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Li Z, Schoonjans E, Allaert J, De Smet S, Kappen M, Houfflyn J, Ottaviani C, De Raedt R, Pulopulos MM, Vanderhasselt MA. Unraveling the temporal interplay of slow-paced breathing and prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation on cardiac indices of autonomic activity. Psychophysiology 2024:e14650. [PMID: 38997945 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
The neurovisceral integration model proposes that information flows bidirectionally between the brain and the heart via the vagus nerve, indexed by vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV). Voluntary reduction in breathing rate (slow-paced breathing, SPB, 5.5 Breathing Per Minute (BPM)) can enhance vmHRV. Additionally, prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can modulate the excitability of the prefrontal region and influence the vagus nerve. However, research on the combination of SPB and prefrontal tDCS to increase vmHRV and other cardiac (heart rate (HR) and blood pressure) and peripheral (skin conductance) indices is scarce. We hypothesized that the combination of 20 min of SPB and prefrontal tDCS would have a greater effect than each intervention in isolation. Hence, 200 participants were divided into four groups: active tDCS with SPB, active tDCS with 15 BPM breathing, sham tDCS with SPB, and sham tDCS with 15 BPM breathing. Regardless of the tDCS condition, the 5.5 BPM group showed a significant increase in vmHRV over 20 minutes and significant decreases in HR at the first and second 5-min epochs of the intervention. Regardless of breathing condition, the active tDCS group exhibited higher HR at the fourth 5-min epoch of the intervention than the sham tDCS group. No other effects were observed. Overall, SPB is a robust technique for increasing vmHRV, whereas prefrontal tDCS may produce effects that counteract those of SPB. More research is necessary to test whether and how SPB and neuromodulation approaches can be combined to improve cardiac vagal tone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zefeng Li
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emmanuelle Schoonjans
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jens Allaert
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stefanie De Smet
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mitchel Kappen
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joni Houfflyn
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Matias M Pulopulos
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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2
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Leprince C, Maurin M, Carling C. Consideration of Mental Health and Well-Being in High-Level Sport: When Will a Coach-Centred Approach Be Introduced? Sports Med 2024:10.1007/s40279-024-02044-x. [PMID: 38811435 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-024-02044-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Coverage of problems relating to mental health and well-being is gaining ground in the sports sector today, both in the media and in the scientific literature. Despite exposure to numerous stressors and suffering from poor mental health, coaches have in general been largely overlooked in the scientific literature. Previous studies have mainly focused upon athlete populations. The absence of research means that there are real shortcomings in both understanding the mechanisms involved in the deterioration of coaches' mental health and well-being and in the lack of specific support systems available. This paper first describes findings from the recent, albeit quite scarce, research investigating mental health and well-being in coaches. It then proposes a number of avenues for research and support protocols, both of which are currently ongoing at the French Football Federation Research Centre. The aim is to help support these key participants in the sports sector who arguably have not been given sufficient consideration until now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Leprince
- French Football Federation Research Centre, Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France
- Sport, Expertise and Performance Laboratory (EA 7370), INSEP, Paris, France
| | - Mathéo Maurin
- French Football Federation Research Centre, Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France
- Laboratory on Vulnerabilities and Innovation in Sport (L-VIS), University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Christopher Carling
- French Football Federation Research Centre, Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France.
- Sport, Expertise and Performance Laboratory (EA 7370), INSEP, Paris, France.
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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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Merlin Q, Vacher P, Mourot L, Levillain G, Martinent G, Nicolas M. Psychophysiological Effects of Slow-Paced Breathing on Adolescent Swimmers' Subjective Performance, Recovery States, and Control Perception. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol 2024; 9:23. [PMID: 38390923 PMCID: PMC10885016 DOI: 10.3390/jfmk9010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
This study examined the effect of a Slow-Paced Breath (i.e., 6 breaths per minute) without Biofeedback (SPB-NoHRVB) protocol on semi-elite adolescent swimmers' psychological and physiological states during a seven-week ecological training period. A linear mixed-effects multilevel regression analysis approach was used with 13 adolescent national-level swimmers. Athletes were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 7) and a control group (n = 6). Seven waves of assessments were completed weekly during a seven-week training preparation in ecological conditions. During the protocol, swimmers completed subjective quantitative measures (RESTQ-36-R-Sport; cognitive perceived stress and control states about the training process, training subjective performance, and subjective internal training load) and physiological heart rate (HR) (HR of exercise, absolute and normalized HR recovery during the first 60 s of recovery; HRR60 and nHRR60) and heart rate variability (HRV) (MeanRR, RMSSD, LFnu and HFnu, LF/HF ration) tests (through a submaximal heart rate (5'-5' test) once a week. Results revealed that the SPB-NoHRVB protocol significantly predicts biopsychosocial recovery states, cognitive perception of control, and training subjective performance (i.e., a significant effect of the SPB-NoHRVB protocol with the dependent variables simple time trajectories). However, no significant effects were found for biopsychosocial stress scales, cognitively perceived stress, HR, or HRV markers. Our results suggest that SPB-NoHRVB induces simple evolutions over time for crucial variables in athletes' adaptation to the training process (i.e., cognitive appraisals and biopsychosocial states). In contrast, it highlights that SPB-NoHRVB does not induce better stress states. This specific effect on the resource component is an exciting result that will be discussed in the manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Merlin
- Laboratory Psy-DREPI (EA 7458), University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Philippe Vacher
