Elite swimmers could perform better in the pool by training the muscles used for breathing, according to new research.
Scientists at the University of Portsmouth have examined how muscle fatigue in the inspiratory muscles can affect overall performance.
They believe that by incorporating specific training of these muscles into their regime, swimmers could significantly improve their speed.
Swimmers are especially susceptible to inspiratory muscle fatigue (IMF) which causes the body to divert blood, oxygen and nutrients to the muscles responsible for breathing thus affecting their overall performance.
The research, carried out by Dr Mitch Loman and published in the International Journal of Swimming Kinetics, shows attempts by scientists to identify the speed associated with the development of IMF.
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Dr Lomax examined how speed affected the extent of inspiratory muscle fatigue in swimmers.
"In swimming, most of the propulsion comes from the upper body but some of the muscles used for this are also required for breathing," she said.
"When swimmers reach a certain speed there is a point at which the body steals blood flow from the working muscles and diverts it to the breathing muscles. This conflict can worsen performance and can have negative effects on swimming stroke.
"By training at a level below this speed, swimmers can focus on improving their technique. And by specifically training the inspiratory muscles it is possible to make them more resistant to fatigue and to improve breathing when swimming at speed as in a competition environment. It's all about getting the balance right."
Inspiratory muscle training is already recognised as beneficial in many sports and athletes use a breathing device to make breathing more difficult, forcing the inspiratory muscles to work harder and become stronger.
Dr Lomax found there is a threshold speed above which most swimmers experience inspiratory muscle fatigue which could affect their stroke.
"By understanding what happens to the breathing at certain speeds, swimmers can tailor their training program to improve both technique and speed to achieve maximum performance in competition," she said.
The research could also be applied to sports as diverse as rowing and shooting, where the upper body needs strength and resilience against fatigue.
Dr Lomax is now examining how to optimise training by looking at how frequently swimmers should train the inspiratory muscles and for how long, to achieve their best performance. She is also currently helping the English pistol shooting squad prepare for the Commonwealth Games with dedicated breathing training.
