Assessment of respiratory muscle strength in adult musicians and non-musicians

There is ongoing discussion whether, and how, playing a wind instrument influences lung function. Breathing is essential for sound production in musical instruments and raises questions about how intensive instrumental practice can influence the strength and function of respiratory muscles, as well as the potential incidence of respiratory disorders in wind musicians, who often perform prolonged respiratory effort. The effect of intensive wind instrument performance on respiratory function is uncertain and controversial. Some authors claim that wind instrument players may have better pulmonary function due to the continuous exercise of respiratory muscles.3 However, other studies have not observed any adverse or beneficial effects of instrumental practice on respiratory function, indicating the need for further studies in order to understand the relationship between respiratory function and musical practice. The main objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess respiratory muscle strength in musicians and nonmusicians. We hypothesized that respiratory muscle strength is higher in musicians than in controls, as playing a wind instrument influences lung function has shown positive effects in volunteers.