| Abstract |
This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the associations between isokinetic shoulder and knee strength
as well as pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in amateur runners. Furthermore, it sought to determine
whether upper and lower limb strengths are differently associated with these respiratory outcomes. Methods: A total
of 48 amateur runners aged 20–45 years without known cardiopulmonary or neuromuscular disease were recruited from
local running clubs. All participants completed a single laboratory session. Pulmonary function was evaluated via
spirometry to measure forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and maximal voluntary
ventilation (MVV). Respiratory muscle strength was assessed as maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures. The
isokinetic muscle strength of the upper and lower limbs was measured using a HUMAC NORM dynamometer at 60°/s
(bilateral concentric shoulder and knee flexion/extension, five repetitions), and the highest peak torque values were
averaged to obtain shoulder strength (SS) and knee strength (KS). Pearson correlation analyses and simple linear
regression models were employed (α=.05). Results: SS exhibited strong positive correlations with FVC (r=.775) and FEV1
(r=.744), a moderate correlation with MVV (r=.542), and significant correlations with MIP (r=.348) and MEP (r=.397; all
p<.05). KS showed a moderate-to-strong correlation with FVC (r=.630), FEV1 (r=.628), and MVV (r=.509) and moderate
correlations with MIP (r=.488) and MEP (r=.472; all p<.01). Regression analyses revealed that SS accounted for 60.1% of
the variance in FVC and 55.4% in FEV1, whereas KS explained 23.8 % of the variance in MIP and 2 2.3% in MEP. Conclusion:
In amateur runners, shoulder and knee isokinetic strength is positively correlated with pulmonary and respiratory muscle
functions. Upper limb strength is more strongly associated with spirometric indices (FVC, FEV1), whereas lower limb
strength shows relatively stronger associations with respiratory pressures (MIP, MEP). These findings indicate that
strengthening of the upper and lower limbs may contribute to the optimization of respiratory function in amateur runners
in different ways. |