**3. Results**

The achieved increase in perionatal pressure (amplitude) was to be maintained for 10 seconds. This was ideally achieved by one person only. Six persons experienced a gradual decrease in the achieved maximum value by an average of 45% (values 31 to 78%).

As expected, a statistically significant difference can be demonstrated for the tonic activity of the pelvic floor muscles in the lying and standing positions, on average the standing values are 7.5 to 10 mm Hg higher (**Figure 2**). This result fully corresponds to the research of Bø et al. (Bø & Finckenhagen, 2003).

The results are not conclusive for the phasic activity, the amplitude increased statistically significantly only for cough (**Table 1**). The amplitudes of the 1 s and 5 s tests were comparable. Basal tonic pressure values - especially the critically low values observed in three individuals - do not condition the low values achieved in short-term amplitudes.

In the test of pelvic floor muscles reaction to cough, we investigate reflex functions in contrast to will-induced contractions in previous tests (5 s and 1 s). In this case, we clearly find higher amplitudes of contractions in cough, on average, the values are doubled, for one person, the cough pressure is up to 10 times the values of the person's deliberately induced amplitude. The t-test values are statistically significant when comparing cough with all will-induced activities at a significance level of 0.001. As expected, the difference in tonic muscle activity was not detected (**Figure 2**).

#### **Figure 2.**

*The tonic pelvic floor muscles activity in specific body position (arithmetic means and determinative deviations).*


#### **Table 1.**

*The t-test values significancy - comparing cough with breathing activities fulfilling experimenter's instruction.*

In an effort to understand more deeply the above-described morphologicalfunctional interconnections and behaviour of the system during the will-induced and reflexive (or spontaneous) changes, we extended the tested functional situations. We were wondering what the functional response to deepened breathing would be, which we invoke not spontaneously but based on the instructions of the therapist. In addition, a short-term anaerobic load lasting several tens of seconds was chosen.

A statistically significant increase in pelvic floor muscle activity during deep breathing was demonstrated. Comparing this activity with consciously induced deep breathing while standing, with the spontaneous breathing caused by the previous running activity can be considered a very interesting result (**Figure 3**). Phasic activity of pelvic floor muscles in deep breathing is statistically significantly higher than that measured in deepened breath after physical exercise of the tested person for a minute of running on the treadmill.

The statistical comparison shows that the increase in the pelvic floor muscular phasic pressure due to cough differs significantly in all the situations tested, i.e. it differs in relation to the position (lying, standing) and to three types of breathing (quiet, deep, after running) (**Figure 4** and **Table 2**).

While in deep breathing we find large variations of values, in spontaneous breath after a minute-run, the values are scattered minimally, similarly to calm breath in both monitored positions, which we consider an interesting result.

If we monitor the variability of the observed values within the measured group, we can see that while in deep breathing we find large variations of the values of physical pressure increase, in spontaneous breath after a minute run, the values are scattered to a minimum extent, similarly to calm breath. Everything applies to both standing and lying position (**Figure 4**).

*Pelvic Floor Muscle Activity in Relation to Body Position and Breath DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98681*

#### **Figure 4.**

*Values of arithmetic means and determinative deviations for observed situations.*


#### **Table 2.**

*Comparison calm and deep breathing and situation after a minute run.*
