Browsing by Author "Ocak, Hakan"

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    Short-Term Inspiratory Muscle Training Enhances Functional and Metabolic Health in Older Adults
    (MDPI, 2026) Konca, Erkan; Yilmaz, Coskun; Bayrakdaroglu, Serdar; Ceylan, Halil Ibrahim; Arslan, Ayla; Ocak, Hakan; Muntean, Raul Ioan
    Background: Age-related declines in respiratory muscle strength and ventilatory efficiency can impair functional capacity and metabolic health in older adults. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been proposed as a practical intervention to counteract these changes, yet its systemic effects remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the effects of short-term IMT on functional capacity, diaphragm thickness, and liver tissue characteristics in healthy elderly men. Methods: Thirty community-dwelling men aged 60-80 years were randomly assigned to an IMT or control group. The IMT group performed four weeks of breathing exercises using a POWERbreathe (R) device at 40% of maximal inspiratory pressure, with a weekly 10% increase in pressure. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included the six-minute walk test (6MWT), diaphragm thickness and liver density via computed tomography, and quality of life (QoL; SF-12). Results: Four weeks of inspiratory muscle training significantly improved diaphragm thickness (11.7%), fatty liver density (FLD) (+16.7%), and six-minute walk performance (+5.3%), with large time x group effects favoring the IMT group. While the physical quality of life showed modest, comparable improvements, mental health outcomes demonstrated a moderate, time-dependent improvement without a significant group-by-time interaction. Conclusions: Short-term IMT improved diaphragmatic function and functional capacity in older men and was associated with favorable changes in a liver-related biomarker; however, given that only a single liver-related metric was assessed, these findings should not be interpreted as evidence of overall improvements in liver health.
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    Article
    Inspiratory Muscle Training in Natural Bodybuilders: Adaptations in Diaphragm Muscle Thickness and Maximal Strength
    (Frontiers Media Sa, 2025) Guler, Iskender; Yilmaz, Coskun; Soylu, Hakan Hueseyin; Birinci, Muersit Ceyhun; Arslan, Ayla; Ocak, Hakan; Ceylan, Levent
    Background: The effect of inspiratory muscle training on diaphragm muscle thickness (DT) and one repetition maximal (1RM) in professional natural bodybuilders is still unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of inspiratory muscle training on diaphragm muscle thickness and 1RM in professional natural bodybuilders. Methods: The study comprised a total of 22 athletes who participated in bodybuilding competitions. Each athlete had undergone a minimum of 5 years of training, with a minimum weekly commitment of 5 hours. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and control (CON). The CON continued their normal training regime, while the IMT group also performed inspiratory muscle training with a 10% weekly increase by setting the resistance setting of the PowerBreathe (R) Classic device to 40% of the participant's maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP). Prior to and during the 4-week training period, 1RM bench press measurements and diaphragm muscle thickness measurements were obtained. Results: In the comparison of 1RM power values before and after training, it was determined that the IMT group (%: 11.20) had 6.3% more post-activation performance enhancement compared to the CON group (%: 4.9) (p < 0.001). In the study, it was determined that a higher level of significant post-activation performance enhancement was obtained in the IMT group compared to the CON group in the diaphragm muscle thickness inspiratory phase (DT ins) and ekspiratory phase (DT eks) parameters at 20.36% and 19.46%, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, we determined that the addition of progressive loading inspiratory muscle training to preparation programmes in natural bodybuilders will improve diaphragm muscle thickness, 1RM physical performance. In particular, it shows that the diaphragm muscle should be considered not only as a muscle that supports respiration, but also as a muscle that contributes to power generation by optimising intra-abdominal pressure.