Inspiratory muscle training enhances jumping power and shooting performance in elite air pistol athletes

Abstract

Background Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been shown to enhance respiratory efficiency, postural stabilization, and neuromuscular coordination in athletic populations. However, its effects in precision sports such as air pistol shooting remain insufficiently explored. This study investigated the impact of a 4-week IMT program on respiratory muscle strength, explosive lower-limb performance, reaction time, and shooting accuracy in competitive air pistol athletes. Methods Twenty trained male air pistol athletes (age 18-35 years) were randomly assigned to an IMT group (n = 10) or a control group (n = 10). The IMT group performed supervised inspiratory muscle training twice daily (30 breaths/session), six days per week, for four weeks, using a threshold-loading device set initially at 40% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), with progressive overload applied weekly. Both groups maintained their regular shooting training routines. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) performance (OptoJump), visual and auditory reaction time (Cognitech), and shooting performance evaluated via the SCATT system. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (group & times; time) was used for statistical analysis. Results Significant group & times; time interactions were observed for CMJ height (p < 0.001, eta & sup2;p = 0.618), CMJ power (p = 0.007, eta & sup2;p = 0.345), SJ height (p = 0.050, eta & sup2;p = 0.184), and SJ power (p = 0.050, eta & sup2;p = 0.181), indicating meaningful improvements in explosive performance in the IMT group. Shooting accuracy demonstrated a large and statistically significant interaction effect (p < 0.001, eta & sup2;p = 0.532), with substantial improvement observed only in the IMT group. Reaction time variables showed favourable but non-significant trends (p > 0.05). Conclusion A short-term IMT intervention significantly enhanced lower-limb explosive performance and shooting accuracy in competitive air pistol athletes without altering overall training load. These findings suggest that IMT may represent an effective, low-cost adjunct strategy to improve neuromuscular stability and fine-motor precision in precision-sport athletes.