Abstract
Slow-paced breathing has been shown to enhance the self-regulation abilities of athletes via its influence on cardiac vagal activity. However, the role of certain respiratory parameters (i.e., inhalation/exhalation ratio and presence of a respiratory pause between respiratory phases) still needs to be clarified. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the influence of these respiratory parameters on the effects of slow-paced breathing on cardiac vagal activity. A total of 64 athletes (27 female; Mage = 22, age range = 18–30 years old) participated in a within-subject experimental design. Participants performed six breathing conditions within one session, with a 5 min washout period between each condition. Each condition lasted 5 min, with 30 respiratory cycles, and each respiratory cycle lasted 10 s (six cycles per minute), with inhalation/exhalation ratios of 0.8, 1.0, 1.2; and with or without respiratory pauses (0.4 s) between respiratory phases. Results indicated that the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), a marker of cardiac vagal activity, was higher when exhalation was longer than inhalation. The presence of a brief (0.4 s) post-inhalation and post-exhalation respiratory pause did not further influence RMSSD. Athletes practicing slow-paced breathing are recommended to use an inhalation/exhalation ratio in which the exhalation phase is longer than the inhalation phase.
Highlights
During sport competitions, athletes are required to effectively regulate their emotions [1,2,3] and cope with stressors [4,5]
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the inhalation/exhalation ratio and of a respiratory pause on cardiac vagal activity (CVA) during slow-paced breathing (SPB)
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of two characteristics of SPB on CVA, namely the inhalation/exhalation ratio and the presence of a respiratory pause
Summary
Athletes are required to effectively regulate their emotions [1,2,3] and cope with stressors [4,5]. The current study aims to further understand the role of varying these two parameters on the effectiveness of SPB, as measured by cardiac vagal activity (CVA), an indicator for self-regulation mechanisms [10,11,12,13,14,15,16]. SPB is a technique used to decrease overall activation and trigger relaxation [17]. It involves timed inhalation and exhalation periods (“paced”), at a rate of around six cycles per minute (cpm), which is at least half as slow than the spontaneous breathing rate, normally ranging between 12 and 20 cpm [18,19].
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