ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2026
Morphological and functional characterization of respiratory muscles in male runners across different race distances: an ultrasound and physiological assessment.
Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRunning performance depends not only on aerobic capacity but also on the functional integration of the respiratory system and core musculature. However, morphological and functional adaptations of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles across different running disciplines remain insufficiently characterized. The aim of this study is to analyze diaphragm and abdominal muscle morphology using ultrasound, as well as respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function, in amateur runners classified according to their primary competition distance.
methodsA cross-sectional observational study was conducted including recreational and competitive male runners (18-60 years) with at least two years of training experience. Participants were divided into 3 groups: 5-10 km, half-marathon, and marathon. Diaphragm thickness at end-inspiration (Tdi,ei) and end-expiration (Tdi,ee), and diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF) were assessed by ultrasound. Abdominal muscle thickness (RA, EO, IO, and TrA) was also measured. Respiratory muscle strength was assessed using maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory pressures (MEP), and pulmonary function by spirometry. Group comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVA.
resultsRunners specializing in marathon showed significantly greater diaphragm thickness (Tdi,ei and Tdi,ee) and higher MIP compared with runners specializing in 5-10 km (p < 0.05). Additionally, IO thickness was significantly greater in runners specializing in half-marathon. No significant differences were observed in FEF25-75%, FEV1 or FVC between groups. These findings indicate distance-dependent adaptations in both inspiratory and expiratory musculature.
conclusionsThese findings indicate that running specialization is associated with distance-dependent morphological and functional adaptations of the respiratory system. Marathon runners show greater diaphragm thickness and inspiratory muscle strength, while half-marathon runners exhibit increased IO thickness. No differences in standard spirometric parameters were observed between groups, suggesting that these adaptations are primarily reflected in respiratory muscle structure and strength rather than conventional pulmonary function measures in amateur runners.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.