Clinical safety and hemodynamic, cardiac autonomic and inflammatory responses to a single session of inspiratory muscle training in obstructive sleep apnea

Purpose To determine clinical safety and cardiovascular, cardiac autonomic and inflammatory responses to a single session of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) subjects. Methods In a randomized controlled trial individuals of both sexes, aged between 30 and 70 years old with diagnosis of moderate to severe OSA were enrolled. Volunteers with OSA (n = 40) performed an IMT session with three sets of 30 repetitions with a 1-min interval between them. The IMT group (n = 20) used a load of 70% of the maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), and the placebo group (n = 20) performed the IMT without load. Measurements of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and inflammatory markers were performed pre, post-immediate and 1 h after the IMT session. Results No differences were shown in SBP, DBP, HRV, or inflammatory markers at any of the intervals analyzed. However, HR in the IMT group was lower 1 h after the IMT session compared to the pre-session values (p = 0002). HR was higher in the placebo group when comparing pre x post-immediate (p < 0.001). HR decreased after the first hour in relation to the pre (p < 0.001) and post-immediate (p < 0.001) values. Conclusion IMT sessions promote discreet hemodynamic, cardiac autonomic and inflammatory responses. Therefore, IMT is considered clinically safe and can be performed at home, guided but unsupervised, with lower cost and greater adherence to exercise program for subjects with OSA.