We extend some results of Giroux and Rahman (Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 193 (1
974), 67-98) for Bernstein-type inequalities on the unit circle for polynom
ials with a prescribed zero at z=1 to those for rational functions. These r
esults improve the Bernstein-type inequalities for rational functions. The
sharpness of these inequalities is also established. Our approach makes use
of the Malmquist-Walsh system of orthogonal rational functions on the unit
circle associated with the Lebesgue measure. (C) 1998 Academic Press.