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As for other skeletal muscles, ventilatory muscle performance can be described in terms of strength and endurance. Ventilatory muscle strength is measured as the maximum inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures and values for normal subjects have been published. Measurements of ventilatory muscle endurance are more difficult and 2 general types of tests have been used: voluntary hyperpnoea and inspiratory threshold loading. Recently, Nickerson and Keens described a method to measure inspiratory muscle endurance involving the latter technique. Using a weighted inspiratory plunger they defined the sustainable inspiratory pressure (SIP).
Using a similar apparatus, it has been shown that breathing patterns may influence the measurement of ventilatory muscle endurance. The learning of an effective strategy to manage inspiratory pressure loads may influence the measurement of SIP.
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