Efeitos da ginástica abdominal hipopressiva sobre a função pulmonar, força muscular respiratória e modulação autonômica cardíaca

Abstract

Background: Hypopressive abdominal gymnastics (GAH) is a technique that uses postural and breathing exercises, rhythmic and sequential, in different postures; and promote the reduction of abdominal pressure, exerting an important respiratory function; both through the activation of the respiratory muscles and through the neurochemical control of breathing. In turn, breathing control influences the regulation of the autonomic nervous system, which can increase or decrease heart rate variability. Objectives: to verify whether GAH promotes an increase in lung function and respiratory muscle strength, and to investigate whether GAH benefits cardiac autonomic modulation. Method: the study had a quasi-experimental, longitudinal design and a quantitative approach in wich participants (n=14) underwent an experimental protocol consisting of three phases. Phase I was carried out with evaluations, namely: anthropometric, respiratory, autonomic modulation, electromyographic activity of respiratory muscles. Phase II was characterized by the intervention protocol and phase III was carried out reassessments, after 6 weeks of intervention, following the same procedures as in phase I. For statistical analysis, the t test was used for dependent samples or the non-dependent test. Wilcoxon parametric. The t test was applied when the distribution of differences showed adherence to the normal distribution, which was verified using the Shapiro-Wilk normality test. The Wilcoxon test was adopted in the absence of adherence of the distribution of differences to the normal distribution. Results: The main findings of the present study, evidenced in the post-intervention moment, were an increase in MIP (p=0.01), a decrease in the RMS of the external oblique muscle in the expiratory phase (p=0.04), an increase in the indices of VFC, SDNN (p=0.02), RMSSd (p=0.03), PNN50 (p=0.02), TINN (p=0.04), LF (p=0.01), HF (p =0.04), SD1(p=0.03) and SD2(p=0.02). In the qualitative analysis of the GR and Poincaré plot, patterns indicative of improvement in autonomic modulation were observed. Conclusion: GAH has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system evidenced by an increase in diaphragmatic strength and a reduction in the variability of motor control f the external oblique muscle, in addition to promoting greater complexity of the autonomic nervous system, evidenced by vagal autonomic modulation and sympathovagal balance, characteristic of efficient autonomic mechanisms.