What muscles that provide expansion and collapse of the chest are involved in the process of breathing?

On average, a person cannot live without air for more than a minute. Breathing is the basis of all physiological processes in the human body.

One may wonder:What chest muscles (photo below) are involved in the expansion of the chest? And also: thanks to what is the exhalation performed? Readers will find answers to these questions in this article.

Lung function model

The main respiratory organ in the human bodydoes not function independently, it is assisted by muscle groups. The lungs are not able to move and change size by themselves. For this, nature provides muscles that provide expansion and collapse of the chest.

To get air into the lungs, it is necessary to create conditions under which the volume of the respiratory organ has increased and the pressure inside has decreased.

Let's do an experiment.Squeeze in a fist slightly holed rubber ball, imagining that it is light. The hand, its muscles will do the work, and the object inside will decrease in volume. The air from the hole will start to go out.

Now relax the brush, the ball will begin to straighten out due to the elasticity of the material and “pull” part of the air through the hole.

Muscle inhalation

The anatomy of the chest muscles is studied in aggregate, as they work as synergists. Inhalation occurs with the help of the main (inspiratory) muscle group:

1. Diaphragm. It is attached by the tendon processes to the upperthe vertebrae of the lumbar spine. Above it is a muscular tissue, delimiting the lower aperture of the chest and mediastinum. When you inhale, the diaphragm goes down (dome-shaped), pushing up the internal organs and creating a decrease in pressure in the lungs.
2. Intercostal muscles (external). There are only 22 of them (on each sideeleven). Their function is to raise and expand the chest. Each is attached to the lower edge of the rib lying above (near the joints of the spine), and is pulled forward and down to the upper edge of the rib lying below.
3. Raising ribs. They raise the ribs, attached to the back (on the transverse processes of the thoracic region) and continue to the corners of the ribs.
4. Gear muscle (posterior). It is attached to the spinous processes of the vertebrae.neck-thoracic junction (C6, C7, TH1, TH2) and stretches to the upper edges (2 - 5). It is also able to raise the costal arches and tilt the spine during unilateral contraction.

This is quite enough to commitfull breath. In the atlas on anatomy, you can clearly see them and learn how the muscles of the chest are called. But it turns out that all people use them differently. There is a so-called individual "breathing pattern" of a person.

Forcing

Often, the upper and lower muscles that expand and collapse of the chest from the so-called "auxiliary" group (expiratory) are included in the work:

• pectoral (large and small);
• staircase;
• GKS;
• gear (front).

Types of breath

There are types in which the muscles that provide expansion and collapse of the chest, are included in different ways.

1. Usual. To a healthy person to draw air inlungs enough diaphragm and intercostal muscles. Consider how they work. The diaphragm is a unique flattened muscle that is attached from below by tendon legs to the upper vertebrae of the lumbar spine. Above it is a large muscular sheet that can stretch and contract to the state of a dome. When you inhale, the diaphragmatic dome goes down, extending the costal arches, reducing the pressure inside the lungs (in the alveoli). The intercostal muscles help expand the pectoral aperture.
2. Reinforced. Sometimes you have to breathe "forced".For example, when playing sports or in a moment of excitement. Often, this is what people with asthma have to do. In this case, the brain connects "helpers." They can serve, basically, representatives of the "auxiliary" group, one way or another, attached to the chest, shoulder blades, skull, shoulder. Due to their joint coordinated work, it is possible to quantitatively increase the volume of the lungs.

Exhale

The anatomy of the upper and lower chest muscles is studied to explain the characteristics of breathing in different people. Knowing the principles of muscular structures, you can perform various breathing exercises.

Exhalation is just as important as inhalation. In order for the air to come out of the lungs, muscles need only relax. Inertial chest will fall off and exhale will occur.

But it is also reinforced.If you exhale forcefully, then the work includes a variety of muscles of the upper part of the body. In addition to inspiratory and expiratory, muscles of the neck (trapezoid, stairs, and others), chest (small and large), and muscle groups attached to the shoulder joints and shoulder blades can contract.

Full breathing technique

Interesting fact:if the volume of respiration is increased by 10 percent, it is possible to extend life up to 10 years. To increase the capacity of the lungs, there are many techniques. One of them is the practice of "full breath", which came from yoga. It uses all the muscles that provide the expansion and collapse of the chest.

For this breath is made from the bottom up, firstthe diaphragm is activated (the abdomen swells), then the middle part of the lungs (lower chest), in the end the upper parts of the lungs (shoulders go up). After that you should make a short pause (a few seconds). Exhalation is performed in the reverse order.

With breathing muscles, alsoTo work effectively with the help of aerobic exercises (running, cycling, jumping, walking, dancing). All this improves the vital functions of the lungs, well-being, general health and prolongs the years of life.