Investigation of the breathing pattern structure in competitive exercises of kettlebell lifters

Abstract

The goal of the research was to determine the characteristics of the breathing pattern in kettlebell lifters. The following main indicators of external respiration were recorded during exercise performance: respiratory rate (RR, f), tidal volume (TV, V _T ), and respiratory minute volume (RMV, V _E ). The dependence of these parameters on the qualification of athletes and competitive exercise intensity was estimated. An SMP-21/01-“R-D” spirograph was used for qualitative and quantitative assessment of the main indicators of breathing patterns in kettlebell lifters. The characteristic changes in breathing of masters of sports (MS) and candidate masters of sport (CMS) were shown mainly for the three parameters, respiratory rate and tidal volume, as well as in the number of breathing cycles per cycle of exercise. Respiratory rate increases and tidal volume decreases at a high-intensity exercise. In international masters of sports (MSIC), the number of breathing cycles per cycle of competitive exercise and, consequently, respiratory rate remain constant independent of physical load. They show the predominance of only one index, tidal volume, which increases from 0.7 ± 0.1 L to 1.2 ± 0.1 L (p < 0.01) with increasing intensity of exercise. We have found transitional forms of breathing patterns in the competitive exercises of kettlebell lifting. The results lay the basis for the development of a novel concept of training and improvement of breathing technique in kettlebell lifting.