Effect of swim training on ventilatory functions of female students in Kermanshah City

Introduction: Regular exercise enhances physical capabilities and physiological responses of the human body and the lungs are no exception. The importance of physical activity in maintaining and promoting health is proven. But the impact of physical activity on ventilatory function tests is not well understood. The purpose of this study was evaluating the effects of swim training on the ventilatory functions of female students.

Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 60 female students aged 7-14. They divided into two groups of swimmer and non-swimmer.Thirty members of Kermanshah females swimming team were chosen as the swimmer group who had at least 2 months of continuous swimming practice (3 sessions per week); and 30 students were randomly chosen as non-swimmers. T-test was used for data analyzing by SPSS software (p<0/05).

Results :The result of the study revealed that swimmers had better

ventilatory functions (FEV1& FVC) than non-swimmers. But no significant difference was found in FEV1/FVC between the two groups.

Conclusion: it was concluded that swimming training is an appropriate physical activity to increase ventilatory function in students. The cause of improved ventilatory functions after swimming training were better mechanical factors and lower airway resistance during the training period.