Heart Rate and Breathing Rate Response During Maximal Graded Exercise Is Altered After Volitional Breath Training in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of 6 weeks supervised pranayamic volitional breath training (PVBT) on heart rate and breathing rate response during maximal graded exercise treadmill test (GXTT) in healthy adult volunteers0. METHODS: Consecutive, consenting healthy adult volunteers of mean age 20.56 ± 2.49 years (n = 30), underwent baseline recording of resting heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and respiratory rate (RR) followed by Bruce ramp protocol maximal GXTT until volitional exhaustion providing total test time (TT), derived VO2max achieved, heart rate and breathing rate response during maximal GXTT and drop in recovery HR data. After six weeks of observation, the participants underwent pre-intervention recording followed by supervised PVBT intervention for 6 weeks, 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week, and post-intervention recording. Repeated measures ANOVA with pairwise t-statistical comparison was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The participants, after supervised PVBT, showed significant increase in TT (805.993 ± 99.04 vs. 806.00 ± 97.92 vs. 868.97 ± 97.48 seconds, p < 0.001), VO2max (53.37 ± 6.68 vs. 53.47 ± 6.75 vs. 57.77 ± 6.74 ml/kg/min, p < 0.001), and significant difference in the heart rate and breathing rate response during maximal GXTT post intervention, which is represented graphically (Figure 1 and 2). CONCLUSIONS: After supervised PVBT, the participants showed improvement in maximal GXTT performance and altered heart rate and breathing response during exercise probably due to learnt behavior to control the breathing pattern improving the breathing economy, improvement in respiratory muscle aerobic capacity, increase in stroke volume and cardiac output and attenuation of respiratory muscle metaboreflex.