Inspiratory muscle training associated with whole body vibration improves diaphragm thickness and mobility but does not affect serum BDNF and peripheral muscle in pre-frail older: a randomized double-blind clinical trial

Pre-frail olders present a decrease in brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that precedes the clinical manifestations of sarcopenia, therefore non-pharmacological interventions for control and prevention are recommended. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and whole body vibration (WBV) on BDNF, thickness and muscle mass. 42 volunteers divided into 3 groups: IMT+WBV(G1), IMTsham+WBV(G2) and IMTSham +WBVSham(G3) were training for 12 weeks. BDNF and lean mass were evaluated. Ultrasonography was used to evaluate the muscle thickness of the femoral rectus (FR), vastus intermedius (VI) and anterior quadriceps (QA); the diaphragm thickness in the resting (TFRC) and maximal contraction (TTLC); thickening ratio (TR) and diaphragmatic mobility (DM). There were no differences in BDNF levels (p = 0.229) between G1 (1244.07 ± 936.86), G2 (2353.88 ± 1612.10) and G3 (1816.39 ± 1490.07) after intervention. G1 showed an increase of about 9% in DM (p