Using Slow-Paced Breathing to Foster Endurance, Well-Being, and Sleep Quality in Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Uirassu Borges,Emma Mosley,Florian Javelle,Sylvain Laborde,Babett Lobinger,Matthew Watson

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624655

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been causing major disruptions in the sporting world. Negative physiological and psychological effects on athletes have been reported, such as respiratory issues and increased stress. Therefore, it is timely to support this population by presenting cost-effective and accessible intervention techniques to reduce this impact. Slow-paced breathing (SPB) has the potential to counteract many of the detrimental effects of COVID-19 that can directly affect sports performance. In this article, we present and justify the use of SPB in athletes by focusing on three key outcomes, namely aerobic endurance performance, emotional well-being, and sleep quality. We examine the physiological mechanisms that underpin these three outcomes and review literature showing that SPB can activate anti-inflammatory pathways, increase lung capacity and, in turn, improve aerobic endurance, emotional well-being, and sleep quality. We conclude that interventions using SPB can have preventive and rehabilitative properties for athletes. Future studies should empirically test the potential of SPB to help this specific population.

Highlights

The global outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in March 2020 (WHO, 2020) is having a major negative impact on the physiological and psychological health of individuals and society in general (Brooks et al, 2020; Fu et al, 2020; Mohanty et al, 2020)
We propose that slow-paced breathing (SPB) is an intervention technique that can have preventive and rehabilitative effects on certain sports-relevant outcomes that are impaired by COVID-19, namely aerobic endurance, emotional well-being, and sleep quality
We argue that SPB may reduce the detrimental effects of COVID-19 on sports performance, potentially shortening the length of the recovery period

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The global outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in March 2020 (WHO, 2020) is having a major negative impact on the physiological and psychological health of individuals and society in general (Brooks et al, 2020; Fu et al, 2020; Mohanty et al, 2020). It is timely to develop strategies to counteract the negative impact of COVID-19 in sports and support athletes’ performance and mental health In this perspective article, we propose that SPB is an intervention technique that can have preventive and rehabilitative effects on certain sports-relevant outcomes that are impaired by COVID-19, namely aerobic endurance, emotional well-being, and sleep quality. As increased CVA may prevent cytokine release syndrome (Huston and Tracey, 2011) and has been positively associated with both athletic performance (Buchheit, 2014; Bellenger et al, 2016; Jiménez Morgan and Molina Mora, 2017; Lehrer et al, 2020; Pagaduan et al, 2020) and emotional well-being (Mather and Thayer, 2018), we argue that CVA mediates the benefits of SPB on the sports-relevant outcomes that can be impaired by COVID-19 which we describe in this article.

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION

Findings

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT