The expansion of the pulmonary rib cage during breath stacking is influenced by age in obese women.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze in obese women the acute effects of the breath stacking technique on thoraco-abdominal expansion.


METHODS
Nineteen obese women (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) were evaluated by anthropometry, spirometry and maximal respiratory muscle pressures and successively analyzed by Opto-Electronic Plethysmography and a Wright respirometer during quiet breathing and breath stacking maneuvers and compared with a group of 15 normal-weighted healthy women. The acute effects of the maneuvers were assessed in terms of total and compartmental chest wall volumes at baseline, end of the breath stacking maneuver and after the maneuver. Obese subjects were successively classified into two groups, accordingly to the response during the maneuver, group 1 = prevalent rib cage or group 2 = abdominal expansion.


RESULTS
Age was significantly lower in group 1 than group 2. When considering the two obese groups, FEV1 was lower and minute ventilation was higher only in group 2 compared to controls group. During breath stacking, inspiratory capacity was significant differences in obese subjects with a smaller expansion of the pulmonary rib cage and a greater expansion of the abdomen compared to controls and also between groups 1 and 2. A significant inverse linear relationship was found between age and inspiratory capacity of the pulmonary rib cage but not of the abdomen.


CONCLUSIONS
In obese women the maximal expansion of the rib cage and abdomen is influenced by age and breath stacking maneuver could be a possible therapy for preventing respiratory complications.
Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Jacqueline de Melo
Jde M
Barcelar
Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy.
Andrea
A
Aliverti
Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Catarina
C
Rattes
Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Maria Eduarda
ME
Ximenes
Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Shirley Lima
SL
Campos
Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Daniella Cunha
DC
Brandão
Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
Guilherme
G
Fregonezi
Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Armèle Dornelas
AD
de Andrade
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010991:Plethysmography; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D013147:Spirometry; D055815:Young Adult