Pulmonary Functions in Trained and Untrained Wind Instrument Blowers.

ABSTRACT

The present cross-sectional study was designed to ascertain whether regular and trained wind instrument blowers develop higher pulmonary functions than untrained or part time blowers. The study included 155 trained & regular blowers (Group A), 100 untrained part-time blowers (Group B) and 100 non-blowers (Group C). They were investigated by a computerized spirometer (RMS medspiror). Group A subjects showed a significantly higher (p<0.001) percentage predicted value for Forced Vital capacity (FVC), Forced expiratory volume in the 1st second (FEV1), Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR), Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV), Forced Expiratory Flow at 25% & 50% of FVC (FEF25% & FEF50%), Forced Expiratory Flow between 25% & 75% of FVC (FEF 25-75%), FEF50% of FVC, than the other two groups. However, FEV1/FVC % in group A was not statistically higher than the other two groups (p=0.3699). Thus, regular training of wind instrument blowing increases the pulmonary functions which may be a physiological advantage of blowing.