Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42012216›Full record

Trial reportJournal of rehabilitation medicine2026

Effect of inspiratory muscle training on inspiratory muscle strength in adults with post-COVID-19 condition and inspiratory muscle weakness: a randomized controlled trial.

Anna Törnberg, Anna Svensson-Raskh, Elisabeth Rydwik, Alexandra Halvarsson, Judith Bruchfeld, Malin Nygren-Bonnier

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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. Article
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

6 authors.

Anna TörnbergDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; Medical Unit Allied Health Professionals, Theme Women's Health and Allied Health Professionals, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. anna.tornberg@ki.se.ORCID 0009-0008-8320-9948
Anna Svensson-RaskhDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; Medical Unit Allied Health Professionals, Theme Women's Health and Allied Health Professionals, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-7949-5864
Elisabeth RydwikDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; Medical Unit Allied Health Professionals, Theme Women's Health and Allied Health Professionals, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-0550-1675
Alexandra HalvarssonDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; Medical Unit Allied Health Professionals, Theme Women's Health and Allied Health Professionals, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-0893-7653
Judith BruchfeldDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Infectious Diseases, Theme Emergency and Reparative Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-5399-0982
Malin Nygren-BonnierDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; Medical Unit Allied Health Professionals, Theme Women's Health and Allied Health Professionals, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-6731-8468

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveEvaluate the effect of inspiratory muscle training in adults with post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) and inspiratory muscle weakness.

designRandomized controlled trial. SUBJECTS/PATIENTS: Adults with PCC and inspiratory muscle weakness.

methodsParticipants were randomized to inspiratory muscle training twice daily plus individualized exercise twice weekly or exercise alone, with weekly follow-ups over 8 weeks. PRIMARY OUTCOME: inspiratory muscle strength (Maximal Inspiratory Pressure). SECONDARY OUTCOMES: expiratory muscle strength (Maximal Expiratory Pressure); functional capacity (Six‑Minute Walk Test; One‑Minute Sit‑to‑Stand); lung function (spirometry); dyspnoea (mMRC); respiratory symptoms (chest tightness, impaired deep breathing, breathing‑related pain); cough frequency (CAAT cough item); fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale); physical activity (Frändin-Grimby Activity Scale); activity limitations (Patient‑Specific Functional Scale); and health-related quality of life (EQ‑5D‑5L). Intention-to-treat analyses used imputed missing data. Estimated sample size: 90.

resultsForty-four participants were included (median age 47; 82% women; n = 22/group). Between‑group differences favoured the intervention for inspiratory muscle strength (mean difference: 18%; 95% CI: 5-30; OR for clinically meaningful improvement: 7.08, 95% CI: 1.31-38.32) and cough frequency. No other between-group differences were observed.

conclusionInspiratory muscle training may improve inspiratory muscle strength and reduce cough frequency, but limited sample size and underrepresentation of the most severely affected warrant cautious interpretation.

Indexed as

Breathing ExercisesMuscle StrengthMuscle WeaknessPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeRespiratory MusclesAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID42012216
PMCPMC13107392

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.