Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40834024›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2025

Effects of Pilates combined with breathing exercise on lung function, body posture and postural stability among female college students: A randomized controlled trial.

Jie Zhang, Yanan Zhao, Qianwen Wang

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Jie ZhangCollege of Physical Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, Hubei, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5065-7671
Yanan ZhaoSchool of Sports Science and Physical Education, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5313-6671
Qianwen WangSchool of Sports Science and Physical Education, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study aimed to explore the effects of Pilates combined with breathing exercise on lung function, body posture, and postural stability among female university students.

methodsA total of 66 females (mean age 19 years) with poor body posture were recruited from a local university and randomly divided into three groups, Pilates combined with breathing exercise group (PRT), Pilates only group (PLT), and control group (CON). Exercise interventions were conducted three times per week, 60 min per session, and lasted 16 weeks (8 weeks of group training + 8 weeks of self-training). Lung function and respiratory muscle performance, as the primary outcomes were measured using the Lung Function Tester. Secondary outcomes were standing posture and static postural stability.

resultsSignificant group differences were found at post-test in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) (F(2, 50) = 3.63, p = 0.034, pη2 = 0.13) and Minute Ventilation (MV) (F(2, 50) = 3.52, p = 0.04, pη2 = 0.123), where the PRT group showed more improvements than the PLT group especially in FVC (mean difference = 0.43, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the PRT group showed significant improvements at post-test in Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second as a percentage of Forced Vital Capacity (FEV1%) (F(2, 42) = 10.2, p < 0.01, pη2 = 0.327), Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) (F(2, 42) = 5.62, p = 0.01, pη2 = 0.211) and Tidal Volume (TV) (F(2, 42) = 8.38, p < 0.001, pη2 = 0.285). Additionally, it improved body posture and static postural stability, with notable gains in certain stability measures under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions (p < 0.05).

conclusionsCombining breathing exercises with Pilates can improve lung function, body posture, and postural stability in female college students, and a longer training duration (> 16 weeks) appears beneficial for achieving optimal outcomes. These findings suggest a potential association between lung function and postural stability mediated by respiratory muscle function, which warrants further investigation.

Indexed as

Breathing ExercisesExercise Movement TechniquesLungPostural BalancePostureAdultFemaleHumansRespiratory Function TestsStudentsUniversitiesVital CapacityYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID40834024
PMCPMC12367138

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.