Effects of a Respiratory Muscle Training Program on Respiratory Function and Musical Parameters in Saxophone Players

Saxophonists are limited by their physiology. In this paper, we hypothesise that a biomechanical change, induced through strengthening the respiratory muscles, influences saxophone performance. Sixteen musicians participated in a low resistive breathing (placebo) and a high resistive breathing training programme with small and large resistive loads during in- and expiration with no washout period. We observed a significant increase in respiratory muscle strength and a changed saxophone timbre in the long term. Only the high resistive breathing training programme induced a significant decrease in flow use during saxophone performance. The immediate training effects were an increased flow during saxophone performance and a changed saxophone timbre.