- Research Center for Education Learning and Didactics (EA 3875), Faculty of Sports Science, University Brest, 29200 Brest, France
- Maison des Sciences de l'Homme de Bretagne, Fe, MSHB, 35043 Rennes, France
| | - Laurent Mourot
- SINERGIES, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000 Besançon, France
- Plateforme Exercice Performance Santé Innovation, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000 Besançon, France
| | - Guillaume Levillain
- Research Center for Education Learning and Didactics (EA 3875), Faculty of Sports Science, University Brest, 29200 Brest, France
| | - Guillaume Martinent
- Laboratory L-VIS (EA 7428), University of Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69200 Lyon, France
| | - Michel Nicolas
- Laboratory Psy-DREPI (EA 7458), University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
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Zacher J, Branahl A, Predel HG, Laborde S. Effects of Covid-19 on the autonomic nervous system in elite athletes assessed by heart rate variability. SPORT SCIENCES FOR HEALTH 2023:1-12. [PMID: 37360977 PMCID: PMC10191822 DOI: 10.1007/s11332-023-01067-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Covid-19 is a viral airway and systemic infection which can negatively affect the function of the autonomic nervous system. Cardiovascular autonomic function is essential for peak athletic performance. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a Covid-19 disease on the autonomic nervous system of German elite athletes using heart rate variability (HRV). Methods 60 elite athletes (aged 22.88 ± 4.71 years) were recruited, 30 of whom had undergone a Covid-19 disease. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured during rest and during an orthostatic challenge. Results At rest and after orthostatic stress blood pressure and the root mean square of successive differences (RMSDD) were significantly lower in Covid-19 athletes (COV) than in control athletes (CON) (p = 0.002 and p = 0.004, respectively); heart rate was significantly higher (p = 0.001). COV showed a significantly greater reduction in blood pressure and elevation of heart rate than CON, but the change in RMSSD did not differ significantly during the orthostatic challenge. Conclusion These results show a change in cardiac parasympathetic activity and cardiovascular autonomic function in German elite athletes after Covid-19. These findings further the understanding of effects of the Covid-19 disease on the cardiovascular physiology in athletes. Heart rate variability may be a helpful tool in the return-to-play assessment of elite athletes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11332-023-01067-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Zacher
- Institute of Cardiology and Sports Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Aike Branahl
- Institute of Cardiology and Sports Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Predel
- Institute of Cardiology and Sports Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sylvain Laborde
- Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Normandie Université, EA 4260, UFR STAPS, Caen, France
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Vincent HK, Patel S, Zaremski JL. Impact of COVID on Sports Injury Patterns, Changes in Mental Well-Being, and Strategies to Prepare for Future Pandemics in Sport. Curr Sports Med Rep 2022; 21:196-204. [PMID: 35703746 DOI: 10.1249/jsr.0000000000000966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT This review describes the available evidence of the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, referred to COVID-19) pandemic on musculoskeletal injury patterns and prevalence in athletes. A brief overview of the epidemiology of COVID-19 and prevalence in active populations from youth through professional are provided. Responses to COVID-19 regarding sport participation at regional, national, and international organizations are summarized. Downstream effects of complete or partial training shutdown on injury risk and mental health are discussed. Strategies to maintain athletic potential and overall well-being include maintaining safe access to training facilities and resources, implementation of injury prevention programs, organization of athlete support networks, and incorporation of resilience and coping training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather K Vincent
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
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You M, Laborde S, Zammit N, Iskra M, Borges U, Dosseville F, Vaughan RS. Emotional Intelligence Training: Influence of a Brief Slow-Paced Breathing Exercise on Psychophysiological Variables Linked to Emotion Regulation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18126630. [PMID: 34203020 PMCID: PMC8296389 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Designing emotional intelligence training programs requires first testing the effectiveness of techniques targeting its main dimensions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a brief slow-paced breathing (SPB) exercise on psychophysiological variables linked to emotion regulation, namely cardiac vagal activity (CVA), as well as perceived stress intensity, emotional arousal, and emotional valence. A total of 61 participants completed a 5-min SPB exercise and a control condition of a 5-min rest measurement. CVA was indexed with the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). Participants were also asked to rate their perceived stress intensity, emotional arousal, and emotional valence. Results showed that CVA was higher during SPB in comparison to the control condition. Contrary to our hypothesis, perceived stress intensity and emotional arousal increased after SPB, and perceived emotional valence was less positive after SPB. This could be explained by experiencing dyspnea (i.e., breathing discomfort), and the need to get acclimatized to SPB. Consequently, we may conclude that although physiological benefits of SPB on CVA are immediate, training may be required in order to perceive psychological benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min You
- UFR Psychologie, EA3918 CERREV, Normandie Université, 14000 Caen, France;
| | - Sylvain Laborde
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (N.Z.); (M.I.); (U.B.)
- UFR STAPS, EA 4260 CESAMS, Normandie Université, 14000 Caen, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-221-49-82-57-01
| | - Nina Zammit
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (N.Z.); (M.I.); (U.B.)
| | - Maša Iskra
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (N.Z.); (M.I.); (U.B.)
| | - Uirassu Borges
- Department of Performance Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (N.Z.); (M.I.); (U.B.)
- Department of Health & Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, German Sport University, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Fabrice Dosseville
- UMR-S 1075 COMETE, Normandie Université, 14000 Caen, France;
- INSERM, UMR-S 1075 COMETE, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Robert S. Vaughan
- School of Education, Language, and Psychology, York St John University, York YO31 7EX, UK;
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