Participants will complete only the sport-specific general warm-up protocol before the test procedures.
Experimental: Inspiratory muscle warm-up
Participants will perform inspiratory muscle warm-up using a POWERbreathe device set at 40% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) before the test procedures.
Device: POWERbreathe
Inspiratory muscle warm-up will be performed using a POWERbreathe device at 40% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), consisting of 2 sets of 30 breaths before the test procedures.
Device: POWERbreathe
Participants will perform sham inspiratory muscle warm-up using a POWERbreathe device at 15% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) before the test procedures.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Kickboxing Fitness Test performance
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, measured immediately after each intervention session.
The Kickboxing Fitness Test is a valid and reliable field-based assessment designed to evaluate sport-specific technical skills and anaerobic performance in kickboxers.The test consists of 3 rounds of 2 minutes each, separated by 1 minute of passive recovery. In each round, athletes complete four 30-second technical sections involving punch and kick combinations, with 10 m running between stations, while aiming to perform each technique with maximal speed and accuracy.
Across 3 study days, measured immediately after each intervention session.
Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
This is the maximum total volume of air that can be forcibly exhaled after taking the deepest possible breath in.
Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (FEV1)
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
This is the volume of air that can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs in the first second of a pulmonary function test.
Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
Ratio of Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second to Forced Vital Capacity (FEV1/FVC)
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
This is the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC), used to assess airflow limitation during pulmonary function testing.
Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF)
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
This is the highest flow rate achieved during a forceful expiration after taking the deepest possible breath in, used to reflect expiratory flow capacity.
Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (MIP)
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
This is the maximum pressure generated during a forceful inspiration against a closed airway, used to assess inspiratory muscle strength.
Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
Maximal Expiratory Pressure (MEP)
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
This is the maximum pressure generated during a forceful expiration against a closed airway, used to assess expiratory muscle strength.
Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
Heart Rate (HR)
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, throughout the entire test session
This is the number of heart beats per minute, used to assess the cardiovascular response to exercise and recovery.
Across 3 study days, throughout the entire test session
Rating of perceived exertion (RPE)
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) will be measured to evaluate the participants' subjective perceptual responses. These measurements are used to assess the overall perception of physical strain in response to exercise. The level of perceived exertion will be assessed using the Category Ratio-10 (CR-10) scale, which was developed and modified by Foster et al. (2001) and includes ratings ranging from 0 to 10. This scale allows participants to rate the overall difficulty they experience during exercise from 0 (nothing at all) to 10 (maximal difficulty).
Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
Perceived Dyspnea
Time Frame: Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test
Perceived dyspnea will be assessed using the Category Ratio-10 (CR-10) scale, which enables participants to report their level of respiratory discomfort or breathing difficulty. Scores range from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater breathing difficulty.
Across 3 study days, at baseline, immediately after the 15-minute standard warm-up, immediately before and after the intervention, during each 1-minute rest interval of the Kickboxing Fitness Test (every 2 minutes), and immediately after the test

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Ondokuz Mayıs University

Investigators

  • Study Director: Özgür Bostancı, University of ondokuz mayıs

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 15, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 12, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 19, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 18, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • OMU KAEK 2025/446

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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