Effects of Endurance Training and Breath-holding Training on Breath-holding Time, Maximal Oxygen Uptake, Lung Capacity, Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell Counts

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to investigate effects of endurance training, breath-holding training, and combination of endurance training and breath-holding training on breath-holding time (BHT), resting heart rate (RHR), vital lung capacity (VLC), maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max), hematocrit (Hct), red and white blood cell counts (RBC and WBC) and relationship between each parameter after training. Forty male college students (mean age = 20.05+.88 years and weight = 63.946+6.9 kg.) volunteered to be the subjects and were divided into 4 groups of 10 subjects. Group C served as control group. The experimental groups (Group E, BH, E+BH) were trained by either running, breath holding, or a combination of both, respectively. BHT, RHR, VLC, and VO_2max were collected before training, after the 4^th week of training. Means+S.D., T-test, One-way ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used fo data analyses. Significant level was set at .05. Results showed that after training, RHR were lower (p < .05) in Group E (71.20+1.93, 68.00+2.31, and 66.10+2.23 beats/min) and Group E+BH (70.00+2.98, 67.70+2.31, and 65.30+2.67 beats/min). VLC were higher (p < .05) in Group E (3,730+305.69, 4,040+206.56, and 4,390+119.72 ml) and Group E+BH (3,845+457.32, 4,080+413.79, and 4,380+301.11 ml) VO_2max were higher (p < .05) in Group E (41.56+5.41, 47.11+5.53, and 53.30+4.48 ml/kg min) and Group E+BH (41.85+6.27, 47.28+5.62, and 51.71+4.56 ml/kg min). RBC were higher (p < .05) in Group E (5.48+0.51, and 5.66+0.49 x 10⁶ cells/mm³) and Group E+BH (4.90+0.37, and 5.23+0.42 x 10⁶ cells/mm³). HCT were lowered (p < .05) in Group E (47.60+2.12, and 43.20+2.25%) and Group E+BH (47.10+1.79, and 42.80+2.53%). However, BHT in group BH (43.10+13.36, 87.21+23.14 and 98.31+19.64 sec) and Group E+BH (43.17+11.05, 103.63+33.75 and 136.39+25.90 sec) were higher (p < .05) after training. However, the combined breath-holding training with running training increased more BHT than breath-holding training alone (p < .05). There were no significant differences in RHR, VLC and VO_2max between Group E and E+BH (p < .05). Paired relationships showed a negative relation between RHR and BHT, VLC and VO_2max (α < .05). HCT related negatively to BHT and positively to WBC (α < .05). BHT alone is not enough to estimate the cardiorespiratory condition. The results led to the conclusion that endurance training cannot increase BHT, but improved after breath-holding training. Endurance training combined with breath-holding training increased mor BHT than breath-holding training. However, endurance exercise training protocol used in this study had no effect on WBC.