Pump up the Pump: Respiratory Physiological mechanisms of Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST)

Описание: Description
Every breath depends on pressure. The ability to move air into and out of the lungs is driven by powerful respiratory muscle “pumps” that must overcome resistance, elasticity, and pressure thresholds within the respiratory system. While inspiration often gets the spotlight, the expiratory pump plays a critical role in ventilation, airway protection, exercise tolerance, and expulsive behaviors like cough and swallow. This webinar breaks down the core physiological mechanisms behind Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST) and explains why targeted loading of the expiratory muscles can lead to meaningful, measurable clinical change. You’ll learn how pressure-threshold loading, similar to lifting weights, drives strength and power gains in the expiratory system, even with brief, daily training sessions. Research shows that training at 60–80% of maximal expiratory pressure for just 20–30 breaths per day can increase expiratory force-generating capacity by up to 50% in as little as four weeks. These gains are not isolated to a single muscle, but involve coordinated activation of the upper airway, thoracic, abdominal, and core musculature, supported by central neural control systems. As EMST continues to expand across clinical settings, this session connects foundational respiratory physiology to real-world rehabilitation outcomes, highlighting its growing relevance across medical disciplines and patient populations. This webinar will deepen your understanding of how and why EMST works, and how it can be leveraged to enhance respiratory function and recovery.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Paul W. Davenport recently retired from his position as a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, with affiliate appointments in Medicine and Public Health. His research focuses on the neural control of breathing, respiratory perception, and rehabilitation strategies for conditions such as neuromuscular disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, and asthma. Over his 45 years at the University of Florida, he has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.

Dr. Davenport’s work has led to innovative therapies, including expiratory and inspiratory muscle strength training. His research has significantly advanced our understanding of the neurophysiological control of breathing, introducing novel rehabilitation techniques and improving care for patients with diverse respiratory challenges—ranging from asthma and COPD to spinal cord injury and neuromuscular disorders.

Dr. Davenport’s laboratory probes the neural control of breathing, especially: afferent and efferent pathways governing breathing patterns and respiratory reflexes; neural perception of respiratory effort and load compensation; role of respiratory muscle afferents in activating cognitive centers and altering breathing behavior; and mechanisms underlying dyspnea in neuromuscular disease, spinal injury, stroke, and asthma.

Working with many collaborators, they use expiratory muscle strength training to improve outcomes in dysphagia, cough disorders, COPD, athletes, and healthy individuals. His work has been continuously funded at the University of Florida with his publications forming the backbone of the respiratory psychophysiology field.