Acute modulation of respiratory pressure regulation and abdominal muscle activation during martial arts-derived respiratory-motor training with augmented feedback

Authors: Sherrilyn Walters(1,2,3), Lester Walters(2), Ben Hoffman(1), Celeste E. Coltman (3), Dean E. Mills (1)
(1) University of Southern Queensland
(2) Martial Arts Research and Testing Laboratory
(3) Griffith University
(3) University of Canberra

Abstract
Respiratory pressure regulation contributes to trunk stabilisation and force transmission during physically demanding tasks. Traditional martial arts are associated with enhanced respiratory pressure regulation and trunk muscle activation, but the respiratory-motor strategies underlying these adaptations are time-intensive to learn and poorly understood. This study examined whether a martial arts-derived respiratory-motor training approach integrating augmented feedback (Neuropotency Training) could acutely modify respiratory pressure generation and abdominal muscle activation during force production and postural control tasks. Healthy adults without martial arts experience were randomly assigned to a Neuropotency (n = 10) or control (n = 10) group. Gastric, oesophageal, and transdiaphragmatic pressures were measured using an oesophageal catheter alongside surface electromyography of abdominal and respiratory musculature. The Neuropotency group received vibro-tactile and visual force feedback. Groups were compared using independent t-tests and effect sizes (Cohen's d). Compared with controls, the Neuropotency group demonstrated greater absolute and normalised transdiaphragmatic pressure generation across most tasks (P < 0.05, d ≥ 1.0) and greater abdominal muscle activation during several tasks (P < 0.05, d = 0.64-1.4), without differences in external force output. These findings provide the first experimental evidence that respiratory pressure regulation during functional tasks can be rapidly modified through targeted respiratory-motor training. The accompanying changes in abdominal muscle activation indicate acute adaptations in respiratory-motor coordination that are not captured by external performance measures alone. These findings suggest that respiratory pressure regulation may represent a modifiable target for interventions seeking to optimise physical capability in physically demanding occupational and tactical settings. They highlight the importance of internal physiological measures when evaluating respiratory-motor training adaptations.

Keywords: Electromyography; Intra-abdominal pressure; Motor learning; Respiratory pressure regulation; Respiratory-motor coordination; Transdiaphragmatic pressure; Trunk stabilisation.