Reliability of the diaphragmatic compound muscle action potential evoked by cervical magnetic stimulation and recorded via chest wall surface EMG.

•Diaphragm CMAPs may be reliably evoked within and across testing sessions conducted on different days.•Cervical magnetic stimulation combined with chest wall surface EMG provides an effective means of evaluating phrenic nerve conduction in healthy young subjects.•Maximal phrenic nerve stimulation can be achieved in the majority of subjects using cervical magnetic stimulation.