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You M, Laborde S, Ackermann S, Borges U, Dosseville F, Mosley E. Influence of Respiratory Frequency of Slow-Paced Breathing on Vagally-Mediated Heart Rate Variability. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2024; 49:133-143. [PMID: 38063977 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-023-09605-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Breathing techniques, particularly slow-paced breathing (SPB), have gained popularity among athletes due to their potential to enhance performance by increasing cardiac vagal activity (CVA), which in turn can help manage stress and regulate emotions. However, it is still unclear whether the frequency of SPB affects its effectiveness in increasing CVA. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a brief SPB intervention (i.e., 5 min) on CVA using heart rate variability (HRV) measurement as an index. A total of 75 athletes (22 female; Mage = 22.32; age range = 19-31) participated in the study, attending one lab session where they performed six breathing exercises, including SPB at different frequencies (5 cycles per minute (cpm), 5.5 cpm, 6 cpm, 6.5 cpm, 7 cpm), and a control condition of spontaneous breathing. The study found that CVA was significantly higher in all SPB conditions compared to the control condition, as indexed by both root mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD) and low-frequency HRV (LF-HRVms2). Interestingly, LF-HRVms2 was more sensitive in differentiating the respiratory frequencies than RMSSD. These results suggest that SPB at a range of 5 cpm to 7 cpm can be an effective method to increase CVA and potentially improve stress management and emotion regulation in athletes. This short SPB exercise can be a simple yet useful tool for athletes to use during competitive scenarios and short breaks in competitions. Overall, these findings highlight the potential benefits of incorporating SPB into athletes' training and competition routines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min You
- School of Teacher Education, University of Weifang, Weifang, China.
- UFR Psychologie, UR 3918 CERREV, Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, 14032, France.
| | - Sylvain Laborde
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany
- UFR STAPS, UR 7480 VERTEX, Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, 14032, France
| | - Stefan Ackermann
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany
| | - Uirassu Borges
- Department of Health & Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fabrice Dosseville
- UFR STAPS, UR 7480 VERTEX, Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, 14032, France
- CNDAPS, Colombelles, F-14460, France
| | - Emma Mosley
- Department of Rehabilitation and Sport Sciences, School of Sport, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK
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Bentley TGK, D’Andrea-Penna G, Rakic M, Arce N, LaFaille M, Berman R, Cooley K, Sprimont P. Breathing Practices for Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Conceptual Framework of Implementation Guidelines Based on a Systematic Review of the Published Literature. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1612. [PMID: 38137060 PMCID: PMC10741869 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety and stress plague populations worldwide. Voluntary regulated breathing practices offer a tool to address this epidemic. We examined peer-reviewed published literature to understand effective approaches to and implementation of these practices. PubMed and ScienceDirect were searched to identify clinical trials evaluating isolated breathing-based interventions with psychometric stress/anxiety outcomes. Two independent reviewers conducted all screening and data extraction. Of 2904 unique articles, 731 abstracts, and 181 full texts screened, 58 met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-four of the studies' 72 interventions were effective. Components of effective and ineffective interventions were evaluated to develop a conceptual framework of factors associated with stress/anxiety reduction effectiveness. Effective breath practices avoided fast-only breath paces and sessions <5 min, while including human-guided training, multiple sessions, and long-term practice. Population, other breath paces, session duration ≥5 min, and group versus individual or at-home practices were not associated with effectiveness. Analysis of interventions that did not fit this framework revealed that extensive standing, interruptions, involuntary diaphragmatic obstruction, and inadequate training for highly technical practices may render otherwise promising interventions ineffective. Following this evidence-based framework can help maximize the stress/anxiety reduction benefits of breathing practices. Future research is warranted to further refine this easily accessible intervention for stress/anxiety relief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya G. K. Bentley
- Health and Human Performance Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA (R.B.); (K.C.)
| | - Gina D’Andrea-Penna
- Health and Human Performance Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA (R.B.); (K.C.)
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Marina Rakic
- Health and Human Performance Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA (R.B.); (K.C.)
| | - Nick Arce
- Health and Human Performance Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA (R.B.); (K.C.)
| | - Michelle LaFaille
- Health and Human Performance Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA (R.B.); (K.C.)
| | - Rachel Berman
- Health and Human Performance Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA (R.B.); (K.C.)
| | - Katie Cooley
- Health and Human Performance Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA (R.B.); (K.C.)
| | - Preston Sprimont
- Health and Human Performance Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA (R.B.); (K.C.)
- Department of Kinesiology, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92831, USA
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