Ayla ARSLAN

Ayla ARSLAN


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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19 January 2026 in Healthcare
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
EKERKAN KONCA
ERKAN KONCA
Coşkun YILMAZCoşkun YILMAZ
Coşkun YILMAZ
SBSerdar Bayrakdaroğlu
Serdar Bayrakdaroğlu
Halil İbrahim CeylanHalil İbrahim Ceylan
Halil İbrahim Ceylan
AAAyla ARSLAN
Ayla ARSLAN
Raul Ioan MunteanRaul Ioan Muntean
Raul Ioan Muntean
Background: Age-related declines in respiratory muscle strength and ventilatory efficiency can impair functional capacity and metabolic health in older adults. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been proposed as a practical intervention to counteract these changes, yet its systemic effects remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the effects of short-term IMT on functional capacity, diaphragm thickness, and liver tissue characteristics in healthy elderly men. Methods: Thirty community-dwelling men aged 60–80 years were randomly assigned to an IMT or control group. The IMT group performed four weeks of breathing exercises using a POWERbreathe® device at 40% of maximal inspiratory pressure, with a weekly 10% increase in pressure. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included the six-minute walk test (6MWT), diaphragm thickness and liver density via computed tomography, and quality of life (QoL; SF-12). Results: Four weeks of inspiratory muscle training significantly improved diaphragm thickness (11.7%), fatty liver density (FLD) (+16.7%), and six-minute walk performance (+5.3%), with large time × group effects favoring the IMT group. While the physical quality of life showed modest, comparable improvements, mental health outcomes demonstrated a moderate, time-dependent improvement without a significant group-by-time interaction. Conclusions: Short-term IMT improved diaphragmatic function and functional capacity in older men and was associated with favorable changes in a liver-related biomarker; however, given that only a single liver-related metric was assessed, these findings should not be interpreted as evidence of overall improvements in liver health.