To compare two respiratory muscle training programs for improving the functional autonomy of institutionalized elderly. Clinical randomized trial conducted at a long stay institution with 42 elderly volunteers that were divided into three groups: group threshold (GT) with mean age (70.93 +/- 8.41), group voldyne (GV) (70.54 +/- 7.73) and control group (CG) (73.92 +/- 7.28). Groups GT and GV were treated with breathing exercises and muscle training by threshold and voldyne, respectively while the CG did just breathing exercises. Training of groups took 10 weeks. To assess the functional autonomy, the elderly were evaluated before and after training, according to the GDLAM protocol. All intra-group comparison (pre x post-test) showed a significant difference in GT for all tests (C10M change% -20.57, p = 0.0001; LPS change% -13.53, p = 0.020; VTC change% -27.96, p = 0.0001; LCLC change% -18.71, p = 0.0001 and IG change% -18.43, p = 0.0001), except in LPDV. In GV there was a significant difference only (p < 0.05) for the C10M (change% -17.11, p = 0.004). In the comparison between (post x post), there was a statistical significance (p < 0.05) for VTC test between the GT and GV (change -3.62%, p = 0.017), with favorable results for the GT. Similarly, there was a statistical difference (p < 0.05) in GT C10M (change% -3.83, p = 0.023), LCLC (change -34.02%, p = 0.012) and IG (change% -13.63, p = 0.004) compared to GC. The trained groups improved functional autonomy, reaching 27.42; considered to be a weak level in both pre-and post-training.

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